Butch Goring

Lore & Background

Goring was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to Bob and Audree, raised in St. Boniface alongside a twin sister and two brothers. He is of Scottish and British descent. His father was a welder for the Canadian National Railway. Growing up, Goring was a Detroit Red Wings fan and wore number 9 in honor of Gordie Howe. He played junior hockey with the Winnipeg Rangers and Winnipeg Jets of the MJHL, winning the Lorne "Windy" Lyndon Memorial trophy in 1967. He also played for the Hull Nationals and Dauphin Kings before being drafted 51st overall by the Los Angeles Kings in 1969. Goring played for the Kings from 1969 to 1980, winning the Bill Masterton Trophy and Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1977–78. He was traded to the New York Islanders on March 10, 1980, and helped them win four consecutive Stanley Cups, earning the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1981. He played for the Islanders until 1985, then finished his playing career with the Boston Bruins in 1984–85. After retiring, he coached the Bruins and later the Islanders. Since 2023, he has been the Islanders' television color commentator on MSG Network and select TNT games alongside Brendan Burke. His number 91 was retired by the Islanders on February 29, 2020.

In Their Own Story

The arena hums with the low, electric buzz of a sold-out Nassau Coliseum crowd. The score is tied, the clock is bleeding down, and the puck is dumped deep in the Islanders' zone. Goring gathers it at the blue line, and for a heartbeat the noise drops to a whisper. He doesn't look up. He doesn't need to. The stick taps the puck once—a crisp, violent one-timer that arcs over the goaltender's glove and kisses the back of the net. The Coliseum detonates. Goring skates back, jaw set, already reading the next play. Around him, Bossy and Potvin are already in motion, the Kremlin turning as one. This is not a moment. This is a habit. This is who they are.

Reader's Guide

Goring is known for wearing the Sven Tumba-endorsed Spaps brand helmet throughout his career. He is credited by former teammate Mike Bossy as likely the originator of the NHL's playoff beard tradition, though other Islanders point to the tradition starting in the mid-1970s before Goring joined the team. Goring's career totals: 1,107 games, 375 goals, 513 assists, 888 points, and 102 penalty minutes (lowest in NHL history for a player with over 1,000 games). He scored 40 short-handed goals, fifth most all-time.

Did You Know?

• Goring won both the Bill Masterton Trophy and the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1977–78, the first player to win both in the same year.
• He was traded to the Islanders on March 10, 1980, and the team went unbeaten for the rest of the regular season.
• Goring scored the overtime game-winning goal in games 2 and 6 of the 1976 playoff quarterfinals against the Boston Bruins.
• He set a franchise record with two goals and four assists in an 8–1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on February 5, 1972.