Billy Smith

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Lore & Background

Smith was born in the town of Perth, Ontario. He attended the Perth District Collegiate Institute as a youth before beginning to play organized hockey in 1968. He cited his older brother Gordie as an inspiration, even starting out playing defense. However, when the team needed a goalie one day, Smith volunteered. He soon began to like playing the whole game and the attention for having a good game. In a game in December 1969 in Drummondville, Smith was ran into the crease by an opponent and decided to fight two opposing players that started a brawl, which led to several players ejected. He spent one year in the QMJHL with the Cornwall Royals in 1969 and was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1970 NHL draft. He spent the next two seasons with the minor league affiliate with the Springfield Kings, where he had six combined shutouts and won the Calder Cup in 1971.

In Their Own Story

The arena hummed with a low vibration, the kind only Nassau Coliseum could produce when the playoffs reached a critical moment. Billy Smith adjusted his helmet-and-cage combination mask, the blue and orange stripes catching the harsh overhead lights. The puck skittered across the ice toward the slot, a deke from a veteran forward who had scored against him before. Smith dropped to his knees, pads spreading like wings, covering the net with a glove hand that seemed to stretch just an inch further than physics allowed. The crowd roared as the save was made, another brick laid in the wall of championships. His single most famous game may be his 2–0 victory in the first game of the 1983 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers, shutting out the likes of Mark Messier, Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri, and Paul Coffey. The Islanders swept the Oilers in four games, with Smith allowing the Oilers only six goals and winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as Most Valuable Player in the playoffs.

Reader's Guide

Smith was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the fifth round of the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft on June 11, 1970. After two seasons in the AHL, he made his NHL debut with the Kings on February 12, 1972, at the Montreal Forum; the Kings lost 6-5 to the Canadiens, with Smith facing 48 shots that afternoon, yielding the winning goal to Guy Lafleur with 22 seconds remaining in the game. Smith was drafted in the 1972 NHL Expansion Draft by the New York Islanders on June 6, 1972; he was the second player picked by the team. After sharing goaltending duties with Gerry Desjardins for two years, he got the starting job all to himself in the season when Desjardins bolted to the World Hockey Association. In that season, he led the Islanders to their first playoff appearance. Smith played in the 1978 All-Star Game, of which he was named Most Valuable Player. For the next two seasons, he shared netminding duties with Chico Resch, with whom he formed perhaps the top goaltending duo in the NHL at the time. Smith was the first NHL goaltender to be credited with scoring a goal. On November 28, 1979, in a game between the Islanders and the Colorado Rockies, the Rockies took their goaltender off the ice for an extra attacker after a delayed penalty call was called on the Islanders. The puck deflected off Smith's chest protector into the corner. Rockies rookie Rob Ramage picked up the puck and accidentally made a blind pass from the corner boards in the opposing zone to the blue line. Nobody was there to receive the pass, and so the puck sailed all the way down the length of the ice and into the Rockies' net. As Smith had been the last Islanders player to touch the puck, he was credited with the goal. In the 1980 playoffs, Smith played most of the games and helped the Islanders win the first of four consecutive Stanley Cups, firmly establishing him as the team's starting goaltender. Resch was dealt to the Colorado Rockies the following season on March 10, 1981. In the season, he was named a First Team All-Star and won the Vezina Trophy. The following season saw him and teammate Roland Melanson win the William M. Jennings Trophy for fewest goals allowed. He was chosen to play for Canada in the 1981 Canada Cup, but he was unable to play due to suffering a cracked left hand finger in practice. Described as unappreciated for his achievements in 1984, Smith's regular season success was

Did You Know?

• Smith was the first NHL goaltender credited with scoring a goal.
• He won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1983 after going 13–3 with three shutouts and a 2.68 GAA.
• Smith's 88 playoff wins were the all-time leader for a goaltender upon his retirement.
• He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1993.

Early Life and Junior Development

Born in Perth, Ontario, William John Smith discovered his passion for hockey through his older brother Gordie. Initially playing defense during his youth at the Perth District Collegiate Institute, Smith's trajectory changed when a team shortage forced him to volunteer as a goaltender. He quickly embraced the position, enjoying both the unique perspective of controlling the whole game and the attention for having a good game. His competitive spirit was evident early on; in December 1969, during a game in Drummondville, Smith was ran into the crease by an opponent and decided to fight two opposing players that started a brawl, which led to several players ejected. After spending a season with the Cornwall Royals in the QMJHL in 1969, he was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the fifth round of the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft on June 11, 1970. Before reaching the NHL, Smith honed his skills in the minor leagues with the Springfield Kings, where he had six combined shutouts and won the Calder Cup in 1971.

The Rise of an Islander

Smith's professional journey took a pivotal turn when he was selected by the New York Islanders in the 1972 NHL Expansion Draft on June 6, 1972; he was the second player picked by the team. After two seasons sharing goaltending duties with Gerry Desjardins, Smith seized the starting role exclusively in the 1974–75 season when Desjardins bolted to the World Hockey Association. This shift marked the beginning of a historic era, as Smith led the franchise to its first-ever playoff appearance that same year. He quickly established himself as an elite netminder, earning a spot and the MVP award at the 1978 All-Star Game. For two seasons, he formed a formidable tandem with Chico Resch, with whom he formed perhaps the top goaltending duo in the NHL at the time. Smith also made history regarding equipment safety; in the 1978–79 season, he became the first goalie to win the Stanley Cup wearing the helmet-and-cage combination mask, rather than the fiberglass mask which had been the standard since 1959.

Historic Achievements and Milestones

Smith's career is defined by unprecedented individual accolades and unique milestones. On November 28, 1979, he became the first goaltender in NHL history to be credited with scoring a goal during a game between the Islanders and the Colorado Rockies, following a chaotic sequence where an opposing pass from Rob Ramage sailed into their own empty net. His dominance was further recognized when he won the Vezina Trophy in the 1981–82 season in the first season where the trophy was given to the best all-around goaltender, and shared the William M. Jennings Trophy the following season for allowing the fewest goals alongside Roland Melanson. Perhaps his most significant individual honor came in 1983, when he captured the Conn Smythe Trophy for his performance that year where he went 13–3 with three shutouts and a goals against average (GAA) of 2.68 as the Islanders won their fourth and final Cup. By March 20, 1988, Smith had achieved 300 career wins with a 6–0 shutout road win over the Winnipeg Jets, becoming only the 9th goaltender with 300 wins in NHL history before retiring in the following season.

Legacy and Playoff Dominance

While Smith enjoyed regular-season success, his true legacy is cemented by his extraordinary performance in high-pressure playoff situations. Over a span of thirteen consecutive seasons starting in 1974, he guided the Islanders to the Stanley Cup playoffs, culminating in four straight championships between 1980 and 1983. His most famous contest likely occurred during the first game of the 1983 Final, where he shut out the star-studded Edmonton Oilers lineup featuring Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, and Paul Coffey. Upon his retirement, Smith held the all-time record for playoff wins by a goaltender with 88 victories in 132 combined starts in the Stanley Cup playoffs. His contributions were formally recognized when the Islanders retired his jersey number 31 on February 20, 1993, and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame later that year. In 2017, his enduring impact on the sport was further acknowledged as he was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history.

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