Tag Archives: Islanders
Bill Torrey
(Hockey. Born, Montreal, PQ, June 23, 1932.) A hockey executive, William Arthur Torrey played a leading role in constructing one the most successful dynasties in New York sports history. After graduating from St. Lawrence University, Torrey worked for the AHL Pittsburgh Hornets. He then became vice president of the NHL’s year-old Oakland Seals before the […]
Howie Rose
(Broadcasting. Born, Brooklyn, NY, Feb. 13, 1954.) Howard Rose has been a New York area announcer for over 40 years. Rose began his broadcasting career in 1975 with SportsPhone, an organization that callers dialed to get updated sports scores at a time when it was otherwise close to impossible to get them. He soon began […]
Bryan Trottier
Bryan Trottier (Hockey. Born, Val Marie, Sask., July 17, 1956.) Thought by many to be the best all-around forward ever for the Islanders, Bryan John Trottier is the team’s career leader in points with 1,353 in 1,123 games. Trottier was an excellent passer who still scored 500 career goals in his 15 seasons (1975-90) with […]
John Tonelli
John Tonelli (Hockey. Born, Hamilton, Ont., Mar. 23, 1957.) When the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association folded, John A. Tonelli became the W.H.A.’s gift to the Islanders. Tonelli went on to set a club record for scoring by a left wing (42 goals, 100 points) for the Isles in 1984-85. Playing on the […]
Billy Smith
Billy Smith (Hockey. Born, Perth, Ont., Dec. 12, 1950.) Of the Islanders who were in uniform for the team’s first game Oct. 7, 1972, at Nassau Coliseum, William John Smith was the last to retire. A notably abrasive and aggressive standup goalie, Smith, who for the first half of his Islanders career shared the nets with Chico Resch, […]
Fred Kerber
Fred Kerber (Sportswriter. Born, Jersey City, NJ, Aug. 12, 1952.) Following several years at the Daily News, during which he worked cityside re-write and covered such high-profile beats as federal courts and police headquarters, Frederick Vincent Kerber transitioned into sports. Kerber was a beat writer on the Islanders, Nets, Knicks, and Mets, as well as […]
Deb Kaufman
Deb Kaufman Placey (Sportscaster. Born, St. Louis, MO, Aug. 17, 1966.) Inspired by pioneer ESPN anchor Gayle Gardner, Deb Kaufman set out to become a sports anchor, joining ESPN as a production assistant in 1988. Starting in 1990, Kaufman moved to four broadcast stations in just over three years, going from Marion, Ill., to WPRI-TV […]
Rich Kahn
Rich Kahn (Public address. Born, Brooklyn, NY, Sept. 27, 1951.) A television public relations executive, Richard A. Kahn served as the Jets public address announcer for 19 seasons (1983-2001). Kahn’s first season was the team’s last at Shea Stadium. His tenure was the longest in that job ever for the Jets. Kahn also did public […]
John Jeansonne
John Jeansonne (Sportswriter. Born, Crowley, LA, Nov. 2, 1946.) John Fred Jeansonne joined the U.P.I. sports staff in New York as a reporter fresh out of the University of Missouri in 1969. Jeansonne has been at Newsday since 1970, covering the Islanders (1972-74) at their inception, the Football Giants (1973-78), and then Olympic sports. He […]