| Born: | December 12, 1950 | Draft: | 1970 Kings 59th Overall |
| Hometown: | Perth, Ontario | Position: | G |
| Known For: | Hall of Fame | Shoots/Catches: | Left |
| National Team: | Canada |
William John Smith (born December 12, 1950) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He won four Stanley Cups with the New York Islanders. In 2017 Smith was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history.
Smith was the first NHL goaltender to be credited with scoring a goal. On November 28, 1979, in a game between the Islanders and the Colorado Rockies, the Rockies’ goaltender left the ice for an extra attacker after a delayed penalty call was called on the Islanders. The puck deflected off of Smith’s chest protector into the corner. Rockies rookie Rob Ramage picked up the puck and accidentally made a blind pass from the corner boards in the opposing zone to the blue line. Nobody was there to receive the pass, and so the puck sailed all the way down the length of the ice and into the Rockies’ net. As Smith had been the last Islanders player to touch the puck, he was credited with the goal.
Billy Smith Statistics
Deeper Dive
- One For the Ages: Billy Smith’s 1981-82 Season
- Billy Smith Scores a Goal
- First-Year Islanders Shocked Big Bad Bruins 48 Years Ago
- Five Backup Goalies Who Shined in the 1980s
- Five Most Electrifying Islanders in Franchise History
- Best Goalies of the 1980s
- New York Islanders Greatest of All Time
- Top 3 Goalies in Islanders History
Achievements
- AHL Calder Cup Championship — 1971
- NHL All-Star Game — 1978
- NHL All-Star Game MVP — 1978
- NHL First Team All-Star — 1981-82
- Vezina Trophy Winner — 1981-82
- Conn Smythe Trophy Winner — 1982-83
- William M. Jennings Trophy Winner — 1982-83
- Stanley Cup Champion — 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983
- No. 31 Jersey Retired by Islanders — February 20, 1993
- Inducted Into Hockey Hall of Fame — 1993
- Inducted into Perth (Ontario) and District Hall of Fame — 2016