New York Islanders Top Ten All-Stars in History

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Billy Smith

Every Stanley Cup Champion has to have an All-Star goalie. The Habs and the Avalanche had Patrick Roy, the New Jersey Devils had Martin Brodeur, and the New York Islanders had Billy Smith.

Billy Smith won 305 of his 680 game NHL career. He won four Stanley Cups and won an impressive 88 of 132 playoff games. Like the highlight video below from Smiths number retirement, the bigger the game the better he got.

Don’t let the polished and upbeat video deceive you. Smith wasn’t exactly the epitome of gentlemanly competitive spirit. Just ask Wayne Gretzky.

The great one was famously at the receiving end of a Billy Smith “How-do-you-do?” stick swing. Look it up on YouTube, it’s worth a watch. Smith blatantly swings his stick as Gretzky makes his way behind the net, catching him squarely on the knee. An act that Gretzky was none too happy about and one that got Smith some extra attention as well.

Smith represented the Islanders just once at the NHL All-Star Game and won the MVP that year for stopping 16 shots in his 30 minutes on the ice.