A major contributor to the Los Angeles Kings in the ’70s, Butch Goring tasted his most tremendous success when he was traded to the New York Islanders and became the “final piece of the puzzle”. Goring was a part of the Islander dynasty that won four consecutive Stanley Cup Championships, and his performances in the first two championships were vital to the Islanders' success. Goring was a multi-faceted hockey player (and one of the game's more colorful characters to boot). Some labeled Goring as a reckless player, which made it all the more impressive that he remained largely injury-free throughout his career. Goring’s 888 career points were terrific, but that was only a part of what made him a special player.

In 1999, Master Card named the entire Canadian Junior Hockey Team. This team featured current Hall of Famers Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Guy Lafleur, Denis Potvin, Bobby Orr, and Bernie Parent. It also featured Saskatchewan native Brian Propp, who lit up the lights for the Brandon Wheat Kings. Propp’s first NHL season saw him on a line with Bobby Clarke and Reggie Leach. He held his own, and for the next ten years, he was a consistent offensive threat on Broad Street.

John Vanbiesbrouck’s career may be best described as one of “missing out.” He achieved great success as a New York Ranger, but was outplayed by Mike Richter, who won the starting job, and “Beezer” was shipped out before he could see the Rangers win that elusive Cup. His best work was with the Florida Panthers, where he gave that team “legitimacy” and actually took that team to a Stanley Cup berth, where he again “missed out” on winning. John Vanbiesbrouck seemingly had many very good seasons, but not exactly a great one, or a career-defining moment. His total of 374 career NHL wins is impressive, but he just lacked that intangible that makes it possible for the Hall to keep him out.

Possibly the best player of the New York Islanders dynasty not yet in the Hall of Fame, John Tonelli traveled where others feared to tread. Tonelli was a grinder and was one of the few players who were just as comfortable chasing an open puck as he was digging for it in the corner. Usually, players defined by grit were not known for their scoring touch, but John Tonelli was able to rack up 834 NHL career points. Had he gone to the NHL right away, odds are he would have hit that four-digit plateau.