Billy Smith was selected in the fifth round of the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft by the Los Angeles Kings. After a full season in 1970-71 with the Springfield Kings, their AHL affiliate, Smith got into five games with the NHL club in 1971-72. He posted a 4.60 goals against average with one win.
Smith’s first game with the Kings was a 6-5 loss at the Montreal Forum to the Canadiens. He faced 48 shots in the game, including seven each from Guy Lapointe and Larry Pleau. His only win as a King was against the Buffalo Sabres on March 11, 1972. In the 5-3 victory, Smith stopped 33 of 36 shots and got in a third period fight with Tracy Pratt.
Battlin’ Billy was the second player taken by the New York Islanders at the 1972 NHL Expansion Draft. Smith never looked back, leading the Islanders to four Stanley Cup championships, winning a Vezina Trophy, Conn Smythe Trophy and William M. Jennings Trophy on his way to being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1993.
If you’re looking to truly test your hockey trivia knowledge, take a 20 Question Hockey Trivia Quiz!