islesinfo - 1980 Draft

The Islanders entered the summer of 1980 having won their first Stanley Cup Championship in franchise history, only eight years after their inception. While all of Long Island celebrated the Islanders success, GM Bill Torrey still had a job to do to ensure that the Islanders would stay on top. After finishing the regular season with a 39-28-13 record and 91 points, the Islanders held the 17th pick overall. Looking to add some more offense and character to the Islanders lineup, Torrey's selection was a no-brainer. At least to him it was. Only one year earlier Torrey selected forward Duane Sutter from Lethbridge of the WHL with the 17th pick overall. Sutter joined the Islanders late in the 1979-80 season and his rugged play was a key in their march to the Stanley Cup. So when Duane's little brother Brent was still on the board in 1980 at #17 there was no question as to what Torrey would do. Brent Sutter was plucked out of Red Deer Jr. A and followed his brothers to Lethbridge the season after his draft. He gave the Islanders a taste of what was to come when he joined the Islanders on emergency call for 4 games during the 1980-81 season, and joined them for good in 1981-82. The Islanders would go on to win the Stanley Cup for the third and fourth time in a row with Brent playing an integral part of the puzzle. In 1987 he was named the captain of the New York Islanders and served that role until he requested a trade in 1991.

Hits: Brent Sutter was arguably the most talented of the six Sutter brothers to have played in the NHL. He was a complete hockey player that could play every aspect of the game. Later on in his career he became a defensive specialist and was the perfect leader following the retirement of Denis Potvin. He wasn't the only gem the Islanders unearthed in the 1980 draft. In the second round they nabbed an acrobatic goaltender from Medicine Hat of the WHL named Kelly Hrudey. While the Islanders were winning their Cups in the early 1980's, Hrudey was allowed to develop in junior and later in the CHL with the Indianapolis Checkers. By 1984-85 the Islanders began to phase out Roland Melanson as Billy Smith's backup and Hrudey finally got his chance on Long Island. He would go on to become a fan favorite with his flamboyant style and character. Fans will always remember the blue bandana Hrudey wore underneath his goalie helmet. To this day, only Billy Smith and Glenn "Chico" Resch have played more games in goal than Kelly Hrudey.

Another very successful selection Torrey made in 1980 was fourth round pick Geg Gilbert. The Islanders selected Gilbert from Toronto of the OHL. A versatile winger that could pretty much play on a line with anyone joined the Islanders in the 1982 playoffs. He went on to be another big contributor to the Islanders Cup win in 1983. He had a huge season in 1983-84 when he tallied 31 times and it was his strong play that helped the Islanders get to the Stanley Cup Finals for the fifth season in a row.

To a lesser extent the Islanders also got some miles out of fifth round pick Ken Leiter and seventh round selection Mark Hamway, both Michigan State products. Leiter became a regular with the Islanders in 1986 and will most likely always be remembered for assisting on Pat LaFontaine's quadruple overtime game winning goal in Washington during the 1987 Easter Epic. Hamway provided some depth particularly during the 1985-86 season.

Misses: You can't blame the Islanders for thinking perhaps they would hit the jackpot twice when they plucked center Monty Trottier in the fourth round. His brother Bryan was only the best all around player in the game at the time. When you think about it, it's odd that Torrey never gave Monty even a look at the NHL. After graduating from the WHL he saw some success with the Checkers in the CHL but never put up impressive enough numbers that would get him to Long Island.

The Islanders had some high hopes for third round selection Dave Simpson. A high scoring center with the OHA's London Knights, Simpson led the junior league in scoring, earning the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy, during the 1981-82 season with 67 goals and 155 points. Though Torrey didn't know it at the time this draft had a bit of brotherly love for the Islanders as Simpson was the older brother of Craig Simpson, who would later get drafted by Pittsburgh in 1985. Dave joined the Islanders affiliate in Indianapolis and had two very productive season's from 1981 to 1983. Unfortunately for the Islanders he pretty much fell off the map after 1983. Another player the Islanders had hopes for was sixth round selection Dan Revell, a winger who also never panned out. For strike three in the brother category, the Islanders selected defenseman Morey Gare in the eighth round. If he turned out to be half the player his brother was at the time as a 50 goal scorer with the Buffalo Sabres, the Islanders would have had a gem. Instead, he went the U.S. College route, unlike Danny, and attended Northern Michigan before becoming an NHL scout.

Turn Back the Clock: hindsight is always 20/20. The Islanders couldn't have made a better selection than Brent Sutter with their first round pick. He came to the Islanders during a great time and he played a major role in Bill Torrey's quest to continue the Islanders dominance for as long as he could. Plus the Islanders got lucky and found some very good talent the rest of the way. Would it have been nice to have somehow found Jari Kurri in the later rounds and stopped the Edmonton Oilers from adding an integral piece that would one day end the Islanders reign? Of course it would have. But you can't get ever great player in the draft, and Kurri wouldn't have been able to do much playing in the shadow of Mike Bossy.
islesinfo.com Choice: Brent Sutter. I'd take 20 Brent Sutter's on my hockey team.