The Maven was there at the Islanders birth in 1972 when general manager Bill Torrey signed his first top Draft pick and then watched the team grow to maturity.
That first season -- to be kind -- was from hell (12-60-6 for 30 points) which was the equivalent to last place in the NHL's Eastern Division.
The brand new World Hockey Association already had ripped off eight players from the Isles roster, leaving Torrey's staff on a veritable treadmill to oblivion.
"We knew we had to scramble," said Torrey's top bird dog, Jim Devellano, now the Red Wings executive vice president. "But the good news was that we finished on the bottom, got the top Draft pick, Denis Potvin, and rolled upward from there."
Other good news was that Torrey opened the 1973-74 season with a new coach, Al Arbour, and a few other nifty Draft picks to augment the multi-gifted Potvin. Granted it still was a losing team but things were looking up.
As one of the journalists on the Islanders beat, I was fascinated by the high command and how well Bow Tie Bill, Radar Al and Jimmy D were crafting a winner.
No less fun was my opportunity to get to meet -- and know -- those pioneering Islanders of the first two seasons. The following are my 20 favorites from that bygone pre-playoff era.
1. ED WESTFALL: The Isles first captain -- we often called him "Eighteen" -- was the ideal leader of a new franchise. Eddie was -- still is as a matter of fact -- gregarious, humorous, talented and a champion who'd been on two Stanley Cup-winners in Boston. One of the best defensive forwards in NHL history, the Captain and I became good friends and still are to this day. The baby team needed a touch of class and if there was anything you can say about Eighteen, it's that he's all class and certainly was a half century ago when the franchise all began.
2. DENIS POTVIN: There were hints at the time Torrey plucked him first overall in the 1973 Entry Draft that Denis would be outstanding. Well, he topped that and today ranks arguably as the best all-round backliner in NHL history. Just as super as he was on the ice, so was Potvin eloquent in an interview. We became pals and I ghosted Denis' book, "Power On Ice." What I liked about him when he was on the ice was the totality of his game; whether it was delivering lusty bodychecks, skimming radar passes or beating the enemy goalie was a 100 m.p.h. What a thrill it was to cover a player who delivered the whole package and nothing but the whole package.
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3. GERRY HART: Rough and tumble was this native of Flin Flon, Manitoba. Blue liner Gerry symbolized the spirit of the new team. Not the biggest of D-men, Hart had a big heart that inspired him to fight the biggest, toughest players in the league. Always smiling, Gerry was a media favorite because of his unwavering spirit and willingness to answer all questions with his Canadian candor. Also admirable was the manner in which he adopted Long Island as his new permanent home. Fans would love running into Gerry at the super market -- as long as you didn't run into him too hard!
4. CHICO RESCH: One of the most popular Islanders in the half-century of the team's existence, Glenn was aces as a goalie and unbelievably adept at juggling words, stories and whatnot. The press box gag was that Chico loved to talk so much that -- if there were no newsmen around -- he'd interview himself. Never, ever, was there an autograph pad that this Saskatchewan native would not sign. Chico arrived when a feeling of doom and gloom enveloped the franchise. Resch cheered the crowd by invariably keeping his sunny side up -- and the pucks out of the net!
5. BILLY SMITH: Obtained from his original NHL club, the Los Angeles Kings, Battlin' Bill could easily rank at the top of Torrey's best-ever acquisitions. Of course, when Smith arrived in Uniondale, he was rough around the edges and needed time to hone his game to sharpness. But from the get-go, he earned his nickname "Battlin' Bill" with a belligerent style that proved to be unmatched in history. For journalists like me, the beauty part of Smitty's personality was that he was totally candid -- honest to a fault -- whenever interviewed. Of course that didn't exactly warm the hearts of the lords of hockey but Smitty thought nothing of it. Call him "Chico with a snarl."
6. BERT MARSHALL: As soon as Arbour became coach, everyone knew that defense would become the team's forte. With that in mind Bow Tie Bill imported the acme of defensive defensemen from the Rangers in June 1973. Guarding his own end of the rink with a religious fervor, Marshall was Smiity's and Chico's best friend. Bertie rarely was caught out of position and played the area from the blue line down to the boards with textbook accuracy. And every so often -- but not very often -- Marsh would stun the crowd by actually scoring a goal, although he knew he never was going to make a habit out of it.
7. BILLY HARRIS: The ever-grinning right wing was Torrey's first-ever Entry Draft selection and a good one at that. A top scorer in the Ontario Junior Hockey League, Harry would fulfill his notices on the Island. Speedy with a quick and accurate shot, he became what amounted to the first rock star among the Nassau stickhandlers. A favorite among his teammates as well. That came perfectly natural to him because -- you guessed it -- he was a good guy.
8. JEAN POTVIN: It has been said that Torrey dealt likeable and competent forward Terry Crisp to Philadelphia for Johnny Potvin because Bill wanted to ensure that future-superstar-brother Denis would not opt for the World Hockey Association at the 1973 Draft showdown. And while that's true, it overlooks a very important fact; that the elder Potvin brother was a very, very versatile defenseman who also could work the offense with the best of them. Potsy was a marvelous guy in the dressing room and, easily, one of the most popular players in Isles annals.
9. GERRY DESJARDINS: When a general manager crafts a brand new roster, an essential element is a goaltender with major league experience. A native of Arbour's home town, Sudbury, Ontario, Desjardins broke in with the Los Angeles Kings in 1968 and then played a few solid years with the Chicago Black Hawks before Bow Tie Bill acquired him in the 1972 Expansion Draft. He played in the Isles first two seasons which was roughly equivalent to being a sitting duck in a shooting gallery. After his second year of ducking pucks, Gerry jumped to the WHA. All things considered Desjardins handled his challenges like a pro.
10. LORNE HENNING: A lifetime Islander -- but who could have predicted it at the time -- Melfort, Saskatchewan's gift to The Show proved to be the quintessential utility forward. He played a total of 120 games for the Islanders in those first two seasons and earned the nickname "Old Reliable." Just one swell guy, Lorne was beloved by the writers because of his total grasp of the game, whether it was his penalty-killing expertise or playmaking ability. Lorne scored a dozen goals in his second season which, considering his jack-of-all-trades role, was amazing.
11. GARRY HOWATT: The Toy Bulldog arrived on Hempstead Turnpike for the 1972-73 season, but only for the proverbial cup of coffee. Small by big league standards, he fought almost every NHL bully and rarely lost. In his first, full season, Garry slugged his way to 204 penalty minutes. Trouble was -- if you can call it trouble -- Howatt's belligerent style deceived some observers to believe he could fight but he couldn't score. Yet within three years of being a regular, Howie lit 21 red lights; no small accomplishment considering the other assets he brought to the ice. They still talk about their boy in Grand Center, Alberta where The Toy Bulldog learned the game.
12. DAVE HUDSON: Drafted by the Islanders from Chicago in the expansion player free-for-all, Huddy was a solid center who delivered a dozen goals in the club's premiere season. He lasted two serviceable seasons on the Island and then -- guess what -- Torrey lost his man to Kansas City when the expansion Scouts joined the NHL in 1974. Frankly, we liked him for what he was, a stopgap until the real sharpshooters came along.
13. BILLY MACMILLAN: After two seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs and another as an expansion Atlanta Flame right wing, the Maritimer from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island played serviceable hockey for Al Arbour in 1973-74. Like Lorne Henning, he was just good enough to make the team and even better as a schmoozing partner. Mac's experience, helping the newcomers, turned out to be Billy's biggest asset when it came to Arbour's team development.
14. RALPH STEWART: A smooth skater out of Fort William, Ontario -- now Thunder Bay -- Stewie arrived on Long Island for the debut season after a rookie year skating for the Vancouver Canucks. An impressive-looking center, Ralph had Radar smiling in his encore season, tallying 23 goals and 20 assists over 67 games. For that particular second year Islander team, that was a big deal.
15. BRIAN SPENCER: First year Islanders fans put their accents on the positives. During the very worst of times they viewed the souvenir shop's Islanders glass as half-full, if not better. And they just loved this rip-snortin' left wing who was totally unfamiliar with the term caution. We loved Spinner because he provided entertainment above and beyond goal-scoring. In his freshman season, he impressed with 14 goals and 24 assists over 78 games. But when his production slipped by 17 points a year later, Torrey said sayonara and dispatched him to the Buffalo Sabres.
16. CRAIG CAMERON: Typical of the first year vagabond -- and occasionally useful -- players left for Torrey, this Edmonton product was a skating ping pong ball that bounced from Detroit to St. Louis and then Minnesota before the Isles general staff figured they could plug him in on right wing. It was a good guess and Craig returned the favor with two solid seasons; the first with original coach Phil Goyette and then with Arbour. Actually, his first season proved to be a career year -- 72 games, 19 goals, 14 assists and 33 points. Best of all, Torrey wangled Jude Drouin from Minny for Cameron. It was one of the first trade "steals" of Bow Tie Bill's administration.
17. BOB NYSTROM: If you're wondering why the all-time Islanders hero is buried near the bottom of this list, the explanation is simple. During the 1972-73 campaign, Ny might have been auditioning for "The Invisible Man" and played only 11 games after being promoted from AHL New Haven. Nor did his lone goal cause ripples on the Richter Earthquake Scale. The scouting staff put his name in the "wait and see" category. But a year later, Bobby was a new man; better than most of the sophomores at their best. He played 71 games and scored 21 goals along with 20 assists. "Nystrom kept working at his game and became one of our greatest assets," said super-scout Devellano. "All he needed was a bit of time to find his robust game."
18. DAVE LEWIS: Defenseman Lewie followed the Nystrom "Who's he?" pattern. He arrived in the franchise's second year with little fuss or fanfare delivered a couple of goals and 15 assists while Denis Potvin occupied center stage among the blue line corps. I got to know Dave that year as a convivial sort who loved to chat and trade hockey stories. For six years -- as his game grew -- Lewie became as popular a defenseman as Nystrom was a forward. To me he was Steady-As-They-Go-Lewie. I loved that man but it took a couple of years of gab before I realized what a totally swell guy that he was.
19. GERMAIN GAGNON: Back in the 1970's, when the Montreal Canadiens were winning all those Stanley Cups, some NHL general managers believed they couldn't go wrong making a deal for a Hab player. Montreal native Bill Torrey was one of them. Seeking offensive power, he completed a deal with the Habs for left wing Germain Gagnon who joined the maiden team in 1972 and emerged as one of the club's most proficient forwards. He played in 63 games and amassed 41 points. Germain hung around another year -- not so hot -- before being dealt to Chicago. Based on his productive rookie year, Gagnon was a go-to guy for media types like me and always was accessible.
20. ANDY ST. LAURENT: Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec is one of my favorite hockey towns and Andy happens to be one of its favorite sons. Without any previous
big league experience, he signed on with the Islanders and proved to be a very serviceable center during the 1973-74 season. His slambang style of offense put him in the Nystrom, Howatt, Spencer category which automatically endeared him to the fans while they awaited a playoff team. He lasted on the Island until 1977 when he was dealt to Detroit.