Doug Rombough, who scored 8 goals in 40 games for the Islanders in parts of the 1973-74 and 1974-75 season passed away on June 20th. Rombough would have turned 65 next week.
Rombough was on the other side of trades for two of the most memorable (and one of the most important) players in early Isles history.
On March 10, 1974, Rombough was acquired from the Sabres in exchange for a popular Islander named Brian "Spinner" Spencer. Rombough scored 3 goals in 12 games over the rest of that season and then was dealt to Minnesota midway through the following campaign, along with Ernie Hicke. The Isles acquired JP Parise in that trade and also added Jude Drouin in a separate deal later that week. Those two deals, in January 1975, put the Isles in position to become perennial contenders (and 4-time champions) for the next decade.
The Sabres, Islanders, and North Stars were the only three NHL teams Rombough played for in a 150-game NHL career.
Rombough is the second former Islander to pass away since the season ended; Greg Parks passed away a few days before Rombough.
More on Rombough's life here: http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2015/06/26/former-nhler-and-rombys-founder-remembered
Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick
