Islanders retire Butch Goring's number to the 'toy department'
Butch Goring remembers his first impression of the fans’ energy and passion after the Islanders acquired him from the Kings at the 1980 trade deadline.
“I’m going to like playing here with these types of fans,” he recalled thinking.
His second impression of his new team? “We’re going to win a Stanley Cup.”
The Islanders and Goring, long called the “final piece” to that championship puzzle, won four titles in a row from 1980-1983.
On Saturday, the fan favorite’s No. 91 was lifted to the rafters at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum — the “toy department,” to use one of Goring’s broadcasting phrases — as the eighth player from those dynastic teams to have his jersey retired by the franchise.
Goring returned to the organization as a coach from 1999-2001 and has been the team’s television analyst on MSG Networks since 2010.
“It’s really almost a tidal wave of welcome ever since I got back into the Isles’ side of life with this broadcast,” Goring said. “I’ve had fun on Twitter, people have had fun with me with my way with words. Even today, I’m inundated with autographs just walking into the building. It’s brought me back to the fans.”
Goring was surrounded on the ice during his jersey retirement ceremony by his wife, Paula, daughters Shannon Alban and Kellie Pickering, Islanders co-owners Scott Malkin and Jon Ledecky, and longtime Islanders broadcaster Jiggs McDonald, who emceed the event.
Also on the ice were the other Islanders players with retired jerseys: Denis Potvin (5), Clark Gillies (9), Bryan Trottier (19), Mike Bossy (22), Bobby Nystrom (23), Billy Smith (31) and John Tonelli, who had his No. 27 retired last week.
“I think it speaks volumes of just how tight we are and just how much it means to each and every one of us to have these moments,” Goring said. “Every time we’re together, it’s special because we can relive what we accomplished.”
Goring’s mother, Audrey, 93, watched from a suite.
Goring also described how influential former general manager Bill Torrey and coach Al Arbour — who also have banners — were to his career.
“Bill’s a genius, you know, that for making that particular move,” Goring said of his trade.
The loquacious Goring, an avid golfer, was momentarily left speechless as the Islanders gifted him with a golf vacation to Augusta National.
He acknowledged the fans as they chanted “Toy Department,” and more than one yelled, “The only 91.”
That was a reference to former Islanders captain John Tavares, who wore No. 91 but bolted for the Maple Leafs via free agency in 2018.
Goring wore No. 19 with the Kings and No. 21 when he first came to the Islanders. But he said he always wanted No. 91 because Jackie Parker of the Canadian Football League’s Edmonton Eskimos — his favorite athlete growing up in Manitoba — wore the number.
“I’m truly thankful for this moment,” Goring said. “I didn’t know if it was going to happen a few years ago. But it’s happened now, and that’s all that matters.”
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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