Celebrating 50 years of NY Islanders Hockey With the All-Decade Team: 1982-1991

D- Ken Morrow

Before Ken Morrow joined the Islanders at the tail end of the 1979-80 season, the team struggled to get over the playoff hump, losing in the Conference Finals four out of five seasons. The addition of Morrow along with Butch Goring seemed to give the organization the extra juice it needed.

A fourth-round pick of the Isles in 1976, it took Morrow four years before making his debut with the club in 1980, at the age of 23. Before even stepping on the ice for the Islanders, Morrow became a household name all across the United States as a member of the 1980 USA Olympic Hockey Team that defeated the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War.

Morrow made his Islanders debut on April 5, 1980, just over a month removed from the Gold Medal ceremony in Lake Placid. From here on out, Morrow solidified himself as a shoo-in along the Islanders' blue line. Head Coach Al Arbour paired Morrow with Potvin right off the bat, a move that helped the organization win four consecutive Stanley Cups.

""In my 10 years, I was lucky to play in so many memorable games. I can't forget when we went for our fourth straight Cup. We beat Edmonton in three straight and now it was Game Four on the Island. We nursed a one-goal lead in the third period and, finally, the Oilers pulled their goalie. I was so happy to put the puck in the open net. We did not want to go back to Edmonton.""

- Ken Morrow on his Finals goal

Not known for his offensive prowess, Morrow always seemed to take his game to another level come the postseason. Across his 10 seasons and 550 games in the NHL, Morrow only managed to find the back of the net a mere 17 times. However, in only 127 playoff games, the Flint, MI native tallied 11 goals.

Goal scoring for the Islanders in this era was accounted for by the likes of Bossy, Trottier, Potvin, etc. Morrow only had to play his position, which he did so proficiently.

Following the 1989 season, Morrow was forced to cut his career short following several knee injuries. The Islander's time without Morrow did not last long, as he was brought on as a scout in 1992. He remains a member of the organization, currently operating as Director of Pro Scouting.

Though his number does not hang in the rafters, his name does as he was inducted into the Islanders Hall of Fame on New Years' Eve of 2011.

1972-1981