1972–73 New York Islanders season

1972–73 New York Islanders
Division 8th East
1972–73 record 12–60–6
Goals for 170
Goals against 347
Team information
General Manager Bill Torrey
Coach Earl Ingarfield
Phil Goyette
Captain Ed Westfall
Alternate captains Germain Gagnon
Brian Spencer
Team leaders
Goals Billy Harris (28)
Assists Ed Westfall (31)
Points Billy Harris (50)
Penalties in minutes Gerry Hart (158)
Wins Billy Smith (7)
Goals against average Billy Smith (4.16)

The 1972–73 New York Islanders season was the first season in the franchise's history. At the beginning of 1972, Gordie Howe was offered the job as first head coach of the New York Islanders, but turned it down.[1] The Islanders were coached by Phil Goyette (6–38–4) and Earl Ingarfield (6–22–2). Overall, the team finished in last place with an appalling 12–60–6 record, unable to qualify for the playoffs.

Offseason

NHL Draft

RoundPickPlayerNationalityCollege/junior/club team
11Billy Harris CanadaToronto Marlboros (OHA)
217Lorne Henning CanadaNew Westminster Bruins (WCHL)
333Bob Nystrom CanadaCalgary Centennials (WCHL)
449Ron Smith CanadaCornwall Royals (QMJHL)
565Richard Grenier CanadaVerdun Eperviers (QMJHL)
681Derek Black CanadaCalgary Centennials (WCHL)
797Richard Brodeur CanadaCornwall Royals (QMJHL)
7101Don McLaughlin CanadaBrandon Wheat Kings (WCHL)
8113Derek Kuntz CanadaMedicine Hat Tigers (WCHL)
8117Rene Levasseur CanadaShawinigan Dynamos (QMJHL)
9129Yvon Rolando CanadaDrummondville Rangers (QMJHL)
9133Bill Ennos CanadaVancouver Nats (WCHL)
10144Garry Howatt CanadaFlin Flon Bombers (WCHL)
10146Rene Lambert CanadaSt. Jerome Alouettes (QMJHL)

[2]

NHL Expansion Draft

PickPlayerDrafted fromDrafted by
2Gerry Desjardins (G)Chicago Black HawksNew York Islanders
4Billy Smith (G)Los Angeles KingsNew York Islanders
5Bart Crashley (D)Montreal CanadiensNew York Islanders
7Dave Hudson (C)Chicago Black HawksNew York Islanders
9Ed Westfall (RW)Boston BruinsNew York Islanders
11Gary Peters (C)Boston BruinsNew York Islanders
13Larry Hornung (D)St. Louis BluesNew York Islanders
15Bryan Lefley (D)New York RangersNew York Islanders
17Brian Spencer (LW)Toronto Maple LeafsNew York Islanders
19Terry Crisp (C)St. Louis BluesNew York Islanders
21Ted Hampson (C)Minnesota North StarsNew York Islanders
23Gerry Hart (D)Detroit Red WingsNew York Islanders
25John Schella (D)Vancouver CanucksNew York Islanders
27Bill Mikkelson (D)Los Angeles KingsNew York Islanders
29Craig Cameron (RW)Minnesota North StarsNew York Islanders
31Tom Miller (C)Toronto Maple LeafsNew York Islanders
33Brian Marchinko (C)Buffalo SabresNew York Islanders
35Ted Taylor (LW)Vancouver CanucksNew York Islanders
37Norm Ferguson (RW)California Golden SealsNew York Islanders
39Jim Mair (D)Philadelphia FlyersNew York Islanders
41Ken Murray (D)Buffalo SabresNew York Islanders

Regular season

The New York Islanders' first logo

With the impending start of the World Hockey Association in the fall of 1972, the upstart league had plans to place its New York team in the brand-new Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Nassau County. However, Nassau County officials did not consider the WHA a professional league and wanted nothing to do with the upstart New York Raiders. The only legal way to keep the Raiders out of the Coliseum was to get an NHL team to play there, so William Shea, who had helped bring the New York Mets to the area a decade earlier, was pressed into service once again. Shea found a receptive ear in league president Clarence Campbell, who did not want the additional competition in the New York area. So, despite having expanded to 14 teams just two years before, the NHL hastily awarded a Long Island-based franchise to clothing manufacturer Roy Boe, owner of the American Basketball Association's New York Nets. A second expansion franchise was awarded to Atlanta (the Flames) at the same time to balance the schedule. The new team was widely expected to take the Long Island Ducks name used by an Eastern Hockey League franchise; the more geographically expansive "New York Islanders" came largely as a surprise.

The fledgling Islanders, who were soon nicknamed the Isles by the local newspapers, had an extra burden to pay in the form of a $4 million territorial fee to the nearby New York Rangers. True to their name, the New York Islanders officially represent New York (city and state), with their nickname and logo denoting their current arena location and fan heartbed; but their support has also naturally come from the boroughs, upstate, Connecticut, and elsewhere in the metro area. This geographical backdrop set the stage for one of the NHL's fiercest and most celebrated regional rivalries.

While the Islanders secured veteran forward Ed Westfall from the Boston Bruins in the 1972 NHL Expansion Draft, junior league star Billy Harris in the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft, and a few other respectable players, several other draftees jumped to the WHA. Unlike most other expansion teams' general managers, Islanders' GM Bill Torrey didn't make many trades for veteran players in the early years. Rather than pursue a "win now" strategy of getting a few veterans to boost attendance (a tactic which proved disastrous for many teams in the long run), Torrey was committed to building through the draft.

In the team's first season, young players such as goaltender Billy Smith (the team's second pick in the expansion draft) and forwards Bob Nystrom and Lorne Henning were given chances to prove themselves in the NHL. However, this young and inexperienced expansion team posted a record of 12–60–6, one of the worst in NHL history. The lone highlight of the season came on January 18, when the lowly Islanders upset the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins on the road 9–7.

Phil Goyette was fired midway through the season, and replaced with Earl Ingarfield.[3]

Final standings

East Division[4]
GP W L T GF GA DIFF Pts
1Montreal Canadiens78521016329184+145120
2Boston Bruins7851225330235+95107
3New York Rangers7847238297208+89102
4Buffalo Sabres78372714257219+3888
5Detroit Red Wings78372912265243+2286
6Toronto Maple Leafs78274110247279−3264
7Vancouver Canucks7822479233339−10653
8New York Islanders7812606170347−17730

Schedule and results

No. R Date Score Opponent Record
1LOctober 7, 19722–3Atlanta Flames (1972–73)0–1–0
2WOctober 12, 19723–2Los Angeles Kings (1972–73)1–1–0
3LOctober 14, 19724–7Boston Bruins (1972–73)1–2–0
4LOctober 17, 19720–5Pittsburgh Penguins (1972–73)1–3–0
5LOctober 21, 19721–2New York Rangers (1972–73)1–4–0
6LOctober 24, 19723–4Montreal Canadiens (1972–73)1–5–0
7TOctober 28, 19724–4Chicago Black Hawks (1972–73)1–5–1
8LOctober 29, 19721–9@ Boston Bruins (1972–73)1–6–1
9WNovember 1, 19726–2@ California Golden Seals (1972–73)2–6–1
10LNovember 3, 19722–7@ Vancouver Canucks (1972–73)2–7–1
11LNovember 4, 19722–9@ Los Angeles Kings (1972–73)2–8–1
12LNovember 8, 19721–6@ Chicago Black Hawks (1972–73)2–9–1
13LNovember 11, 19720–3@ Minnesota North Stars (1972–73)2–10–1
14LNovember 14, 19722–7Montreal Canadiens (1972–73)2–11–1
15LNovember 16, 19720–4@ Atlanta Flames (1972–73)2–12–1
16LNovember 18, 19723–7Boston Bruins (1972–73)2–13–1
17WNovember 21, 19724–2California Golden Seals (1972–73)3–13–1
18LNovember 22, 19723–5@ Philadelphia Flyers (1972–73)3–14–1
19TNovember 25, 19722–2@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1972–73)3–14–2
20LNovember 26, 19722–9@ Buffalo Sabres (1972–73)3–15–2
21LNovember 28, 19722–7Buffalo Sabres (1972–73)3–16–2
22LDecember 2, 19721–4Detroit Red Wings (1972–73)3–17–2
23LDecember 3, 19721–5@ Boston Bruins (1972–73)3–18–2
24LDecember 5, 19721–6Los Angeles Kings (1972–73)3–19–2
25LDecember 9, 19721–4New York Rangers (1972–73)3–20–2
26LDecember 10, 19721–4@ New York Rangers (1972–73)3–21–2
27TDecember 12, 19724–4St. Louis Blues (1972–73)3–21–3
28LDecember 13, 19721–9@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1972–73)3–22–3
29LDecember 16, 19721–2Philadelphia Flyers (1972–73)3–23–3
30LDecember 17, 19720–4@ Atlanta Flames (1972–73)3–24–3
31LDecember 20, 19722–4@ Montreal Canadiens (1972–73)3–25–3
32TDecember 21, 19724–4Vancouver Canucks (1972–73)3–25–4
33WDecember 23, 19724–2Minnesota North Stars (1972–73)4–25–4
34LDecember 27, 19721–4@ Los Angeles Kings (1972–73)4–26–4
35LDecember 29, 19722–5@ California Golden Seals (1972–73)4–27–4
36LDecember 30, 19722–5@ Vancouver Canucks (1972–73)4–28–4
37LJanuary 2, 19731–6Atlanta Flames (1972–73)4–29–4
38LJanuary 3, 19731–4@ Buffalo Sabres (1972–73)4–30–4
39LJanuary 6, 19730–4Detroit Red Wings (1972–73)4–31–4
40LJanuary 7, 19730–4@ Detroit Red Wings (1972–73)4–32–4
41LJanuary 9, 19732–3Los Angeles Kings (1972–73)4–33–4
42LJanuary 10, 19732–4@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1972–73)4–34–4
43LJanuary 13, 19731–8@ Minnesota North Stars (1972–73)4–35–4
44LJanuary 14, 19731–2St. Louis Blues (1972–73)4–36–4
45LJanuary 16, 19730–1Minnesota North Stars (1972–73)4–37–4
46WJanuary 18, 19739–7@ Boston Bruins (1972–73)5–37–4
47LJanuary 20, 19731–5@ St. Louis Blues (1972–73)5–38–4
48WJanuary 23, 19738–1California Golden Seals (1972–73)6–38–4
49LJanuary 24, 19731–6@ Montreal Canadiens (1972–73)6–39–4
50LJanuary 26, 19731–5@ Vancouver Canucks (1972–73)6–40–4
51LJanuary 31, 19733–5@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1972–73)6–41–4
52LFebruary 1, 19733–5Chicago Black Hawks (1972–73)6–42–4
53TFebruary 3, 19731–1Buffalo Sabres (1972–73)6–42–5
54LFebruary 4, 19731–5@ Buffalo Sabres (1972–73)6–43–5
55WFebruary 6, 19734–2Toronto Maple Leafs (1972–73)7–43–5
56LFebruary 7, 19730–6@ New York Rangers (1972–73)7–44–5
57LFebruary 10, 19730–6New York Rangers (1972–73)7–45–5
58LFebruary 13, 19732–8@ Philadelphia Flyers (1972–73)7–46–5
59LFebruary 14, 19732–4@ Chicago Black Hawks (1972–73)7–47–5
60LFebruary 17, 19732–6@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1972–73)7–48–5
61LFebruary 18, 19732–3@ New York Rangers (1972–73)7–49–5
62LFebruary 20, 19730–4Pittsburgh Penguins (1972–73)7–50–5
63LFebruary 22, 19731–2@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1972–73)7–51–5
64WFebruary 24, 19734–2Detroit Red Wings (1972–73)8–51–5
65LFebruary 27, 19733–5Chicago Black Hawks (1972–73)8–52–5
66WMarch 3, 19739–3Vancouver Canucks (1972–73)9–52–5
67LMarch 4, 19731–5@ Detroit Red Wings (1972–73)9–53–5
68LMarch 6, 19732–3Montreal Canadiens (1972–73)9–54–5
69LMarch 8, 19731–4Toronto Maple Leafs (1972–73)9–55–5
70LMarch 10, 19734–5@ St. Louis Blues (1972–73)9–56–5
71LMarch 11, 19731–2@ Minnesota North Stars (1972–73)9–57–5
72LMarch 13, 19730–3Boston Bruins (1972–73)9–58–5
73WMarch 17, 19736–4St. Louis Blues (1972–73)10–58–5
74WMarch 20, 19736–3California Golden Seals (1972–73)11–58–5
75WMarch 24, 19733–2Philadelphia Flyers (1972–73)12–58–5
76LMarch 27, 19732–3Buffalo Sabres (1972–73)12–59–5
77LMarch 31, 19732–10@ Philadelphia Flyers (1972–73)12–60–5
78TApril 1, 19734–4@ Atlanta Flames (1972–73)12–60–6

Player statistics

Forwards

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes

Player GP G A Pts PIM
Billy Harris7828225035
Ed Westfall6715314625
Germain Gagnon6312294131
Brian Spencer7814243890
Craig Cameron7219143327
Dave Hudson6912193117
Tom Miller6913173021
Lorne Henning637192614
Terry Crisp54416206
Don Blackburn567101720
Bob Cook33861414
Ralph Stewart31410144
Brian Lavender43661247
Brian Marchinko362680

[5]

Defencemen

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes

Player GP G A Pts PIM
Jim Mair492111341
Arnie Brown48481227
Gerry Hart4711112158
Bill Mikkelson721101145
Bryan Lefley63371056
Neil Nicholson3031423

[5]

Goaltending

Note: GP= Games played; MIN = Minutes; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average

Player GP MIN W L T SO GA GAA
Gerry Desjardins372498535301954.68
Gerry Gray160010055.00
Billy Smith372122724301474.16

[5]

References

  1. ↑ Jim Proudfoot (column), Toronto Star, January 8, 1972, p. 41
  2. ↑ National Hockey League Official Guide and Record Book 2006, p.162, Dan Diamond & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, ISBN 0-920445-98-5
  3. ↑ http://nyti.ms/1BF5Bzm
  4. ↑ "1972–1973 Division Standings Standings - NHL.com - Standings". National Hockey League.
  5. 1 2 3 https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/NYI/1973.html
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