Islanders Anxiety: A New York Islanders podcast

Islanders Anxiety
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Hockey
  • Updated weekly

For fans of the New York Islanders.

  1. 11 hr ago

    Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Weirdest Islander of the Year 2026 (with guest Lisa, aka IslesChick)

    Along with our friend Lisa, aka IslesChick, we reveal the 2026 winner of the Don Cutts Trophy as the Weirdest Islander of the Year for 2026. It was a weird season for the Islanders, who had good streaks and bad and historic performances and horrible ones on the way to a disappointing finish. Within that journey were standout players for many reasons, mostly the wrong kind. We saw AHL guys get cups of coffee when they deserved more, goalies with more personality than wins, players we forgot were still with the organization getting traded and players acquired from surprise teams scoring hilarious goals who then had one shockingly bad game after another. And those were the guys who didn't win! Our 2026 Weirdest Islander of the Year experienced a season no one will forget. A tidy piece of offseason business, he had an auspicious and tantalizing debut followed by a few middling games and then... nothing. For months. Game after game, week after week, there he was, in the starting lineup to provide exactly zero on the scoresheet. The coach and players loved him but the fans understandably didn't. And by the time he was dealt away, he had to have two picks attached to him including an extra first rounder. What's the opposite of flipping a beat-up house and restoring it for a profit? It was this. The winner of the Weirdest Islander of the Year is awarded the Don Cutts Trophy for his efforts. The concept of Weirdest Islander of the Year comes from Patron Will Forthman. WEIRDEST ISLANDER OF THE YEAR: 2024 - Robert Bortuzzo 2025 - Tony DeAngelo Thanks again to Lisa for coming on. She's always great, and you will probably see her and her husband Dave at any Phish concert in New York this summer. Follow her on BlueSky and enjoy her long-running message board, Islander Mania. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends: Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, and our Al Arbour and The Island merch which benefit dementia research. Use the code ANXIETY20 to save 20% off an order of two items. The Pinot Project has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit Lighthousehockey.com for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN). Our theme is "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp. Drum sfx via Zapsplat.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1hr 19min
  2. Islanders Anxiety - Episode 376 - A Meaty Wrap

    2 days ago

    Islanders Anxiety - Episode 376 - A Meaty Wrap

    What was supposed to be an easy episode about the draft turned into a look at a wild few days in the NHL and where the Islanders sit among the craziness. We don't know anything about prospects. So we reached out to our Patrons and asked them who they'd like to see the Islanders draft this Friday. A few names rose to the top for a variety of reasons, some good and some silly. Most of all, we want the Islanders to come out of Buffalo this weekend with a clear direction and a plan forward. Some nice prospects would be good, too, of course. But there's a difference between working towards a goal and just keeping the lights on. A few teams around the NHL are certainly working towards their goals, although it's hard to see what some of those are. The Panthers grabbed Brady Tkachuk with the goal of winning another Stanley Cup, and the Senators replaced their captain by using one of their acquired picks to get William Eklund from the Sharks. The Blackhawks and Capitals spent a lot to get Bo Byram and Jordan Kyrou, respectfully, which makes us think the Islanders might be better off playing it safe. But the reality is, they might not have a choice. With a lot of older players locked into long, expensive contracts, they don't have the wiggle room to maneuver the way other teams do, which means there's a good chance next season's team looks a lot like last season's. That's certainly a direction. Just not the one we want. Along the way, we make some predictions about the draft, come to a startling revelation about the Islanders involvement in one of Wednesday's trades and lament the hiring of longtime Islander villain Pascal Dupuis to their front office. Really, guys? Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends! ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1hr 38min

  3. 19 Jun

    Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 90 - Josh Ho-Sang

    Mike and Dan chat with Islanders first round pick and true renaissance man Josh Ho-Sang about hockey, his music, spreading positivity and a variety of other topics. Islanders fans will remember him from his dramatic drafting, his electric plays on the ice and the headlines he made during his time in the NHL. But Josh Ho-Sang is so much more than that. He's still playing hockey and is using his experiences to help the younger generation of players navigate the world in and beyond sports. He's also producing music that is sincere and heartfelt while paying tribute to the artists that inspired him at difficult times in his life. It's a free flowing conversation that covers a lot including the Knicks' historic Game 4 comeback over San Antonio, watching anime, writing a song for baseball star Juan Soto, some of his favorite moments in hockey and the joys of listening to Frank Sinatra before gametime. Ho-Sang is candid about what he's learned over his career, the limits of "letting ballers ball," his journey from NHL player to "pro," and his appreciation for the Islanders organization and the fans on Long Island. Above all, his messages to be kind, learn from mistakes and know how your actions affect others are more keepsakes we can take from him in addition to our very fond memories of his time with the team. Thanks again to Josh for sharing with us and for being so open. You should check out his music on Spotify and follow him on Instagram if you're not already. We'd really love to see him at an Islanders Alumni Night some day. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends: Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. The Pinot Project has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit Lighthousehockey.com for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN). Our theme is "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1hr 2min
  4. Islanders Anxiety - Poof, The Hurt's Gone

    15 Jun

    Islanders Anxiety - Poof, The Hurt's Gone

    Mike and Dan recap signings and rumors, and reflect on how the Knicks' championship makes them think about the Islanders' chances of reaching the same pinnacle. Bringing back Long Island product Marshall Warren is a nice move, especially since the defenseman showed some promise in just a few NHL games this season. But beyond him (and fellow re-signee Daylan Kuefler), Islanders world has been full of rumors and rumblings. A "report" from Ottawa got everyone worried about a Mat Barzal trade, a trade request out of Detroit got everyone excited about acquiring Dylan Larkin and all's quiet on the Anders Lee front, which makes us both sad and curious about the future. All of this will probably amount to nothing but in the middle of summer after five straight bad seasons and without the guard rails that were once in place, this is the bed you sleep in. In the second half, we preview some content we have coming out this week, then look at how the Knicks' long-awaiting championship makes us feel about the Islanders' odds of doing the same. With a show called "Islanders Anxiety," our outlook should be obvious. But maybe there is that sliver of belief and hope that we can grow again. Sadly, we don't trust the current braintrust to help. Finally, we reveal the winners of our sweepstakes for t-shirts/hoodies, a varsity jacket and two customized Islanders jerseys. Thanks to everyone who signed up and entered and special thanks to The Pinot Project and Vintage Ice Hockey for proving these great prizes. We'll be back after the draft and then once again after the second day of free agency to wrap up the season. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more.Visit our friends! ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1hr 42min

  5. 12 Jun

    Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 89 - Nino Niederreiter (with guest Arthur Staple)

    Along with longtime beat reporter Arthur Staple, we discuss Nino Niederreiter's odd Islanders tenure and the lessons we can take away from it even today. Nino Niederreiter was one of a string of high first round picks that, at the time, seemed like safe bets by the Islanders. Strong showings at the World Junior Championships and with the WHL's Portland Winterhawks didn't change anyone's minds. But after enduring one of the most trying and confusing rookie seasons of all time, and after being kept in the AHL as the 2013 NHL lockout ended, Niederreiter and his agent decided they were tired of waiting. His trade request was eventually granted, which begat yet another few years of debate and disagreement between fans. While Niederreiter went on to have a productive, well-traveled 1,000-game NHL career, his season and change on Long Island still raises many questions. So, in an effort to get some answers, we turned to an expert who saw the whole saga unfold. Arthur tells us how mistakes made by team management led to sour feelings, how things could have gone differently and how a long-lambasted trade ended up being a boon for the Islanders. We also hear stories about that early rebuild team and the ties between the players, tales of even more draft picks gone awry and the time he almost got killed by a sleepy cab driver in Pittsburgh. It's always a pleasure having Art on. Once again, he doesn't disappoint in this, his first ever single player appearance on Weird Islanders: The Podcast! Be sure to listen to him on Hockey Night New York and on the Tri State Hockey Podcast. This episode has a little Easter Egg hidden in it as well. See if you can find it! We also have a quick Weird Islanders Extra! bonus episode with Art about a heated (and hilarious) confrontation he had with former Islanders coach Jack Capuano. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends: Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. The Pinot Project has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit Lighthousehockey.com for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN). Our theme is "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1hr 38min
  6. An Islanders Anxiety - Special Presentation - A Canesmas Carol

    8 Jun

    An Islanders Anxiety - Special Presentation - A Canesmas Carol

    From the creators of Master Leaf Theatre comes a tale of the duality of man, of corporate greed and of a rich a*****e who is also very cheap. The Carolina Hurricanes are currently in the Stanley Cup final against the Vegas Golden Knights. What many hockey fans may not know is that at the end of March, Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon purchased the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA for about $4.8 billion and immediately set about cutting costs that sent red flags up all over the basketball world. So while hockey people think of Dundon as a savior, NBA people think of him as something else: "El Cheapo." Along with our actual British friend Gavin Taylor (and with ample inspiration from Charles Dickens and Ebenezer Scrooge), we dramatize just a few of the articles that have outlined Dundon's frugality and the writers who have come to his defense, including one Master Leaf Theatre All Star. There is mascot drama, hotel fee drama, t-shirt drama, coaching search drama and mass layoffs that are neither dramatic nor funny, but are sadly a fact of life in 2026. It's possible that Dundon wins a championship as early as this week. He'll still be a rich, weird, cheap a*****e. Works Cited: Chris Mannix’s Notes: Checkout time for Portland, Sports Illustrated, April 15 Ranking All the Ways New Blazers Owner Tom Dundon Is Reportedly Trying to Save Money During Playoff Run by Liam McKeone, Sports Illustrated, April 22 Blazers owner Tom Dundon discusses relocation, cost-cutting measures, Billups’ arrest, more by Joe Freeman, The Oregonian, May 16 Blazers lay off dozens as new team owner takes over by By Joe Freeman and Bill Oram, The Oregonian, May 20 How a controversial new NBA owner funded an NHL powerhouse to the Stanley Cup Final by James Mirtle, The Athletic, June 2 “Should we root for or against the Carolina Hurricanes as Blazers Fans” r/RipCity, June 5 Further Reading: There's a new contender for worst owner in sports by Drew Magary, SFGATE, April 28 Before Tom Dundon Agreed to Buy the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Accused the Company He Created of Predatory Lending by Tony Schick and Conrad Wilson, ProPublica, October 3, 2025 The NBA’s Newest, Cheapest Owner Shows How Billionaires Ruin Sports by Quinn Everts, Current Affairs, May 27 ‘Give it some time:’ Inside Tom Dundon’s NHL success amid Trail Blazer uncertainty by Bill Oram, The Oregonian, May 26 Tom Dundon revealed: Trail Blazers owner opens up about layoffs, Portland politicians and ‘Jail Blazers’ by Bill Oram, The Oregonian, May 30 Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more.Visit our friends! ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1hr 23min
  7. Islanders Anxiety - We've Hired A Professional Scapegoat

    1 Jun

    Islanders Anxiety - We've Hired A Professional Scapegoat

    Joined by Sean Cuthbert of Hockey Night New York, Mike and Dan run down some topics from around the entire Islanders organization, and discuss the upcoming Stanley Cup final. While the Islanders have been mostly quiet - aside from one two-way contract and the letting go of yet another power play coach - there has been news from the team's affiliates. The AHL's Hamilton Hammers have a new logo that looks perfectly focus grouped and a new coach who we could have sworn was still playing somewhere in the NHL still. Meanwhile, there's a new ECHL affiliate playing in the tri-state area in the Trenton Ironhawks that have NJ-resident Dan interested (assuming he can get their name right). We also discuss the leak of a Hometown Remix jersey that gets a range of feelings from all of us, some news about captain Anders Lee's contract talks and Matthew Schaefer's appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show. We close the first half by paying tribute to Claude Lemieux, who passed away last week at the age of 60. In the second half, we focus in on the Stanley Cup final between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes. None of us are pulling for the Canes, who have owned the Islanders for years, or really the Knights, who are the NHL's preeminent villains. What we really want to see is Vegas's Mitch Marner win the Cup and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, which would be very, very painful for many, many Maple Leafs fans and give us a ton of content for new editions of Master Leaf Theatre. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends! ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1hr 53min

  8. 29 May

    Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Goaliepalooza (with guests David Leboff and Frank Ventimiglia)

    In our first ever four-person episode, Mike's brother David and friend Frank join us to discuss a quartet of short-time Islanders goalies spanning several eras. Goaltending is the lifeblood of any hockey team. When it's good, a mediocre roster can do great things. When it's bad, even a talented team can be stopped dead in its tracks. Some goalie are Corvettes, some are Camrys. The four goalies we discuss run the gamut from youthful exuberance to veteran stability to blink-and-you'll-miss-him tenures to guys who hung around the ice seemingly forever. Eric Fichaud is still a name that puts smiles on Islanders fans' faces thanks to a great look, a cool name and memories of hope for better days. Wade Flaherty was the consummate backup and deputy sheriff, never spectacular but solid when the team needed it. Of all of the goalies in Islanders history, Marcel Cousineau was... certainly one of them. But you'd have to be a real sicko to even remember him. Years after these guys came and went, Yann Danis carried on the tradition of showing up out of nowhere, playing (and winning!) a bunch of games and getting people excited before roaming the larger hockey world like a samurai ronin. Along the way, we find out how David inadvertently drove Mike to the Islanders, and how Fichaud played a huge role in their youth. Frank tells us what it's like to be an unofficial Leboff, growing up with the Islanders through his friendship with them. Thanks again to both guys for coming on, sharing their stories and bringing these goalies back to life, however briefly they may have stayed on Long Island. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends: Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. The Pinot Project has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit Lighthousehockey.com for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN). Our theme is "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1hr 34min
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For fans of the New York Islanders.

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