A SHIFT IN POWER

THIS DATE IN NEW YORK ISLANDERS HISTORY
NOV. 8, 1971
The National Hockey League awards a franchise to Long Island, with
the team to begin play in the 1972-73 season.
OCT. 11, 1975
The Islanders win their home opener 7-0 over the Los Angeles Kings,
as rookie Bryan Trottier tallies three goals and two assists.
MEDIA INFORMATION
STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
IN THE PAST
OPPONENTS
DEC. 30, 1971
FEB. 14, 1972
JUN. 7, 1972
JUN. 8, 1972
JUN. 20, 1972
OCT. 7, 1972
OCT. 12, 1972
JAN. 18, 1973
JUN. 10, 1973
JUN. 17, 1973
OCT. 27, 1973
JUN. 11, 1974
MAY 28, 1974
Roy Boe’s purchase of LI franchise is made official by the
NHL Board of Governors.
Bill Torrey, 38, an Executive Vice President with the Oakland Seals, is
named the team’s first General Manager.
The Islanders select 21 players in the Expansion Draft, including Ed
Westfall, Gerry Hart and Bill Smith.
Billy Harris is selected first overall by the Islanders in the 1972 NHL
Amateur Draft. Lorne Henning is selected in the second round, Bobby
Nystrom in the third.
Phil Goyette, a former Canadien, Blue, Sabre and Ranger, retires as a
player to become the Islanders’ first Head Coach.
The Islanders lose their home opener and first game in franchise
history, 3-2, to the Atlanta Flames. Ed Westfall scores the Islanders’
first goal at 17:29 of the second period.
The Islanders beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 at home for the
franchise’s first win. Billy Harris takes the first penalty shot in
Islanders history and is unsuccessful.
In the highlight of the inaugural season, the Islanders defeat Bobby
Orr, Phil Esposito and the Bruins, 9-7, at Boston Garden.
Al Arbour is named Islanders Head Coach.
The Islanders select Denis Potvin first overall in the 1973 NHL
Amateur Draft.
Denis Potvin scores his first NHL goal as the Islanders defeat the NY
Rangers for the first time, 3-2.
Denis Potvin is awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s top
rookie.
The Islanders select Clark Gillies in the first round and Bryan Trottier
in the second round of the NHL Entry Draft.
JUN. 7, 1976
FEB. 3, 1977
APR. 17, 1977
JUN. 14, 1977
APR. 1, 1978
APR. 8, 1978
JUN. 12, 1978
DEC. 23, 1978
FEB. 19, 1979
APR. 8, 1979
MAY 8, 1979
Denis Potvin is awarded the first of his three Norris Trophies as the
NHL’s top defenseman. He also wins in 1978 and 1979. Bryan Trottier
wins the Calder Trophy.
Richie Hansen of Northport becomes the first Long Islander to score a
goal for the Isles in the team’s 6-3 win over the Rangers.
For the third consecutive season, the Islanders advance to the Stanley
Cup semifinals when they sweep the Buffalo Sabres in four straight
games. They had defeated the Chicago Blackhawks in the preliminary
round. They fall to the Canadiens once again in the semis, four
games to two. It is the third straight year that the Islanders fall to the
eventual champions.
The Islanders select Mike Bossy in the first round of the 1977 NHL
Amateur draft. Houston Aeros forward John Tonelli is selected in the
second round out of the World Hockey Association.
Mike Bossy becomes the first Islander and first rookie in NHL history
to score 50 goals in a season, in a 3-2 win against the Washington
Capitals.
The Islanders clinch their first Patrick Division and Campbell Conference
championships with a 7-2 win over the Rangers at the Coliseum.
Mike Bossy becomes the third Islanders player in five years to win the
Calder Trophy as the league’s Rookie of the Year.
Bryan Trottier scores five goals and three assists against the Rangers
in a 9-4 Islanders victory.
Mike Bossy scores his 100th career goal in his 129th game. It is the
fastest 100 goals ever scored by a player in the NHL.
Mike Bossy scores his 69th goal of the season against the Rangers. It
is the second-highest total in NHL history. The 5-2 win gives the
Islanders the best overall record in the NHL at 51-15-14.
The Rangers eliminate the Islanders in a classic semifinal, four
games to two, with a 2-1 win at Madison Square Garden.
APR. 4, 1975
APR. 11, 1975
The Rangers help the Islanders clinch their first-ever playoff berth by
defeating Atlanta, 3-2, to eliminate the Flames from the final playoff
spot in the Campbell Conference.
The Islanders win their first playoff series, ousting the Rangers two
games to one, when J.P. Parise scores 11 seconds into overtime at
Madison Square Garden to give the Isles a 4-3 win.
JUN. 11, 1979
OCT. 11, 1979
NOV. 13, 1979
Bryan Trottier wins the Hart Trophy as League MVP.
Clark Gillies relinquishes the captaincy. Denis Potvin is named the
new team captain.
In their first meeting since the prior year’s playoffs, the Islanders
defeat the Rangers 10-5 in the famed “Double Chili” game.
APR. 26, 1975
The Islanders come back from a 0-3 deficit to defeat the Pittsburgh
Penguins 4-3 in the second round of the playoffs. Ed Westfall scores
with just over five minutes left in regulation and Glen Resch makes 30
saves in the Isles’ 1-0 victory, which made them the second team in NHL
history (Toronto, 1942) to complete such a comeback.
NOV. 28, 1979
MAR. 1, 1980
Bill Smith is given credit for a goal in a 7-4 loss to the Colorado
Rockies. He is the first NHL goaltender to be credited with a goal.
Ken Morrow joins the New York Islanders after helping Team USA to the
Gold Medal in the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid.
MAY 12, 1975
MAY 14, 1975
In the semifinals, the Islanders fall behind three games to none to the
Philadelphia Flyers, but rally once again to force another Game Seven
with a 2-1 win at home. Gerry Hart’s third period goal snapped a 1-1
tie to clinch the victory.
Ed Westfall presents Philadelphia icon Kate Smith with a bouquet of
roses before her performance of “God Bless America,” but the Flyers
go on to win Game Seven, 4-1, to eliminate the Islanders in the Stanley
Cup Semifinals. Al Arbour salutes his team’s maturity by saying,
“If I called a practice next week, every one of them would show up.”
MAR. 10, 1980
The Islanders acquire Butch Goring from Los Angeles for Bill Harris
and Dave Lewis.
APRIL 11, 1980 Ken Morrow scores 6:55 into overtime to give the Islanders a 2-1
lead in their first round series with Los Angeles.
APR. 17, 1980
In a 5-4 Islanders overtime win at Boston in Game Two of the
second round of the playoffs, Clark Gillies and Terry O’Reilly fight
twice in the first period. Later, Duane Sutter and Mike Milbury square
off, starting a bench-clearing brawl.
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