New York Islanders Selected 1972 Expansion Team

Forward

Dave Hudson (4)

After two seasons with the Isles and 43 points, Hudson was selected by the Kansas City Scouts in the 1974 expansion draft. Where he would put up 140 points in 277 games.

Ed Westfall (5)

Left exposed by the Bruins, the already eleven-year NHL vet, Westfall served as captain for the New York Islanders until 1977. In seven seasons with the Isles, he put up 286 points in 493 games. He was there for the bad times but missed out on a third cup by a single year.

Garry Peters (6)

Peters joins a list of players that opted to join a WHA team rather than the expansion Islanders. He went to the New York Raiders, who were even supposed to play in the same building as the Isles. Bad move Garry.

New York Islanders

Brian Spencer (9)

Spencer played a full season with the Islanders before being traded to the Buffalo Sabres in 1974 for Doug Rombough. At face value, the Isles lost that trade. But in 1975, the Islanders packaged Doug with Ernie Hicke to Minnesota for Jean-Paul Parise.

Terry Crisp (10)

On March 5th 1973, Terry Crisp was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for a very important piece of the Isles dynasty; Jean Potvin. Jean was acquired to help make things more comfortable for his brother Dennis, who the Isles would select first overall in the 1973 draft, and would later go on to captain one of the greatest dynasties to ever exist in hockey.

Ted Hampson (11)

Ted Hampson was a pretty good NHLer by the time the Isles selected him from the Minnesota North Star, with 353 points in 676 NHL games. But he chose to head to the WHA rather than the NHL.

Craig Cameron (15)

Craig Cameron played three seasons with the Isles putting up 69 points. But he’s probably most famous for being traded from and to the same team for the same player, twice. He was traded by the Islanders to the North Stars for Jude Drouin in 1972 and then again in 1975.

Tom Miller (16)

Miller played parts of three seasons with the Islanders after being drafted. He even had 30 points in his first year with the team. But after only playing a single game in 1974-75 he’d never play in the NHL again, retiring from pro hockey at the age of 28 the following year.

Brian Marchinko (17)

Marchinko played 42 games for the Isles across two seasons, scoring eight points. Eventually, he’d fall down the New York Islanders depth chart to the AHL. Where he would end his hockey career in 1977.

Ted Taylor (18)

Ted Taylor also chose to jump to the rival WHA after being selected from the Vancouver Canucks in the ’72 expansion draft.

Norm Ferguson (19)

Just like Gary Peters, Norm Ferguson joined the WHA and the New York Raiders a team that was equally disappointing. Finishing their 72-73 last in the Eastern Divison with 68 points. The Isles were worse, but they certainly got better a whole heck of a lot quicker. Something Ferguson and Peters certainly saw, what with playing in the exact same city and all.

Next: Mock Vegas Draft

Looking at this roster you see what Bill Torrey was talking about. It wasn’t built from expansion. Many of the players they selected never even played for them, choosing the WHA instead. Instead, the core of that Isles dynasty team would come in the draft. Expect for Billy Smith. What a steal that was.