Everybody knows the story of Butch Goring and the Islanders. Or, at least, the beginning of it.
A center for the Los Angeles Kings with a motor that wouldn’t quit and an unsafe-at-any-speed helmet, Goring was acquired by the Islanders late in the 1979-80 season for stalwarts Billy Harris and Dave Lewis. The adding of a true compliment to Bryan Trottier sparked the Islanders to the first of four straight Stanley Cups and five straight appearances in the Final. The phrase “The final piece of the puzzle,” basically didn’t exist in a sports context until Islanders GM Bill Torrey traded for Goring.