Aside from being iconic players, one thing binds together all four players on the Islanders' Mount Rushmore, says Ken Campbell
When the New York Islanders named Bill Torrey their first GM upon coming into the NHL as an expansion team in 1972, they could not in their wildest dreams have predicted that he would have built a championship roster within eight years, largely through drafting and developing.
But that's exactly what Torrey did. In his first draft alone, Torrey selected five players who went on to play at least 350 NHL games. Two of them — Lorne Henning and Bobby Nystrom — were still there eight years later when the Islanders won their first of four straight Stanley Cups.
When you draft this well, it's no surprise you have a pretty impressive Mount Rushmore. Aside from the fact that they were all drafted and developed by the Islanders, all four share a common accomplishment. Can you guess what it is?
Here's the Islanders' Mount Rushmore:
And here's how the NHL Mount Rushmore rankings have gone so far:
32. Seattle Kraken
31. Columbus Blue Jackets
30. Arizona Coyotes/Utah HC
29. Minnesota Wild
28. Ottawa Senators
27. Winnipeg Jets
26. Vegas Golden Knights
25. Nashville Predators
24. Carolina Hurricanes
23. Anaheim Ducks
22. San Jose Sharks
21. Calgary Flames
20. Vancouver Canucks
19. Buffalo Sabres
18. Florida Panthers
17. Dallas Stars
16. Washington Capitals
15. St. Louis Blues
14. New York Rangers
13. Toronto Maple Leafs
12. Los Angeles Kings
11. Philadelphia Flyers
10. New Jersey Devils
9. Chicago Blackhawks
8. Tampa Bay Lightning
7. Colorado Avalanche
What should be your favorite team's Mount Rushmore? Let us know at our forum.
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