Great Trades In Hockey History: The Butch Goring Trade

On March 10th, 1980, New York Islanders GM Bill Torrey traded Billy Harris and Dave Lewis to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Butch Goring.

Torrey thought he was acquiring the second line center his team had been missing, and he had. But in doing so he also set the standard for all trade deadline deals to be judged.

With Goring on board, the Islanders were finally able to forget about a few missteps in previous years and emerge as Stanley Cup champions - for the next four years.

Goring was a major contributor to that dynasty, scoring 27 goals, 35 assists and 62 points in 78 playoff games in those 4 years, and capturing the 1981 Conn Smythe trophy as the Stanley Cup MVP.

Rink Rap With Mick Colageo recently caught a few new Denis Potvin quotes about Goring's importance.

There was an element missing, and I think a lot of it had to do with the combination of maturity, which we recognized at that point, and maybe (playing) a little too uptight,” said Potvin.It wasn’t the newcomer’s point-per-game production that made the trade pay off. It was his effect in the other players.

“Between my brother (Jean) and Butch Goring, we had two of the funniest guys in a dressing room around. That really lightened things up for us,” said Potvin. “One thing I’ll never forget is what Butch did. After a couple of games, he stood up and said, ‘I don’t think you guys realize how much respect everyteam in the league has for you. I don’t think you guys know how good you are.’ Coming from a guy who was 30 years old, it meant a lot to us.”

The Islanders were a bland 29-26-7 at the time of the trade, and arguably the greatest Stanley Cup dynasty ever after it. 

Butch Goring

So synonymous is the nickname Butch with the name Goring that we actually had to look up Goring's first name in the history books to write this biography on Robert Thomas Goring.

When a player is nicknamed "Butch" usually he is known for three things: Incredible hustle; unmatchable work ethic; and high penalty minute totals. Goring earned the nickname Butch because of his hustle and work ethic, but he was the epitome of clean textbook hockey. In fact, Goring, the 1978 Lady Byng winner, only accumulated 102 career penalty minutes in 1107 NHL games!

Born in St. Boniface Manitoba, Goring had a great junior career split between a number of teams. He split his junior eligibility with the Winnipeg Rangers (Manitoba Junior League), Hull Volants (Quebec Senior League), Winnipeg Jets (West Coast Junior League), the Dauphin Kings (Manitoba Junior League) and the Regina Pats (Saskatchewan Junior League). It was in his junior days where he garnered much attention from NHL scouts for his work ethic and clean style of play. In a total of 4 seasons of junior hockey, Goring took only 3 minor penalties.

Los Angeles took the chance on the 5'9" 170lb Goring with their 51st overall pick in the 1969 Amateur Draft. After splitting his first two pro seasons in Los Angeles and in Springfield with the King's AHL farm team. Goring made the Kings full time in 1971-72 when he scored his first of 11 consecutive 20+ goal seasons. Included in that streak were 4 consecutive 30 goal seasons.

1978 proved to be Goring's 15 minutes of fame. Goring's work ethic and clean play were rewarded with the Lady Byng and the Bill Masterton Memorial trophies. He scored a career high 37 goals and added 36 assists while taking only one minor penalty all season. Four times in his career Goring took only one minor penalty in a full NHL campaign.

Players in Los Angeles during the 1970s received little or no attention from fans around the league, just ask the illustrious Marcel Dionne, and Goring was no exception. But NHL insiders knew just how great this player was. One of those who thought highly of him was New York Islanders boss Bill Torrey. Torrey sent two players (Billy Harris and Dave Lewis) to Los Angles for Goring at the trading deadline in 1980. Goring was one of the key veterans who are credited for taking a young and talented Islanders team and finally pushing them over the edge to become Stanley Cup Champions. Goring scored 7 goals and 19 points in 21 playoff games to help lead the Isle's to their 1st Stanley Cup.

Playing behind the offensive dynamo likes of Trottier and Bossy, Butch Goring's scoring exploits slowed down as he stayed with the Islanders, but his work ethic never did. He was rewarded for his hard work by being an integral part of one of the NHL's greatest dynasties. Goring earned a total of 4 Stanley Cup rings. He was also honored as the Conn Smythe Trophy winner in 1981 as the MVP of the playoffs.

As the Islander's dynasty finally tailed off in 1985, and as Goring neared the end of his career, the Islanders left Goring on waivers, allowing the Boston Bruins to pick up the feisty center. Goring only played 39 games with Boston before retiring, but would become their head coach for the 1985-86 season. Goring's bench-boss tenure was short lived as he was fired early into the 1986-87 season.

Goring, who used the same two uniquely homemade leather helmets since the age of 11, scored 375 goals, 513 assists and 888 points in 1107 career NHL games. He became a long time professional coach following his playing days.

All The Kings' Men: Butch Goring

So synonymous is the nickname Butch with the name Goring that we actually had to look up Goring's first name in the history books to write this biography on Robert Thomas Goring.

When a player is nicknamed "Butch" usually he is known for three things: Incredible hustle; unmatchable work ethic; and high penalty minute totals. Goring earned the nickname Butch because of his hustle and work ethic, but he was the epitome of clean textbook hockey. In fact, Goring, the 1978 Lady Byng winner, only accumulated 102 career penalty minutes in 1107 NHL games!

Born in St. Boniface Manitoba, Goring had a great junior career split between a number of teams. He split his junior eligibility with the Winnipeg Rangers (Manitoba Junior League), Hull Volants (Quebec Senior League), Winnipeg Jets (West Coast Junior League), the Dauphin Kings (Manitoba Junior League) and the Regina Pats (Saskatchewan Junior League). It was in his junior days where he garnered much attention from NHL scouts for his work ethic and clean style of play. In a total of 4 seasons of junior hockey, Goring took only 3 minor penalties.

Los Angeles took the chance on the 5'9" 170lb Goring with their 51st overall pick in the 1969 Amateur Draft. After splitting his first two pro seasons in Los Angeles and in Springfield with the King's AHL farm team. Goring made the Kings full time in 1971-72 when he scored his first of 11 consecutive 20+ goal seasons. Included in that streak were 4 consecutive 30 goal seasons.

1978 proved to be Goring's 15 minutes of fame. Goring's work ethic and clean play were rewarded with the Lady Byng and the Bill Masterton Memorial trophies. He scored a career high 37 goals and added 36 assists while taking only one minor penalty all season. Four times in his career Goring took only one minor penalty in a full NHL campaign.

The Trade All Deadline Trades Are Measured Against

On March 10th, 1980, New York Islanders GM Bill Torrey traded Billy Harris and Dave Lewis to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Butch Goring.

Torrey thought he was acquiring the second line center his team had been missing, and he had. But in doing so he also set the standard for all trade deadline deals to be judged.

With Goring on board, the Islanders were finally able to forget about a few missteps in previous years and emerge as Stanley Cup champions - for the next four years.

Goring was a major contributor to that dynasty, scoring 27 goals, 35 assists and 62 points in 78 playoff games in those 4 years, and capturing the 1981 Conn Smythe trophy as the Stanley Cup MVP.

Rink Rap With Mick Colageo recently caught a few new Denis Potvin quotes about Goring's importance.

There was an element missing, and I think a lot of it had to do with the combination of maturity, which we recognized at that point, and maybe (playing) a little too uptight,” said Potvin.

It wasn’t the newcomer’s point-per-game production that made the trade pay off. It was his effect in the other players.

“Between my brother (Jean) and Butch Goring, we had two of the funniest guys in a dressing room around. That really lightened things up for us,” said Potvin. “One thing I’ll never forget is what Butch did. After a couple of games, he stood up and said, ‘I don’t think you guys realize how much respect every team in the league has for you. I don’t think you guys know how good you are.’ Coming from a guy who was 30 years old, it meant a lot to us.”

The Islanders were a bland 29-26-7 at the time of the trade, and arguably the greatest Stanley Cup dynasty ever after it. But there were other factors besides Goring's addition in the dramatic turnaround.

At about the same time Potvin had also just rejoined the team, having missed 36 games with a thumb injury. And he returned with a brand new defense partner - Ken Morrow, the steady if understated star of the Miracle On Ice team that had won gold at the 1980s Olympics just weeks earlier.

Essentially, the struggling Islanders added a good second line center, and a top defensive pairing including the best defenseman in the game.

I don't think we will see a team duplicate such a feat this trade deadline.

"Butch" Richards?

Let's turn the clock back to the 1980 NHL trading deadline, which essentially was the birth of the event as we now know it and love it.

On March 10th, the New York Islanders trade Billy Harris and Dave Lewis to Los Angeles in exchange for prime time center Butch Goring. They'd go on to win 4 consecutive Stanley Cup championships and 19 consecutive playoff series. Goring, a Conn Smythe Trophy winner in 1981, was the final piece of the Islanders' championship puzzle, and every trading deadline since teams have tried, and almost always fails, to duplicate the same Cinderella story.

Aside from his tenacious two way game and playoff brilliance, Goring was known for two things - his home-made painted leather helmet and jersey #91. In an era well before all of today's NASCAR numbers, Goring wanted his jersey #19 that he wore in LA. A certain superstar named Bryan Trottier already was wearing 19 on Long Island, so Goring came up with the idea of reversing his old number, and donned the jersey 91.

Perhaps the biggest trade of the 2008 season will turn out to be Dallas acquiring Brad Richards. This trade was executed in order to complete a championship puzzle in much the same design. While only time will tell, with 5 assists in his first game in Texas a Star was born and things look good so far for the former Conn Smythe Trophy winner and his new team. If hockey's injury gods smile nicely on the team, Dallas sure looks poised to be a very serious challenger for the Stanley Cup this spring.

And perhaps the hockey gods will smile upon them. The gods like karma, and perhaps Brad Richard's choice of jersey number will bring just a little extra luck.

The Dallas Stars organization has honored the jersey retirement of Bill Masterton's #19 from the franchise's days in Minnesota. Masterton is the only NHL player to die as the result of an on ice play.

So Richards does the Goring and inverts his jersey number of choice, and now wears #91, too. Richards will stick with his factory manufactured helmet, though.

I don't think we'll be referring to Brad as "Butch" Richards any time in the future. But we very well might be referring to him as Stanley Cup champion, again, later this year.

BY THE WAY: According to the Hockey Night In Canada Book "By The Numbers," other players to wear #91 in NHL history are Sergei Fedorov, Marc Savard, Alexandre Daigle, Kris Draper, Oleg Saprykin and Jan Caloun.

BY THE WAY II: Richards is the first player in NHL history to record five assists in his first game with a team. He’s the first player with five points in a team debut since the Flyers’ Al Hill had two goals and three assists in his NHL debut against the Blues on Valentine’s Day, 1977.