Guerin Scores 400th
by: Brian Bohl | Senior Writer - NY Sports Day | Saturday, December 27, 2008
UNIONDALE, NY — Bill Guerin didn’t hold up a ceremonial puckwith the No. 400 written over it for the cameras the way Mike Bossy did when he became just the second player in history to score 50 goals in 50 games in the 1980-81 season.
But Guerin’s game never was about gaudy goal totals. Unlike Bossy, who spent his entire career with one franchise, Guerin has played for seven different franchises. He has brought his dependability—nine straight seasons of at least 20 goals—to nearly every part of the country and became just the 79th player in NHL history to score 400 career goals when he pushed in a shot past Toronto goaltender Vesa Toskala in a 4-1 victory Friday night at Nassau Coliseum.
Bossy and Bryan Trottier are the only other two players to reach the milestone in an Islanders uniform, leaving Guerin in some pretty good company. The right winger now has 13 goals this season on his way towards extending his 20-goal streak to a full decade.
“I’ve been able to stick around in this league for quite some time and had some success, and it’s a big thrill for me,” Guerin said.
The 16-year veteran scored his most goals with the Devils, recording 108 in 380 games with the team that drafted him fifth overall in 1989. Guerin played in New Jersey from 1992-1998, playing on the Stanley Cup-winning squad in 1995.
Guerin twice scored 40 goals in his career. The Worcester, Ma. native’s best season came for his hometown Bruins in 2001-02, when he scored 41 goals. He became a captain for the first time in his career when he joined the Isles before the start of last season and is considered one the veteran leaders on a team that is trying to develop prospects like first-round pick Josh Bailey, who tallied an assist on Guerin’s 399th goal in the second period of the win over the Maple Leafs.
“It’s awesome for Billy,” coach Scott Gordon said. “Everybody on the bench was extremely excited for him. It’s quite an accomplishment.”
Guerin is just the eighth United States-born player to reach the plateau, becoming the first since John LeClair reached the mark in March 2006. He joins Hall-of-Famer Joe Mullen and other All-Stars like Mike Modano, Jeremy Roenick, Keith Tkachuk, Tony Amonte and Pat LaFontaine on the list.
“Looking around the league at some of the Americans coming up, hopefully that will change soon,” said Guerin, who was also a member of Team USA when it won the 1996 World Cup championship. “I’m proud to be a part of the few guys who have done it.”
Guerin recalled his first career NHL goal coming against the Hartford Whalers at what used to be called the Hartford Civic Center (now the XL Center) when he found the net on Oct. 28, 1992.
Drafted fifth overall by New Jersey in 1989, Guerin notched his first career goal with the Devils against the Hartford Whalers on October 28, 1992. The season before, Guerin was called up from the team’s AHL affiliate in Utica and appeared in five regular season games, registering zero goals and one assist.
As an interesting statistical fact, Guerin scored three goals in six games in the playoffs before the Devils were bounced in the first round, giving him goals on his playoff ledger before his first official goal. Only regular season totals are counted as part of his 400 mark.
“You never forget your first one,” Guerin said. “It was a long time ago, but it was at the old mall in Hartford. You cherish every one of them and hope it’s never the last.”
UNIONDALE, NY — December has been anything but a festive season for the Islanders. The club entered Friday night’s contest against Toronto with a 10-game losing streak with the possibility of completing a win-less month.
