Billy Harris (ice hockey, born 1952)
William Edward "Billy" Harris ( born January 29, 1952 in Toronto, Ontario ) is a retired Canadian ice hockey player ( Right Wing ), who played from 1975 to 1989 for the New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League.
Career
As a junior, he played briefly with the Peterborough Petes in the OHA before moving within the league to the Toronto Marlboros. In a series with Dave Gardner and Steve Shutt in 1972 he was top scorer of the OHA. Impressed by this performance, he was elected the New York Islanders, the NHL Amateur Draft 1972 with the top pick from.
Together with Michel Larocque and John Van Boxmeer, he was one of three young players who have been invited to training camp before the Summit Series in 1972. All three failed to win a place in the squad.
Buy in the 1972/73 season he made the jump to the NHL. The Islanders played their first NHL season and Harris was the best scorer with 50 points of the team with only 30 points, had by far the worst record in the NHL. A year after he Denis Potvin had come as a top draft pick to the Islanders. Behind him, Harris was now second in the team-internal scorer standings. From the 1975/76 season he played with Clark Gillies and Bryan Trottier in a row, which was called Long Iceland Lightning Company. To get Butch Goring to Long Iceland, he was sent with Dave Lewis, together to the Los Angeles Kings. Thus he missed the big time with the Islanders, who won four Stanley Cups in a row.
With the Kings, he was employed due to injuries and over again in the Triple Crown Line. He was in Los Angeles Twenty months before it was submitted for Ian Turnbull at the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, a shoulder injury forced him to take a break. He could not build on his earlier achievements. In February 1984, he returned to the Los Angeles Kings. There, he played 21 times before he finished his career.
After his time as a hockey player, he worked in the real estate industry and the catering trade.
NHL stats
Sporting successes
Personal Awards
- OHA -Jr. Second All-Star Team: 1971
- OMJHL First All -Star Team: 1972
- Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy: 1972 (together with Dave Gardner)
- Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy: 1972
- Participate in the NHL All-Star Game: 1976