Islanders Anxiety: A New York Islanders podcast

Islanders Anxiety

4.9 (265)
HOCKEY
UPDATED WEEKLY

For fans of the New York Islanders.

9H AGO

Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 85 - Trevor Gillies (with guest Rocco, aka PizzaSportsGuy)

Joined by Rocco from Isles House, we remember enforcer Trevor Gillies, who was a much more complex individual than his monstrous reputation would suggest. Trevor Gillies had spent a decade in the minors fighting across North America before he finally got regular NHL playing time for a young Islanders team that needed a lot of protection. While his toughness and fearlessness instantly made him a fan favorite, those same qualities - plus one very scary image in one of the craziest melees in NHL history - made him a villain to outsiders. Getting two long suspensions in short order for two questionable actions made his time on Long Island brief. But he left a lasting impression upon those who both watched and played with him that's only grown over time. Rocco tells us how Gillies became one of his favorite Islanders fighters of all time, how he appreciated his list of bouts against combatants of various sizes and how Fight Night 2011 against the Penguins and its many storylines created a bond with that era that won't be broken anytime soon. In addition to the degree of "heavy metal" Gillies brought to the Islanders, we also marvel at his insane ECHL stats, some of his former teammates and, of course, his glorious mustache. Huge thanks again to Rocco for coming on and sharing his stories and his pizza tips. You should already be listening to him and previous Weird Islanders guests Jack and Ethan on the Isles House podcast. Or stop by Cafe Dolce Vita in either Jericho and Deer Park, grab a slice and say hello. 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

1h 29m
4D AGO

Islanders Anxiety - They Threw It Away

Mike and Dan react immediately to the Islanders getting eliminated from playoff contention after a lost weekend against Ottawa and Montreal. We've seen the Islanders lose in many different ways over the years. But we've never seen them choke away a season like this. They played almost every game since the Olympic Break as if they were playing out the string, whittling away a playoff berth that they might not have totally deserved. And while a few players get a Hall Pass, namely Matthew Schaefer and Cal Ritchie, many of the guys who have been here a while conducted themselves in a despicable, cowardly fashion. Which calls into question what the franchise's real intentions are and where their true priorities lie. Do they want to get people to watch them and spend money on them, or do they actually want to win games first and foremost? Do they want to be just good, or truly great? In the second half, we look ahead to their final, meaningless game against Carolina and the few milestones that we'd like to see get hit. We also talk briefly about the week's one victory over a DOA Leafs team in a game we can't even enjoy anymore because, like everything else, it amounted to nothing. Very few of their games over the last five seasons have been purely enjoyable because of the team's attitude. There have been players and moments to remember but overall, this era can be personified by a noticeable and unsatisfying lack of accomplishment. 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

1h 50m
APR 8

Master Leaf Theatre Special - A Tree Falls in Toronto

We bring forth a new edition of Master Leaf Theatre all about Leafs writers turning the firing GM Brad Treliving into Victorian tragedy. We had to wait a week to do this, but the mainstays of Master Leaf Theatre do not disappoint. There is poison in the tea, seeing ghosts, paralyzation and dysfunction, careening off cliffs, questionable messages, conflicts of interest and $90 selfies. It's a varied group of writers that all have one thing in common - calling someone an a*****e in as many words as they can possibly muster. Whether it was Treliving, CEO Keith Pelley or some other wildly rich guy, the people paid to write about the Leafs are mad as hell and they're not taking it anymore (unless they pick up a few pieces this offseason and shoot for the playoffs next year). Yes, the Islanders are in a precarious spot themselves. But it's always fun to sit back and laugh at another team when you can. Like when they're having a bad season and you're about to play them. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Works Cited: Fox: Why Keith Pelley's next Maple Leafs hire must be a home run by Luke Fox, Sportsnet. 'We just didn't deliver': Brad Treliving's firing shocks Maple Leafs by Luke Fox, Sportsnet. Fired Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving took the team backwards by Jonas Siegel, The Athletic. MLSE has made a massive mess of the Maple Leafs after three dysfunctional years by James Mirtle, The Athletic. As Maple Leafs fire Brad Treliving, spotlight shifts to CEO Keith Pelley by Chris Johnston, The Athletic. Seven Maple Leafs takeaways from MLSE president Keith Pelley’s media availability by Joshua Kloke, The Athletic. How the Maple Leafs changed under Keith Pelley: From $1,000 locker-room dinners to $96 selfies by Jonas Siegel, The Athletic. Frank Seravalli ‪via Twitter and his original reporting on Neil Glasberg. 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

1h 22m
APR 6

Islanders Anxiety - The Islanders Own Easter

Mike and Dan have many words about the firing of Patrick Roy and the hiring of Peter DeBoer as head coach, as well as for the disastrous week that knocked the Islanders out of the playoffs. Not in a million years did we expect the Islanders to lose all four games in the important week in front of them. But that's exactly what they did - some in ways that even we hadn't seen before. The string of defeats at the worst time, plus a series of defensive mistakes all season long, were enough for them to make a change behind the bench. The move from "player's coach" to hard ass coach is a time-honored NHL tradition, and DeBoer will need to find something the Islanders haven't had in several seasons if he wants to get them into the post season. Even if it's too late for this team, he will set the foundation for what to expect next season (and beyond). In the second half, we digest the strange Patrick Roy Experience, from a guy who was once out of the Islanders' stratosphere to a frustrating figure who couldn't or wouldn't fix his team's faults. But Roy isn't the only one to blame for this situation. There's the owners who have made the franchise vulnerable to critics, the general manager who has lost both trades and fan goodwill in his first year in the job, the scouts who dropped the ball when needed and the players who have gotten away with way too much for way too long. Everyone owns a piece of this disappointing and confusing campaign. Finally, we look at the next three games, which will determine both how this season will be remembered and how DeBoer's tenure will begin. No pressure, coach. 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

1h 56m
APR 3

Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 84 - Ty Wishart

Former NHL defenseman Ty Wishart calls in from an Australian beach to talk about his globe-spanning playing career and his 21 games with the Islanders in the eventful 2010-11 season. Drafted 16th overall by the Sharks and traded to Tampa Bay in the deal for Dan Boyle, Ty Wishart got a quick education in the business of hockey. After a few years in a minors, he was traded again, this time to the Islanders for goalie Dwayne Roloson. Wishart joined what looked to be an up-and-coming squad, and what they lacked in talent, they made up for in youthful energy. He scored his first NHL goal in a wild road game, and was scratched while his new teammates got into a legendary melee with a division rival before going back to the minors. But that was just the beginning of Ty Wishart's incredible hockey career. Ty tells us some great stories, from throwing up in exhaustion at the NHL Combine to sharing a locker room with guys like Zenon Konopka and Trevor Gillies to playing in Romania and elsewhere. A charity tournament first took him to Australia, where he now lives and plays for the Melbourne Mustangs of the Australian Ice Hockey League. He also served as the team's Director of Hockey Operations during their 2023 championship season. At 37, he still plays for love of the game and still carries memories and mementos from his time as an Islander. And he tells us all of this from a sunny, beautiful beach down under that made Mike and Dan very jealous. We can't thank Ty enough for coming on and giving us so much. It took a while and required a lot of email back-and-forth, but it was worth it. To keep up with the Mustangs and the rest of the AIHL, you can check out their website or subscribe to AIHL TV. The 2026 season starts on April 17th. 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

1h 5m
MAR 30

Islanders Anxiety - Episode 367 - Little Bit of Everything

Mike and Dan recap a week in which the Islanders made us mad, then happy, then both in the same day before celebrating the Rangers elimination with a new Ranger Piece Theatre. The pendulum swung every way possible last week for the Islanders. An inexcusable loss to the lowly Blackhawks made the season look over. A gritty win over Dallas wasn't perfect, but it was a relief. And a Saturday matinee that started in the pit of despair rose to euphoric heights, as the out-of-town scoreboard broke their way after a huge win over the Panthers. The week was nerve-wracking and encouraging at the same time, and it felt good to be an Islander, which can happen from time to time. They're going to need some more of that energy this week as, once again, the season hangs in the balance. Two sets of back-to-backs, all featuring Eastern Conference foes that are either chasing them or could stand in their way later. Monday's game against the Penguins is the most massive, but the Sabres remain a threat, the Flyers have inserted themselves in the conversation again and the Hurricanes could be a playoff opponent for the millionth time in a row. There is no room for letdowns, mistakes or periods playing like assholes. After all that, we find the time to sneak in a quick Ranger Piece Theater that examines the wearing off of some once-powerful nostalgia and how Rangers fans see their almost-great seasons and cult favorite players. It's a good way to kick one final mound of dirt on their most recent miserable season. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. ⁠⁠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. The fine folks at FOCO are having a Buy Two Get One Free sale on T-Shirts all through March. Go to FOCO.com or use this link to browse the store, then use the code ANXIETY2FOR1 to take advantage. The offer ends March 31st, so don’t wait. 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

1h 36m
MAR 24

Islanders Anxiety - Episode 366 - Talking to Ghosts

Mike and Dan recap a stressful week in which the Islanders' season was off, then back on again, plus an epic new Master Leaf Theatre. Everything started great, with a businesslike win over the moribund Maple Leafs. Then, a trip to Ottawa meant a punch in the gut, and a Saturday night in Montreal meant a butt-whipping. With the red hot Blue Jackets waiting for them on Long Island, we were ready to be mad at the Islanders for sinking their season in a matter of days. But an incredible defensive performance (finally!) and a gritty 1-0 win let them live another day above the playoff line. It felt like either a wake up call, a playoff game or a foxhole. However it happened, we're glad it did although the feelings are complex. This week, they get to do it again. With games against Chicago, Dallas and Florida, the Islanders need to win to keep pace, or perhaps, advance. They might need to keep their defense version of McDavid-Draisaitl going if injuries and lineup changes mount. We also discuss two recent ELC signings and the long-awaited official word of the team moving its AHL affiliate to Hamilton, Ontario. Finally, it's an extended Master Leaf Theatre, covering another busy week for an NHL team. We've got bouquets of flowers, Forbidden Zones, barrel-chested whipping boys, delusions of competence and angry screeds that would make the crankiest newspaper columnist jealous. It's just another week for the Leafs. Now if they can just some smart people and a few top line players, maybe they'll have a chance next season... Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. ⁠⁠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. The fine folks at FOCO are having a Buy Two Get One Free sale on T-Shirts all through March. Go to FOCO.com or use this link to browse the store, then use the code ANXIETY2FOR1 to take advantage. The offer ends March 31st, so don’t wait. 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

2h 29m
MAR 20

Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Vladimir Orszagh (with guest Alex Daugherty)

Friend and Predators reporter Alex Daugherty is back to talk about Vladimir Orszagh, a Slovakian import who was undervalued as an Islander but was instrumental to establishing Nashville's - and Alex's - love for hockey. The late 1990's were a terrible time for the Islanders. The loses were many and prospects had little support in advancing to the NHL. After a few dozen unimpressive games in North America, young Vladimir Orszagh took a sabbatical to Europe for a season, then returned to the NHL with the fourth-year Predators. There, he became a consistent scorer and joined with fellow Euros Denis Arkhipov and Martin Erat to form "The Vowel Line," the first named unit in Nashville's ice history. The trio helped the Predators make the playoffs for the first time and showed that with a good, hardworking team, hockey in Music City could work. For Alex, a Predators fan since high school when they played their very first game, Orszagh is among the most important players in the team's early history. He tells us about skipping out of work to see a 1-0 win with Orszagh scoring the lone goal, how he helped the team and fanbase grow in a new market, and about his legacy in Nashville to this day. We also talk about Orszagh's international career, which includes being on one of the sickest rosters ever conceived and serving as the head coach of a Slovakian team that made some noise at the recent Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy. We can't thanks Alex enough for coming on again, telling us these great stories and saying such nice things about the show. You should be reading him for all things Predators in The Tennessean and elsewhere. We also have a Weird Islanders Extra! bonus episode with him as well, where we share some weird stories about our teams' respective owners. 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. The fine folks at FOCO are having a Buy Two Get One Free sale on T-Shirts all through March. Go to FOCO.com or use this link to browse the store, then use the code ANXIETY2FOR1 to take advantage. The offer ends March 31st, so don’t wait. 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

1h 25m

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Islanders Anxiety - 2025-26 Season Premiere Announcement

Islanders Anxiety will return for it's 10th Season (!) on Monday, October 6th! If you can't wait that long, head over to Patreon.com/IslandersAnxiety and sign up for our Country Club tier to hear all the stuff we released throughout the summer, like our Monthly Mail Bag podcasts, Country Club Atmosphere podcasts and some other fun shows. Thanks for sticking with us and we'll see you on Oct. 6. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

09/28/2025

•

3 min

4.9

out of 5

265 Ratings

Best Islanders Pod

04/07/2025

Nick V7

Dan and Mike perfectly encapsulate what it feels like to be an Isles fan. Totally sensible and irrational at the same time. I catch myself laughing out loud at least once per episode. Jon Sim would be proud
Awesome

03/11/2025

GregC isles

Love this pod. These guys are both wholly rational and irrational simultaneously. They are the perfect voice of isles fans in that regard! Look forward to all their stuff. I feel like I’ve know them for years. Great guys, funny, don’t take themselves too seriously and have good insight. Definitely worth listening to. Keep up the great work Gents.
#1 isles podcast, pure therapy & humor

01/17/2025

Yoshua

Hands down, this is the best top shelf liquor of the many Islanders podcasts. I say this with love, hosts Dan & Mike are the biggest geeks in the game, and it’s truly a labor of love for them as this is not their “real” jobs. I have a HS radio background and have a pod cast mic, would be an absolute blast to jump on with these guys someday. No other platform understands the nuances of islanders fandom better, though it’s funny listening to these guys when things go well over a sustained period of time as they don’t know what to do with themselves. Lord willing, we will all get more practice with that in the years to come with this team. Best hockey podcast period, with Puck Soup coming in 2nd (especially when Greg W was still on it).
I’m not even an islanders fan

12/31/2024

zofiava

I am a penguins fan, but I tend to listen to podcasts about our upcoming opponents. Originally, I expected to only listen to pens adjacent episodes but Mike and Dan sucked me in and I’ve listened to all of their episodes over the last 2 years. I even (sort of) want the islanders to do well, for their sake.