Islanders Anxiety: A New York Islanders podcast Islanders Anxiety

Along with Nassaumen Hockey's Jon Zella, Mike and Dan crown the first ever Weirdest Islander of the Year per the results of a listener vote. While several had the qualifications (less than 50 games played for the Islanders this season), only one man truly epitomized what makes a Weird Islander, with a long NHL tenure on other teams, a notable arrival on Long Island, and an eventful season that included a memorable ending. His victory might have come in a runaway but that doesn't mean there wasn't intrigue! The race for second place was a surprising one, and the man who lost might be the more interesting (and fitting) of the two. We also have some honorable mentions, who we don't expect to stay Weird Islanders for very long, and we name the trophy that will henceforth be awarded annually. It's a fine and festive way to celebrate the 50th episode of a show that’s a testament to the fans of this very weird team. Thank you all for listening to these and rest assured that we are nowhere near done.
And, of course, thanks again to Jon for joining us again. He’s one of our favorites to talk to all through the season. Follow him at @JonZella and look for the season finale of the Nassaumen Hockey podcast soon (I think).
Subscribe to our Patreon! Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, discounts 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

A free sample of our marathon Mail Bag for May! In this short bonus episode, we answer questions about newest Islander Maxim Tsyplakov, the constantly overlooked Brock Nelson, the legacy of Uncle Leo and where the Hudson Line stops next.
To hear the full two hour-plus episode, head over to Patreon.com/IslandersAnxiety and sign up for our Country Club tier. There you'll be able to hear all of our past Monthly Mail Bag episodes and ask a question for a future installment.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By popular (?) demand, we present a special standalone episode of an Islanders Anxiety favorite, dramatic readings of articles about the Toronto Maple Leafs. This time, we focus on the work of Jonas Siegel of The Athletic, "the Charles Dickens of Master Leaf Theatre," whose descriptions of the sorrow and misery of the Leafs' bleak house are as admirable as they are ridiculous. As he ponders the question of "What is the plan now?" for his favorite team, Siegel also wonders why the Leafs' brass didn't just listen to him and his friends years ago when they knew exactly what to do. Later, we turn our attention to a Master Leaf Theatre staple, LukeFoxJukeBox, as he analyzes the the sense and sensibility of Leafs captain John Tavares, who has many detractors both near and far.
Thank you for listening to this special episode. If you would like to hear more like this, please let us know.
Subscribe to our Patreon! Members get ad-free episodes of the shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, discounts 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.

The fine folks at FOCO have two new Islanders bobbleheads commemorating the Stadium Series game at Met Life Stadium. Order your Ilya Sorokin or Sparky The Dragon bobblehead today at FOCO dot com. These are limited to 124 pieces so act now.

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

Mike and Dan talk about about how there's nothing to talk about regarding the Islanders, before turning their attention to division rivals facing each other in a playoff series. So far, the offseason news for the Islanders has consisted of signing a third string goalie out of Sweden and Matt Martin having a birthday dinner at an Italian restaurant. If something happens, we'll react to it, but there's very little point in discussing maybes and could be's. Instead, we kvetch about the Rangers' easy path to the Eastern Conference final and the Hurricanes' annual disappearing act. Both teams are beloved for different reasons, which is tough on Islanders fans who feel like either the uncool kids in the cafeteria or like they're taking crazy pills. We'll have a few words for another hated team on a special episode releasing Wednesday and we need your help to crown our Weirdest Islander of the Year. Details inside!
Subscribe to our Patreon! Members get ad-free episodes of the shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, discounts 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.

The fine folks at FOCO have two new Islanders bobbleheads commemorating the Stadium Series game at Met Life Stadium. Order your Ilya Sorokin or Sparky The Dragon bobblehead today at FOCO dot com. These are limited to 124 pieces so act now.

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 Bandcamp and on Spotify.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Mike under the weather, Dan is joined by Canadiens prospects and Swedish hockey expert Patrik Bexell to discuss Jörgen Jönsson, brother of Islanders’ defenseman Kenny Jonsson and a European star with a brief stay in North America. After winning just about everything he could in his home country, Jörgen spent one partial season on Long Island, where he joined Kenny for what many hoped would be a fruitful and comfortable reunion. But playing on a bad team far from his family in a strange land didn't suit him, and after a trade to the Ducks (for another Swedish star and bonus Weird Islander), he returned home to continue his great career and start another one as a GM and coach. Patrik tells us about Jörgen's (and Kenny's) legacy in Sweden, how he was as a player in his prime and why he hated him growing up. Despite never reaching the same level on this continent, Jörgen did have small stretches of success and remembers his time as an Islander fondly, as he tells Patrik in an exclusive interview clip.
Subscribe to our Patreon! Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, discounts 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

Mike and Dan examine the Islanders clean out day interviews and exalt in an epic edition of Master Leaf Theatre. While most of the players sounded similar and stuck to familiar talking points, a few stood out for either their emotion or perspective. We also had the pleasure of hearing from Lou Lamoriello earlier than normal, which was a direct shot at people expecting him to be replaced. While the GM once again said many of the things we wanted to hear, our belief in his ability to make the changes necessary to move the team forward is becoming strained. The second half is almost fully devoted a wide-ranging Master Leaf Theatre, with stories and tweets (barely) coming to grips with another first round flame out for the expensive contender. We also include a classic tweet that shall henceforth be considered "The Beowulf of Master Leaf Theatre."
Subscribe to our Patreon! Members get ad-free episodes of the shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, discounts 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.

The fine folks at FOCO have two new Islanders bobbleheads commemorating the Stadium Series game at Met Life Stadium. Order your Ilya Sorokin or Sparky The Dragon bobblehead today at FOCO dot com. These are limited to 124 pieces so act now.

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 Bandcamp and on Spotify.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices