Butch Goring facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Butch Goring |
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Goring with the New York Islanders in the 1980s
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| Born | October 22, 1949 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
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| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | ||
| Weight | 165 lb (75 kg; 11 st 11 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Los Angeles Kings New York Islanders Boston Bruins |
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| National team | .svg){kind=small} Canada |
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| NHL Draft | 51st overall, 1969 Los Angeles Kings |
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| Playing career | 1969–1987 | ||
Robert Thomas "Butch" Goring (born October 22, 1949) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and coach. He played for 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). His teams included the Los Angeles Kings, New York Islanders, and Boston Bruins. Butch Goring won the Stanley Cup four times with the Islanders. Many people say he was a very important part of the Islanders' amazing team.
After he stopped playing, he became a head coach for both the Bruins and the Islanders. Today, he works as a television commentator for the Islanders on MSG Network. He also commentates for some games on TNT.
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Butch Goring's Playing Career
Butch Goring started his hockey journey in junior leagues. He played for the Dauphin Kings in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. The Los Angeles Kings picked him in the 1969 NHL Entry Draft. He was the 51st player chosen overall.
Early Days with the Kings
Goring played for the Los Angeles Kings in 1970 and 1971. He also spent time with their minor league team, the Springfield Kings. In 1971, he had a great season in Springfield. He led the league in goals, assists, and points during the playoffs. His team, along with future Hall of Fame goalie Billy Smith, won the Calder Cup championship.
The next season, Goring joined the NHL for good. He played nine seasons for the Los Angeles Kings. He became known as one of the best all-around players in the league. In the 1976 playoffs, he scored the winning goal in overtime twice against the Boston Bruins. In 1978, he won two special awards: the Bill Masterton Trophy and the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. He was the first player ever to win both in the same year.
Joining the New York Islanders
In 1980, Goring was traded to the New York Islanders. Many people believed he was the "final piece" their team needed. That season, he scored 19 points in 21 playoff games. This helped the Islanders win their first of four straight Stanley Cups.
The next season, 1980-81, he played even better in the playoffs. He scored 10 goals and 10 assists in 20 games. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs. The Islanders won their second Stanley Cup that year. Goring played 78 games that season and did not get a single penalty.
Retirement from Playing
Goring's last NHL season was 1984-85. After leaving the Islanders, he played for the Boston Bruins for half a season. He then retired from playing and became the Bruins' head coach. He played a few more games in a minor league before retiring for good.
Butch Goring played 1,107 games in his career. He scored 375 goals and had 513 assists, totaling 888 points. He had only 102 penalty minutes in his entire career. This is the lowest total for any player who played over a thousand games. He was also very good at killing penalties. He scored 40 short-handed goals, which is one of the highest totals ever.
Butch Goring's Legacy
Butch Goring was easy to spot on the ice because of his unique helmet. He wore the same type of helmet since he was a child. He kept wearing it throughout his whole professional career.
He also had a funny reputation for his fashion sense. Once, a burglar broke into his hotel room. The burglar stole everything from his roommate but left all of Goring's clothes untouched!
Some former teammates, like Mike Bossy, believe Goring might have started the tradition of growing a beard during the Stanley Cup playoffs. This is now called a "playoff beard". Other players say the tradition started earlier. But Goring definitely joined in once he was with the Islanders.
The New York Islanders honored Butch Goring by retiring his jersey number, 91. This happened on February 29, 2020, before a game against the Boston Bruins.
Butch Goring's Coaching Career
Butch Goring coached in the NHL twice. He coached the Boston Bruins from 1985 to 1987. He also coached the New York Islanders from 1999 to 2001.
He also coached several minor league teams. He led the Spokane Chiefs, Capital District Islanders, Las Vegas Thunder, Denver Grizzlies, Utah Grizzlies, and Anchorage Aces. He won two championships with these teams. In 2002-2003, he coached the Krefeld Penguins in Germany. He led them to their first championship since 1952.
Career Achievements
- Won the MJHL Hockey Ability and Sportsmanship Award (1967)
- Won the Turnbull Cup (MJHL championship) (1969)
- Won the Calder Cup (AHL championship) (1971)
- Won the Bill Masterton Trophy (1978)
- Won the Lady Byng Trophy (1978)
- Played in the NHL All-Star Game (1980)
- Won the Conn Smythe Trophy (1981)
- Won the Stanley Cup four times (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983)
- Played for Team Canada in the Canada Cup Tournament (1981)
- Named Manitoba's Athlete of the Year (1981)
- Won IHL Coach of the Year (1995 and 1996)
- Won Turner Cup (IHL) Championships (1995 and 1996)
- Was the last active player who had played during the 1960s
- Inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 1992
- Is an "Honoured Member" of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
- His jersey number 91 was retired by the New York Islanders (2020)
See also
- List of NHL players with 1,000 games played
