Islanders '80s playoff jerseys

[josh1068]

I don't know if anyone remembers this about the NY Islanders, but from 1982 to 1985, during the heart of their dynasty, they used to change something about their jerseys for each playoff season. For the first three years they changed the number style (which would then carry over into the next regular season) and then in 1985 they changed the names from two tone to single color.

I always thought this was pretty cool.

[griffelh]

They actually changed to the single color names for the 1984 playoffs and then went on to not win the cup for the first time, so I viewed that one as messing with something that was working.

As you can see on this May 1984 cover:

[buster04]

Not to get off topic, but those Isles teams have to be argueably one of the greatest sports dynasties ever. Stressing Argueably

[CC97]

Not to get off topic, but those Isles teams have to be argueably one of the greatest sports dynasties ever. Stressing Argueably

I would agree... and they are probably on par with the 76-79 Habs that preceded them... both teams won 4 consecutive championships in 21-team leagues, but most tend to focus on the 56-60 Habs who won 5 straight in a 6-team league.

The 83-90 Oilers were pretty powerful though, dominating all those years but being upset in the playoffs in 86 and 89, and making it to the finals in 83.

[budbowl77]

Greatest Dynasty In American Hockey History.

[FrankCostanza]

I would agree... and they are probably on par with the 76-79 Habs that preceded them... both teams won 4 consecutive championships in 21-team leagues, but most tend to focus on the 56-60 Habs who won 5 straight in a 6-team league.

The 83-90 Oilers were pretty powerful though, dominating all those years but being upset in the playoffs in 86 and 89, and making it to the finals in 83.

Actually the Habs done it in a 17 team league. In 1979-80, the NHL added the four WHA teams.

[griffelh]

I would agree... and they are probably on par with the 76-79 Habs that preceded them... both teams won 4 consecutive championships in 21-team leagues, but most tend to focus on the 56-60 Habs who won 5 straight in a 6-team league.

The 83-90 Oilers were pretty powerful though, dominating all those years but being upset in the playoffs in 86 and 89, and making it to the finals in 83.

Actually the Habs done it in a 17 team league. In 1979-80, the NHL added the four WHA teams.

What separates the 80-83 Isles from the 76-79 Canadiens is the fact that the Isles made it back to the Stanley Cup finals in 84 while the Canadiens in 1980 got knocked out in the 2nd round by a mediocre Minnesota team.

[mfoster]

I would agree... and they are probably on par with the 76-79 Habs that preceded them... both teams won 4 consecutive championships in 21-team leagues, but most tend to focus on the 56-60 Habs who won 5 straight in a 6-team league.

The 83-90 Oilers were pretty powerful though, dominating all those years but being upset in the playoffs in 86 and 89, and making it to the finals in 83.

Actually the Habs done it in a 17 team league. In 1979-80, the NHL added the four WHA teams.

What separates the 80-83 Isles from the 76-79 Canadiens is the fact that the Isles made it back to the Stanley Cup finals in 84 while the Canadiens in 1980 got knocked out in the 2nd round by a mediocre Minnesota team.

I wouldn't call the North Stars mediocre, after all they were two teams in one - the Barons and the North Stars. The merged team improved 23 points the first season and another 20 in 79-80, advancing three rounds before losing to the Flyers. The next season the North Stars were in the Cup Finals.

Marc

[griffelh]

I wouldn't call the North Stars mediocre, after all they were two teams in one - the Barons and the North Stars. The merged team improved 23 points the first season and another 20 in 79-80, advancing three rounds before losing to the Flyers. The next season the North Stars were in the Cup Finals.

Where they got absolutely demolished by the Islanders!

[tommytimp]

Which will bring us back to Do, do, do, do.

[CC97]

I would agree... and they are probably on par with the 76-79 Habs that preceded them... both teams won 4 consecutive championships in 21-team leagues, but most tend to focus on the 56-60 Habs who won 5 straight in a 6-team league.

The 83-90 Oilers were pretty powerful though, dominating all those years but being upset in the playoffs in 86 and 89, and making it to the finals in 83.

Actually the Habs done it in a 17 team league. In 1979-80, the NHL added the four WHA teams.

True... stunned I glazed over the merger when figuring that one out

[Ramrod]

That's pretty interesting... I never knew that about the Isles' uniforms. Given how superstitious hockey players are, I would have thought that no team would EVER screw with their unis going into the playoffs.

[MC Buffalo]

I would agree... and they are probably on par with the 76-79 Habs that preceded them... both teams won 4 consecutive championships in 21-team leagues, but most tend to focus on the 56-60 Habs who won 5 straight in a 6-team league.

The 83-90 Oilers were pretty powerful though, dominating all those years but being upset in the playoffs in 86 and 89, and making it to the finals in 83.

Actually the Habs done it in a 17 team league. In 1979-80, the NHL added the four WHA teams.

True... stunned I glazed over the merger when figuring that one out

Actually if we are to be totally accurate. It was an 18 team league (74-75 the Scouts and Capitals were added to go to 18). The same time that the WHA teams were absorbed was when the Cleveland Barons and Minnesota Northstars were merged so although they added 4 teams from the WHA it only put them at 21 becuase they actually lost one NHL team in the process..... But that's just nitpicking, which isn't that what we all do best here?

[yh]

Actually if we are to be totally accurate. It was an 18 team league (74-75 the Scouts and Capitals were added to go to 18). The same time that the WHA teams were absorbed was when the Cleveland Barons and Minnesota Northstars were merged so although they added 4 teams from the WHA it only put them at 21 becuase they actually lost one NHL team in the process..... But that's just nitpicking, which isn't that what we all do best here?

I don't believe this is correct. The NHL was a 17 team league in 78-79. The Barons folded into the NorStars following the 77-78 campaign.

[timmy b]

i know of a couple of other instances beside the islanders of teams doing something to their sweaters in the playoffs:

the bruins reversed the numeral colors and the "B" colors on the sleeves for the 1940 playoffs.

the maple leafs added sleeve numerals in the 1962 playoffs.

the maple leafs overhauled their sweaters for the 1967 playoffs.

the black hawks (as they were then) added a black outline to the white numerals on the red jerseys and added a red outline to the black numerals on white jerseys for the 1973 playoffs.

the canadiens changed the neck trim from solid red on the white jersey and solid white on the red jersey to a blue-white-blue neck trim on both jerseys for the 1977 playoffs.

tb