1972–73 New York Islanders season
| 1972–73 New York Islanders | |
|---|---|
| Division | 8th East |
| 1972–73 record | 12–60–6 |
| Goals for | 170 |
| Goals against | 347 |
| Team information | |
| General Manager | Bill Torrey |
| Coach |
Earl Ingarfield Phil Goyette |
| Captain | Ed Westfall |
| Alternate captains |
Germain Gagnon Brian Spencer |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Billy Harris (28) |
| Assists | Ed Westfall (31) |
| Points | Billy Harris (50) |
| Penalties in minutes | Gerry Hart (158) |
| Wins | Billy Smith (7) |
| Goals against average | Billy Smith (4.16) |
The 1972–73 New York Islanders season was the first season in the franchise's history. At the beginning of 1972, Gordie Howe was offered the job as first head coach of the New York Islanders, but turned it down. The Islanders were coached by Phil Goyette (6–38–4) and Earl Ingarfield (6–22–2). Overall, the team finished in last place with an appalling 12–60–6 record, unable to qualify for the playoffs.
With the impending start of the World Hockey Association in the fall of 1972, the upstart league had plans to place its New York team in the brand-new Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Nassau County. However, Nassau County officials did not consider the WHA a professional league and wanted nothing to do with the upstart New York Raiders. The only legal way to keep the Raiders out of the Coliseum was to get an NHL team to play there, so William Shea, who had helped bring the New York Mets to the area a decade earlier, was pressed into service once again. Shea found a receptive ear in league president Clarence Campbell, who did not want the additional competition in the New York area. So, despite having expanded to 14 teams just two years before, the NHL hastily awarded a Long Island-based franchise to clothing manufacturer Roy Boe, owner of the American Basketball Association's New York Nets. A second expansion franchise was awarded to Atlanta (the Flames) at the same time to balance the schedule. The new team was widely expected to take the Long Island Ducks name used by an Eastern Hockey League franchise; the more geographically expansive "New York Islanders" came largely as a surprise.
...
Wikipedia