John Tonelli

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Lore & Background

John Tonelli's arrival in the NHL came after the Houston WHA franchise folded in July 1978, with his rights reclaimed by the New York Islanders. He quickly became known for his never-say-die attitude, earning the nickname 'The Greasy Jet' from his teammates. Tonelli was almost unbeatable in digging out the puck in the corners, but also had an excellent shot, good passing, and excellent timing both offensively and defensively. Coach Al Arbour used Tonelli on the famed 'Banana Line' with Wayne Merrick and Bob Nystrom, on the top line with Bryan Trottier and Mike Bossy, and later he played flank for Brent Sutter and Patrick Flatley. In his seventh season as a professional and his fourth with the Islanders, he scored 35 goals and 58 assists for 93 points, breaking Clark Gillies's club record for a left wing of 91 set in 1978-79. Tonelli was a second team All-Star left wing for the Islanders in 1982 and 1985. Wayne Gretzky wrote in his autobiography, 'I wouldn't bench John Tonelli if he'd just stolen my car.'

In Their Own Story

On May 24, 1980, with the Islanders facing the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final at Nassau Coliseum, Lorne Henning stole the puck at center ice and passed to Tonelli. Tonelli then criss-crossed with Bob Nystrom, feeding him the puck on Nystrom's backhand for the winning goal at 7:11 of overtime. It was a play the two had perfected during practice. During the 1981-82 playoffs, the Islanders were five minutes away from being eliminated by a much weaker Pittsburgh Penguin team, trailing 3-1 in the deciding game. Tonelli assisted on a Mike McEwen goal that closed the champions within one goal, and tied the game himself with 2:21 to play. For an encore, it was John Tonelli that scored in overtime to win the game for the Islanders, thus extending their long reign as Stanley Cup champions. Tonelli also scored the winning goal in a February 20, 1982 game against the Colorado Rockies, beating former teammate Chico Resch with just 47 seconds to play to allow the Islanders to set an NHL record (since broken) with their 15th consecutive victory.

Reader's Guide

Tonelli's most significant honor is winning four consecutive Stanley Cups (1980–1983). In 1980, he had the assist on Bob Nystrom's overtime Stanley Cup-winning goal against the Philadelphia Flyers, giving the Islanders their first of four straight Cups. The Islanders advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals five consecutive years while winning four of them (1980-1983) in a row in the last great NHL dynasty. Tonelli played in the Stanley Cup finals in 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1984 with the Islanders, winning four championships. In 1982 and 1985, Tonelli was a second team All-Star left wing for the Islanders. In his best season, 1984-1985, he scored 42 goals and 100 points. In 1984, Tonelli played for Canada in the Canada Cup, was named the tournament's best player, winning the 1984 Canada Cup MVP award. In 2020, the Islanders honored Tonelli by retiring his #27 jersey, the seventh to be given the honor by the team while also joining the Islanders Hall of Fame.

Did You Know?

• Tonelli delivered the assist on Bob Nystrom's overtime goal that won the 1980 Stanley Cup Final, a play the two had perfected during practice.
• Wayne Gretzky wrote in his autobiography, 'I wouldn't bench John Tonelli if he'd just stolen my car.'
• Tonelli was the first player under contract in Islanders history to hold out, missing 22 days of training camp and the early regular season in fall 1985.
• In 1984, Tonelli was named MVP of the Canada Cup after scoring nine points, including a key assist on Mike Bossy's goal in overtime of the semifinal.
• Tonelli scored five goals in a game versus the Toronto Maple Leafs on January 6, 1981.