islesinfo - 1982 Draft

The Islanders entered the 1982 off-season just having finished their most dominating campaign in team history. Their 118 points, accomplished by a franchise record 54 wins(54-16-10 overall), was just a warm-up that saw them steamroll through the playoffs(once they got by the Pittsburgh Penguins of course) and take home their third straight Stanley Cup Championship with a sweep over the Vancouver Canucks. With the Islanders now achieving Dynasty status, it was GM Bill Torrey's job to ensure the scouting staff continued to bring in good young talent. This was especially important since his top scout Jimmy Devellano was on the verge of leaving the Islanders organization to take a position with the Detroit Red Wings. So, with the final pick of the first round for the second straight year, Torrey turned to the College ranks for the first time and selected Canadian born winger Patrick Flatley of the Wisconsin Badgers. The Islanders knew Flatley had aspirations of joining the Canadian National Team after another season at Wisconsin and were willing to be patient just as they would a year later with American Pat LaFontaine. Flatley did not disappoint once he arrived on Long Island. In his first game as an Islander in Winnipeg on February 29, 1984 "Flats" scored his first NHL goal on his first shot on net. In the 1984 playoffs he set a rookie scoring record for the Islanders with 15 points that still stands today. His addition, along with LaFontaine's was almost enough to gain the Islanders a fifth straight Stanley Cup. But as the years went on the Islanders roster began to slowly thin out. Flatley was often known for his all out style of play and it caught up to him in the late 80's when he tore a ligament in his right knee that required reconstructive surgery. He worked hard to return from the injury but it severely cut down his speed and Flatley had to concentrate more on the defensive part of the game. Still respected by the Islanders organization, Pat was named the team's fifth captain in 1991 and he remained in that role until his contract was bought out in July of 1996. Unfortunately some Islander fans don't remember him as fondly because he signed on for one more year in the NHL with the New York Rangers in 1996-97. During his playing days Flatley owned a bagel store, called the Great American Bagel Company, in the Chicago suburbs. He later opened a Great Canadian Bagel store in Toronto and set up a Calgary franchise for Islanders teammate, and 1987 first round selection, Dean Chynoweth.

Hits: Besides Flatley, the Islanders found a gem of a player in the fourth round with Alan Kerr. The prototypical Western Hockey Leaguer, Kerr embodied what the Islanders desired in a player: heart, fearlessness, and the willingness to go through a wall for his team. Add that to the pretty good offensive skills he possessed and Kerr was a solid player third and sometimes second line player. Unfortunately his style was prone to injuries as well and he suffered from quite a few of them. The Islanders felt they were drafting a promising prospect with Roger Kortko in the sixth round but it wasn't until he put up a 162 point season in the WHL following the draft that the Islanders expected big things from him.

Misses: If Flatley had not suffered so many injuries and missed so many games during his career he surely would have produced a lot more and probably would have entered the Islanders top 10 in all-time scoring. The Islanders were disappointed that Kortko could never crack the lineup regularly especially after he recorded 3 assists in 10 playoff games in 1985. But bad luck seemed to follow him as there was always something coming up whether it be various strained ankles or the flu keeping him out of the lineup or sending him back to Springfield. The same goes for Okerlund, who had some offensive potential averaging almost a point per game with the U. of Minnesota. But an ACL injury forced him to retire prior to the Islanders 1988 training camp.

As far as the total misses, Vern Smith was the Islanders yearly selection of a defenseman from the Western League. He only saw one NHL game his entire career. Third round pick Garry Lacey was a big scorer in the OHL but the offense did not come in droves right away once he joined the Islanders system and he was already retired by 1986. Ninth round pick D Gord Paddock did not follow in his brother John's footsteps to the NHL. John Paddock played against the Islanders with the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1980 Stanley Cup Finals.

Turn Back the Clock: Most would agree that Flatley was a solid selection with the final pick of the first round. As stated earlier, if he could have stayed away from injury his impact would have been greater. There were some other good players taken later on but the question is could they have made a greater impact to the Islanders? Tomas Sandstrom, taken 36th overall by the New York Rangers, went on to become one of the top scoring European born players in the history of the NHL. Ulf Samuelsson, taken 67th overall by Hartford, became one of the most feared and controversial defensemen in the league. Ray Ferraro, drafted 88th also by Hartford, scored 108 goals and 192 points in his final year of junior and wet on to a good NHL career, partly celebrated on Long Island. And Ron Hextall, selected 119th overall, helped backstop the Philadelphia Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1987 with his Billy Smith influenced style of goaltending. But were they a better choice than Flatley? It's surely debatable. islesinfo.com choice: The players mentioned that were drafted in subsequent rounds were some good ones, but none of them really stand out to make me choose them over Patrick Flatley. All of them had their good and bad points, so it's really a personal choice.

Islander Scouts prepare for the 1982 Amateur Draft - Montreal