Welcome to NHL99, The Athletic’s countdown of the best 100 players in modern NHL history. We’re ranking 100 players but calling it 99 because we all know who’s No. 1 — it’s the 99 spots ...

Islanders icon Billy Smith was a superb goalie and four-time Stanley Cup winner. But he was also a fantastic interview. And in this story Smith wrote for THN, he was in peak form. Hockey Hall-of ...

Edmonton Oilers and NHL legend Wayne Gretzky named a four-time Stanley Cup winning goaltender as the toughest netminder he ...

During the 1971-72 season, Boston Bruins goaltender Gerry Cheevers was one of the first goaltenders to customize the Jason mask, with his trainer placing stitch marks in spots to signify pucks ...

Sorokin joins Hockey Hall of Famer Billy Smith as the second Islanders netminder to ever record a goal. Smith has the distinction of being the first goalie in NHL history to be credited with a ...

Like Isles legend Billy Smith — the first NHL goalie ever credited with a goal — Sorokin simply made a save, while the opponents did the rest. (Three other former Islanders goalies had goals ...

The job of an NHL goaltender is to save goals ... Boston Bruins, Dec. 8, 1987 Billy Smith (5 saves), New York Islanders at Colorado Rockies, Nov. 28, 1979 Check out the ESPN NHL hub page for ...