# Billy Harris (ice hockey, born 1952)

William Edward Harris (born January 29, 1952) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League who played from 1972 to 1984. He helped the New York Islanders reach the NHL playoff semi-finals four times in five seasons from 1975 to 1979.

## Playing career

As a youth, Harris played in the 1964 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Toronto Shopsy's minor ice hockey team.
Harris was drafted first overall in the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft by the expansion New York Islanders. He is known for being the first New York Islander. He played on Long Island until he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings on March 10, 1980, along with Dave Lewis for Butch Goring. Later that year, the Islanders won their first Stanley Cup of four in a row. Harris was never part of a winning Cup team, but he is remembered for helping the Islanders grow from their initial days as an expansion franchise to a dominant team in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Harris played more than 500 consecutive games for the Islanders before he was traded. He finished off the last few seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs before retiring after the 1983–84 season.

## Career statistics

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1968–69 | Toronto Marlboros | OHA-Jr. | 41 | 9 | 18 | 27 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | — |
| 1969–70 | Toronto Marlboros | OHA-Jr. | 46 | 13 | 17 | 30 | 75 | 18 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 26 |
| 1970–71 | Toronto Marlboros | OHA-Jr. | 48 | 34 | 48 | 82 | 61 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 14 |
| 1971–72 | Toronto Marlboros | OHA-Jr. | 63 | 57 | 72 | 129 | 87 | 10 | 13 | 10 | 23 | 26 |
| 1972–73 | New York Islanders | NHL | 78 | 28 | 22 | 50 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1973–74 | New York Islanders | NHL | 78 | 23 | 27 | 50 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1974–75 | New York Islanders | NHL | 80 | 25 | 37 | 62 | 34 | 17 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 12 |
| 1975–76 | New York Islanders | NHL | 80 | 32 | 38 | 70 | 54 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 10 |
| 1976–77 | New York Islanders | NHL | 80 | 24 | 43 | 67 | 44 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 8 |
| 1977–78 | New York Islanders | NHL | 80 | 22 | 38 | 60 | 40 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 1978–79 | New York Islanders | NHL | 80 | 15 | 39 | 54 | 18 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 |
| 1979–80 | New York Islanders | NHL | 67 | 15 | 15 | 30 | 37 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1979–80 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 11 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1980–81 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 80 | 20 | 29 | 49 | 36 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 1981–82 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 16 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1981–82 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 20 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1982–83 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 76 | 11 | 19 | 30 | 26 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 1983–84 | St. Catharines Saints | AHL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1983–84 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 50 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1983–84 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 21 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 897 | 231 | 327 | 558 | 394 | 71 | 19 | 19 | 38 | 48 |