I had this idea a few days back. I intend to look at every Stanley Cup winning roster from 1981 until now, which would be every champion since I started watching hockey.
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30 Comments
Some of these players were scary, I would not want to get in any type of argument with one of those guys.
I remember also going to NYC in the late 80s and you didn't see any ranger stuff out there, it was all islanders.
THG, would be great if you did a video focusing on helping a new to hockey fan pick a favorite team. With fan base culture and history and such. Thanks
Shannon, you as a Canucks fan are going to have to talk about the Oilers like 5 times in the span of a week. You're a masochist! I remember 1985 and beyond so this will be interesting
Greatest hockey dynasty with the habs being a close second. Nobody will ever match 19 straight playoff series wins again, and the isles probably would have won another cup if Bossy didn't retire at 30
You should host an NHL 17 (or 18 it comes out soon) tournament for subscribers that would be fun. Or pick a year and recreate a tournament scenario. Just throwing ideas out there!
Ur a great youtuber! I'm glad that your channel is growing fast. You have taught me so much about hockey, and I thought I knew a lot!
You know its been a long time when you say a team won a series 3-0.
Denis Potvin was my favorite player on that team and he reminded me of a sargeant back there on defense,what a leader he was and to me he is one of the top two or three defensemen that ever played the game. Bob.
I respectfully put in my request for you to skip your revisit to the 1984 final.
The early 80's Islanders are my favourite dynasty because they had so much skill and toughness you just couldn't win against them. Bryan Trottier was probably my favourite player from those teams cause a) he was just that damn good b) he's a good ol Saskatchewan boy just like me and c) I have met him in real life and he's such a nice guy.
Love the vids keep it up
I'm excited for the series! Should be good!
Whoo! Let's go islanders!!
God that team was good. They could play any style at any time.
I saw them a few times against the boston bruins and hartford whalers …..their head coach is underated…….great video
Modern training and equipment, this team takes Pittsburgh in 5.
Tonelli is a interesting case for the Hall…. I say he should be in, but he's not the only guy that gets no love…. Pat Verbeek continues to come to mind as a guy that should be in the Hall….. 500 goals, 500 assists, 2500 PIM's. Just stumbled across this channel, great work here…. I love the fact you talk about Hockey & you know your stuff.
I am a life long die hard Islanders fan. I think the 1981-1982 team was their best team ever. That team could whoop some serious ass in today's NHL. I am a little surprised that Al Arbour is not getting any love in the comments. If it weren't for him and his coaching style, would the Islanders have ever become the DYNASTY that they were? Most likely not, even with those HOF players.
Can't wait videos for the cup champions from 84, 85, 87, 88 and 90
Top 5 team of all time easily.
Adding this for giggles and poops: Bob Lorimer was among their top 6 before McEwen was traded to the Isles (from Colorado where he feuded with Don Cherry in 80'- and he was traded by Torrey in 83-84 to LA!!! and that was due to his being unhappy with both his contract and playing time). Don't be fooled. Lorimer was a tougher and better all around defenseman, but they needed McEwen's shot from the right point on the PP.
Chico Resch was also a big part of their season until Roland Melanson allowed them to trade #1 at the deadline, in part to get McEwen. Another thought – at the time, the NY media was pretty down on the trade, as the Isles got rid of 2 productive players in Steve Tambellini and Chico Resch for Mike McEwen. It worked out, though, so no one questions it anymore.
Lastly, before the 81-82 season, the NHL, at least for quite a while, had a balanced regular season schedule, so the whole thing you went on about the Flyers is way overblown. Remember, the Calgary Flames (who had just moved from ATL) were in the Patrick Division in 80-81, so that needs correction.
The main reason why the Isles, and Torrey, went out to get tougher (Gord Lane came in a trade before the first Cup and Langevin was freed from EDM and the WHA after the merger – Duane Sutter was called up in 80' would drop em' and yapped a LOT – Morrow was strong and tough, as well, in spite of not fighting outright) is the 78' series against the Leafs.
The 78' Leafs led by Roger Neilson (much like they did again in 02' under Pat Quinn) were allowed to basically commit assault and battery between the whistles without getting called for a large portion of it, and they used Lorne Henning's accidental high-stick to the face of Borge Salming in Game 2 or 3 as justification for this, when everybody who knew anything about hockey understood that Henning basically would've helped his opponent tie their skates, if the man he was covering couldn't do it for themselves. The Jerry Butler cross-check/run on Mike Bossy's back/neck, face-first into the boards in Game 6 was as vicious and cheap as anything in the history of pro hockey. But that was when Clarence Campbell still basically had his stamp on everything in absentia in 78', and the shrewd observer would notice that the Leafs started getting sent to the box for half of what they did in the previous round, when they played Montreal, but I digress.
By 81', the Isles were the darlings of Ziegler's league, and they were then allowed to commit certain liberties (ummmm….Billy Smith?!?!?! nuff said, there) and get the benefit of certain calls. And they got over the hump in 80', somewhat unexpectedly after what was a poor and turbulent regular season until the trade deadline that year, and the 2 seasons that ensued were clearly their time to own the league, as Montreal had done, perhaps even more convincingly, from 76 to 79' (if Bowman, Dryden, and Lemaire stay put in 80', I wonder if the Isles ever even get there to be honest).
Another thing, you left out the most exciting part of the season, especially for the Isles, which was Mike Bossy equalling the 50 in 50 Rocket Richard record. I know in hindsight with 99 demolishing it the next year, it may seem less significant, but that was a big fucking deal at the time!! I remember that!
Finally, your statement about the 1 and 16 only holds water for the 81' season, really. I mean the Islanders and Flyers were in the damn Cup final a year earlier! Boston and Montreal had played 2 finals, and MTL NYR, would have been off the charts had 1) there been a real TV contract in the US, and 2) MTL not just kicked the holy crap out of the Rangers. Anyway, the NHL will never again do 1-16, 2-15…because of travel costs – nothing else.
Good effort – nice try with your video. Like the concept, but it's very incomplete and some of it is downright inaccurate.
Did Gillies ever lose a fight? Man he was tough
As an Isles fan who was born in '86 and has experienced mostly pain and suffering, it's nice to at least know that my team used to be truly great. Wish I could have experienced it.
I have been an Islander fan since they started. The thing about these Islander teams. They were just very deep at almost all positions. They have 5 in the Hall. And I think that is all that I think should be in. I am one that thinks people are too soft on hall of fame requirements. Anyway. They were just very deep. One the left wing they had Gillies, Tonelli and Bourne. All 3 played in all star games. Gillies and Tonelli were first team LW and second team LW at least once respectively. Plus all of these guys were picked for the Canada Cup at some point. Canada was trying to build a that could be that USSR. Canada lost in 81 and won in 84 (Tonelli Canada Cup MVP) and 87 with some of those players. The right side had Bossy (HOF), Nystrom (a very good grinder who got big playoff goals) and Duane Sutter ( another good grinder). Kallur was good the first 2 years and started to fade. But he could play either wing and helped when injuries struck and was good in the playoffs. On Defense after Potvin it was Persson, Lorimer, Langevin and Lane. Out of those Lane was the least talented worst but he added toughness and was gritty. On McEwen. The Isles traded Resch and Tambelini for McEwen and some Goalie (who never amounted to much) late in the 81 season. At the time I did not think they got good value in that trade. But it really helped when Persson went down with a broken jaw in the Edmonton series. McEwen stepped in and did a good job on the point on the power play. Without him they really did not have another point man on the team and it really helped. The next year Tomas Jonsson arrived from Sweden and he took some of McEwen's ice time.
Other way around on McEwen. He was traded from Colorado to the Isles late in the 80-81 season Chico. Came in handy in the playoffs when Persson got his jaw broken against Edmonton. He was good as a point man on the PP. McEwen got less ice time later with the Isles when Tomas Jonsson from Sweden. He was later traded in the early part of the 83-84 season to LA.
I am A Rangers fan from Long Island. The Islanders were dominant. They could play any style. They would kill you with forecheck and always seemed to score in last 30 seconds of a period. I put them against ANY team ever. Just ridiculous
Nice chest hair, Shannon. How’s the soda?
That was also the “50 in 50” season where Bossy got 50 goals in the first 50 games of the set which before then had only been done by Maurice Richard. Of course Gretzky the next year scored 50 in just 39 games..
I'm with you on giving Tonelli some love. Somethings players do doesn't show up in the statistics… To this day tonelli was the most tenacious player I ever saw along the boards. He was a freak of nature as he would grind and eventually come out with the puck.. then throw on top of that the amount of goals he either scored or set up in big games. Yeah there were players more flashy and had better statistics but nobody was like John tonelli.