This is it. The final article of the Islanders All-Time Numbers Rankings Countdown. This series has been filled with legendary players, current stars and guys you may have forgotten about. This final edition is loaded with three former captains, a pair of brothers and an American hero. If you missed numbers 19-10, click here, if you missed 29-20, click here, if you missed 39-30, click here, if you missed 49-40, click here, if you missed 69-50, click here and if you missed 99-70, click here.

9: Clark Gillies 1974-86

The face of grit during the dynasty years, Clark Gillies helped to keep stars like Mike Bossy and Bryan Trottier from being taken advantage of by other teams. The fourth-overall pick in 1974 stood at 6′ 3″, 215 pounds and was a force to be reckoned with. He also contributed on the power-play and captained the team for three seasons. Gillies’ number nine is retired by the Islanders thanks to 304 goals and 663 points in 872 games in the blue and orange. He spent 12 seasons of his Hall-of-Fame career on Long Island before being claimed by the Sabres in the waiver draft.

8: Gary Howatt 1973-81

Howatt was a piece of the 1970s Islanders rising to prominence and was rewarded with two Stanley Cups. In his seven full seasons, he had four 28+ point campaigns including a 21 goal season in 1975-76. Howatt was traded to Hartford for a fifth-round pick prior to the 1981-82 season.

7: Stefan Persson 1977-86

14th-round pick to four-time Stanley Cup winner, Persson helped hold down the backend during his nine-year NHL career. He received Norris Trophy votes twice in his career while putting up 317 assists and 369 points over 622 games. He averaged a point-per-game during the 1982 Cup run. Persson never played in the NHL again after the 1985-86 season.

6: Ken Morrow 1980-89

Fresh off of some Gold Medal run you may have heard of in 1980, Ken Morrow signed with the team that drafted him in the fourth round of the 1976 NHL Draft. He finished the season lifting Stanley Cup. This was the start of a decade-long NHL career, all with the Islanders. The defensive defenseman was a +142 over his 550 game career despite putting up just 105 points. He was a +37 in 127 playoff games as well. Morrow is the only American to win a Gold Medal and Stanley Cup in the same year and he was an important piece of the next three Islanders Cups as well.

5: Denis Potvin 1973-88

The hands-down best defenseman in Islanders’ history, Denis Potvin captained the dynasty, was a defensive anchor and was an offensive juggernaut. One of the best offensive-defensemen in NHL history, Potvin’s 1,052 career points were a record for a defenseman when he retired and he had a 101 point season in 1978-79. He was a three-time Norris Trophy winner over his 15-year career, all with the Islanders. The Hockey Hall of Famer’s number five is retired by the team.

4: Jean Potvin 1973-78

Denis’ brother, Jean, had two stints with the Islanders and he wore four during his first, and longer, one. He was acquired via trade with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1973 and played 352 games over the next four full seasons and change. He had 193 points in that time before being traded to the Cleveland Barons in a trade that brought Wayne Merrick to New York.

3: Tomas Jonsson 1981-89

A defensive piece of the back-half of the dynasty, Jonsson was a second-round pick in 1979. He got the chance to join the defending champion Islanders in 1981-82 and never relinquished his spot, playing over 70 games in five of his seven full seasons on Long Island. After 532 games and 333 points, Jonsson was traded to Edmonton during the 1988-89 season.

2: Mark Streit 2008-13

A July 1 free agent signing, Streit became the Islanders’ captain in 2011. He led the team to a playoff appearance in 2013, putting up five points in six games. He received Norris Trophy votes twice with the Islanders and had 47+ points in each of the three full seasons he played. He had 179 points in 286 games overall as an Islander before being traded to Philadelphia in a trade that included the draft pick that became Devon Toews.

1: Glenn Resch 1974-81

One of the best goaltenders in team history, Resch was acquired in a 1972 trade with the Montreal Canadiens. It took him a few seasons to get the reins but once he did, he was phenomenal. Resch compiled a 157-69-47 record with the Islanders with a 2.56 goals-against average and .911 save percentage. As Billy Smith began to take over, Resch was traded to the Colorado Rockies, ending a successful tenure on Long Island.
Thank you for tuning into the Islanders All-Time Numbers Rankings Countdown. I hope you enjoyed it!

John Smark