No Man is an Island - New York Islander goalie Rick DiPietro

Hockey Digest, Jan, 2001 by Everett J. Merrill

Goaltender Rick DiPietro will soon have the weight of Long Island--and the the eyes of the hockey world--upon him

WHEN THE NEW YORK ISLANDERS selected goaltender Rick DiPietro with the first overall pick in the NHL draft it was almost the equivalent of a National Football League team selecting a punter with the first pick in that league's draft. Never before had a goalie been selected with the top pick in the NHL entry draft--that lofty perch is usually reserved for forwards or, possibly, the occasional defense-man. Yet Islanders general manager Mike Milbury is quick to point out that DiPietro is no ordinary goalie.

"He is an exceptional talent," says Milbury of the 19-year-old from Boston University. "DiPietro handles the puck as well as any goaltender in hockey today. Not just any prospect, but any goaltender in any league anywhere."

Milbury and long-suffering Islanders fans will have to wait a little before they see DiPietro between the pipes. A week before the start of the season DiPietro was assigned to the Chicago Wolves of the International Hockey League. Veterans John Vanbiesbrouck, who was acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers to nurture DiPietro, and Wade Flaherty will share the goaltending duties for the Islanders.

"The decision to send Rick to the IHL was based simply on circumstances," says Milbury. "This is not an evaluation of his performance, because we just didn't have enough time to do that. Coming into camp I was trying to keep an open mind with the goaltending situation.

"When Rick injured his groin, it just made it impossible for us to get a good look at him and still get ready for the start of the season."

That groin injury forced DiPietro to out the Islanders' preseason games, but it didn't damper the spirit of being in an NHL camp. "The pro game is a lot less chaotic than college hockey," DiPietro says. "In the NHL there: is rarely a second shot. It's like a welboiled machine when everyone is in their position.

"I really wanted to get in an exhibition game, but I also know [carrying] three goalies doesn't work. Vanbiesbrouck talked to me for a while and was great about the situation. When he was my age, he got sent down for a while and it was the best thing for him. He told me that it's just a bump in the road."

Despite that bump, DiPietro's road to Long Island has so far been littered with nothing but accolades and achievements. He posted a 18-5-5 record with a .913 save percentage and a 2.45 goals-against average as a freshman at Boston University, and led the Terriers to the quarterfinal of the NCAA tournament--losing a 77-save performance to St. Lawrence in the longest-ever college game. (The game lasted 123 minutes and 53 seconds.) DiPietro was Hockey East Rookie of the Year, was named to the NCAA East Region all-tournament team, and was picked as MVP of the Beanpot Tournament. And at the 2000 World Junior Championship, DiPietro posted a 1.81 GAA, a .935 save percentage, and was named the top goalie in the tournament.

The Islanders conducted some pre-draft day maneuvering to be in a position to snatch DiPietro with the No. 1 overall pick. Milbury's team won the draft lottery and moved from the No. 5 slot to No. 1. That was the initial indication that the GM was considering taking DiPietro. By doing so, Milbury ensured that the Lewiston, Maine native became the fourth American player--Bryan Berard (selected in 1995 by the Ottawa Senators), Mike Modano (1988, Minnesota North Stars), and Brian Lawton (1983, Pittsburgh Penguins, then traded to the Minnesota North Stars) are the others--to be chosen first overall The only other goaltender to go No. 1 in an NHL draft was Michel Plasse 1968; however, that was prior to the entry draft, which began in 1969.

Milbury had already sent shock waves through the NHL when he dealt top prospect Roberto Luongo--who, before DiPietro, had been the highest-ever drafted goalie (he was picked fourth overall in 1998)--to the Florida Panthers before the draft. In return the Islanders received 26-goal scorer Mark Parrish and forward Oleg Kvasha. On the eve of the draft Milbury sent No. 1 netminder Kevin Weeks, prospect Kristian Kudroc, and a second-round pick in the 2001 draft to Tampa Bay for the Lightning's No. 5 choice and a pair of middle-round selections.

Defenseman Roman Hamrlik was added from the Edmonton Oilers and, on the second day of the draft, Vanbiesbrouck, 36, was acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers for a fourth-round pick in 2001. It is believed that Milbury rested on the third day.

"We made these moves with the desire to win now," says Milbury. "Luongo is going to be an excellent goaltender, but as the draft progressed it was clear the value of Luongo was greater than the value of the first overall pick. In our minds, if we could get to DiPietro, he possess an element Roberto perhaps doesn't. We could make an argument for either one, but we think DiPietro's unusually strong puck-handling skills weigh in his favor."

During the Islanders' early-'80s run of four straight Stanley Cups two goalies--Billy Smith and Roland Melanson--shared the workload. Glenn "Chico" Resch backed up Smith earlier in the decade, and those two still top the team's all-time list in games played by a goalie. The only other goalie to see action during the Islanders' Stanley Cup run was Richard Brodeur, who appeared in only two games in the 1979-80 season. But since their last Cup in 1983, the Islanders have used more than 20 goalies.