October 26, 2026
October 26, 2026
1981-1982 New York Islanders: Long Island Three-Peat
The beginning of the 1980s went fantastically well for the New York Islanders as they took the National Hockey League by storm, easily defeating opponents along the way to capture the Stanley Cup in back-to-back seasons. The roster was so deep in talent that the Islanders could plug anyone in and play well enough to carry the team to victory. What the NHL and hockey fans were witnessing turned out to be a Stanley Cup dynasty in the making.
The 1981-1982 New York Islanders went 54-16-10, winning the Patrick Division by 16 points over their crosstown rivals, the New York Rangers. In head-to-head play, the Islanders went 7-0-1 against the Washington Capitals; 6-1-1 against the Philadelphia Flyers; 6-2 against the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins; 3-0 against the Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, and Toronto Maple Leafs; 2-0-1 against the Colorado Rockies, Hartford Whalers, and St. Louis Blues; and 2-1 against the Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks, and Winnipeg Jets. The team’s full season breakdown is available on Hockey-Reference.
Right winger Mike Bossy blew the NHL away with his amazing offensive skill, recording 64 goals and 83 assists for 147 points, with 17 power play goals, 29 power play assists, and 10 game-winning goals on 301 shots. Center Bryan Trottier had 50 goals and 79 assists for 129 points, with 18 power play goals, 16 power play assists, and 10 game-winning goals on 217 shots. Left winger Clark Gillies had 38 goals and 39 assists for 77 points, with 8 power play goals, 6 power play assists, and 5 game-winning goals on 200 shots. Left winger John Tonelli had 35 goals and 58 assists for 93 points, with 13 power play assists and 5 game-winning goals on 165 shots.
Left winger Bob Bourne had 27 goals and 26 assists for 53 points on 173 shots. Defenseman Denis Potvin, the team’s captain, had 24 goals and 37 assists for 61 points, with 11 power play goals, 18 power play assists, and 4 game-winning goals on 169 shots. Right winger Duane Sutter had 18 goals and 35 assists for 53 points on 140 shots. Right winger Anders Kallur had 18 goals and 22 assists for 40 points, with 3 short-handed goals and 3 game-winning goals in 58 games. Center Robert Thomas “Butch” Goring had 15 goals and 17 assists, with 5 short-handed goals in 67 games. Center Wayne Merrick had 12 goals and 27 assists, with 3 game-winning goals on 112 shots. Defenseman Mike McEwen had 10 goals and 39 assists for 49 points, with 10 power play assists on 161 shots.
The Islanders had two sturdy goaltenders who protected the net very well, and their statistics for the 1981-1982 campaign ended up being very similar. Goaltender Billy Smith went 22-9-4, allowing 133 goals in 2,685 minutes for a 2.97 goals against average. Goaltender Roland Melanson went 22-7-6, allowing 114 goals in 2,115 minutes for a 3.23 goals against average.
What cemented the Islanders as a perennial threat to win Stanley Cups was how consistently they won regular season games. The Islanders went on a historic 15-game winning streak that began on January 21 with a 6-1 pounding of the Pittsburgh Penguins and ended on February 20 with a 3-2 win over the Colorado Rockies. Their biggest win of the streak was a 9-1 obliteration of the Hartford Whalers on February 14. Over the course of the 15-game run, the Islanders outscored their opponents by a combined 97-35. Even more amazing, from January 21 all the way until March 10, the Islanders went 23-1-2, with their only loss of the stretch being a 4-3 defeat to the Pittsburgh Penguins on February 21.
Brimming with confidence, the Islanders blazed into the 1982 Stanley Cup playoffs, beginning with a 3 games to 2 series win over the Penguins in the Patrick Division Semifinals. In Game 1 on April 7 at the Nassau Coliseum, the Islanders destroyed the Penguins 8-1, and in Game 2 on April 8, the Islanders shut down the Penguins 7-2. The Penguins battled back to win Game 3 on April 10 at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena by a score of 2-1 in overtime, and then tied the series with a 5-2 win on April 11. Back at the Nassau Coliseum for the deciding Game 5 on April 13, the Islanders won 4-3 in overtime to send the Penguins home.
The crosstown rivals of the Big Apple met in the Patrick Division Finals as the New York Islanders faced the New York Rangers. The Rangers struck first with a 5-4 win in Game 1 on April 15 at the Nassau Coliseum, but the Islanders rebounded to win Game 2 on April 16 by a score of 7-2. At Madison Square Garden for Game 3 on April 18, the Islanders edged the Rangers 4-3 in overtime, and then won Game 4 on April 19 by a score of 5-3. The Rangers took Game 5 at the Nassau Coliseum 4-2 on April 21, but the Islanders closed out the series with a 5-3 win at Madison Square Garden in Game 6 on April 23.
The Wales Conference Finals turned out to be a breeze for the Islanders as they swept the Quebec Nordiques 4 games to none. The Islanders beat the Nordiques 4-1 in Game 1 on April 27 at the Nassau Coliseum, and then won 5-2 in Game 2 on April 29. In Game 3 on May 1 at the Colisée de Québec, the Islanders edged the Nordiques 5-4 in overtime, and they completed the sweep with a 4-2 victory in Game 4 on May 4.
The 1982 Stanley Cup Finals turned out to be a joyous occasion for the Islanders as they swept the Vancouver Canucks 4 games to none to complete a three-peat of Stanley Cup wins. The Islanders won Game 1 at the Nassau Coliseum 5-4 in overtime, and then won Game 2 on May 11 by a score of 6-4. The Islanders shut out the Canucks 3-0 at Vancouver’s Pacific Coliseum in Game 3 on May 13. Finally, on May 16, the Islanders won their third consecutive Stanley Cup on the road with a 3-1 victory in Game 4.
Along with finishing as the runner-up for the Lady Byng Trophy, Mike Bossy won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs. In the postseason, Bossy had 17 goals and 10 assists, with 6 power play goals and 3 game-winning goals, coming through whenever his team needed him.
While the three-peat was nice, the 1981-1982 New York Islanders had more winning on their mind, and that winning would continue the following year.
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