Billy Carroll

Some all time greats like Marcel Dionne, Brad Park, Peter Stastny and Gilbert Perreault enjoyed Hall of Fame careers but never won the Stanley Cup.

Then there's fellows like Billy Carroll. The role player/extra cracked the New York Islanders line up in 1981 and won the Stanley Cup in each of his first 3 seasons. He then moved onto Edmonton where he helped the Oilers win the Stanley Cup in 1985.

"I was just thankful to be in the league, let alone on another team that had such a talented bunch of guys."

Billy Carroll is probably the most forgettable guy from either dynasty, but he was a very serviceable player. He excelled in his limited role of checker and penalty killer. He contributed without scoring much (just 30 goals in 322 career NHL games) but was a coaches delight.

What does Carroll remember most about his days with the Islanders?

"The best players were always the best players in critical situations. And to their credit, the stars didn't make defensive players like me feel any different, other than on payday that is. But the organization was very good about creating roles people could succeed in. It was made very clear to me what would be my job."

How did that contrast with Edmonton?

"In New York most of the team was married and the big gunners in Edm were single, so the dynamics of the teams were different, but both clubs knew the sacrifices it took to win."

Bill Carroll now owns skylight and window manufacturing plant in Pickering, Ontario.