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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Martin Brodeur, José Théodore, Chris Osgood, Ron Hextall, Evgeni Nabokov, Chris Mason, Billy Smith, List of Goaltenders Who Have Scored a Goal in an Nhl Game, Mika Noronen, Damian Rhodes. Excerpt:William John Smith , better known as Billy Smith , (born December 12, 1950, in Perth, Ontario ) is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender and is best known for winning four Stanley Cups with the New York Islanders and being the first goalie to be credited with a goal. Playing career NHL beginnings He was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the 5th round of the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft from the Cornwall Royals of the QMJHL . He played two seasons with the Kings' minor league affiliate, the American Hockey League's Springfield Kings , and spent a brief stint with the big-league Kings after winning a Calder Cup for Springfield in 1971. He was drafted in the 1972 NHL Expansion Draft by the New York Islanders ; he was the second player picked by the team. After sharing goaltending duties with Gerry Desjardins for two years, he got the starting job all to himself in 1974 75 when Desjardins bolted to the World Hockey Association . That season, he led the Islanders to their first playoff appearance. Successful Islander stints Smith played in the 1978 All-Star Game, where he was named MVP. For the rest of the decade, he shared time in the Islanders net with Glenn Resch , where they combined to form perhaps the top goaltending duo in the NHL at the time. This changed in the 1980 playoffs, when the Isles rode Smith's goaltending to their first of four consecutive Stanley Cups, firmly establishing Smith as the team's starting goaltender. Resch was dealt to the Colorado Rockies the following season. Smith went on to become a First Team All-Star and Vezina Trophy winner in 1982. In 1983, he won... ... Read more