Islanders Anxiety: A New York Islanders podcast

Mike and Dan reconvene after some family time to talk about the Islanders third jersey design contest and an article at The Athletic. After 80,000 submissions, a fan-designed jersey has been chosen for the Islanders to wear in the 2027-28 season. The contest was the brainchild of the Islanders Lord Business himself, Kelly Cheeseman, who can pat himself on the back for a job well done. But we expected to see a little more creativity or "funk" in the final choices, not hear more about how the 54-year-old NHL team is a "Challenger Brand." The final choice was fine but how we got there raised some questions that may never be fully answered. In the second half, we discuss The Athletic's NHL front-office confidence rankings for 2026 and the Islanders' middling place that shows the disconnect between how the public sees the roster and how fans do. Usually, it was non-Islanders fans thinking too little of them and fans having belief. Now, it's flipped, and the NHL at large sees an okay team and fans see a directionless disaster. It's a new dynamic that should raise some eyebrows in the front office and make them see how the customers are looking at their product. Thanks for listening and sticking with us all off season. Our first official episode of the season will release on Monday, Sept. 21, so we've got about a month to go before we get the machine rolling again. 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

(Please enjoy this special bonus episode of Country Club Atmosphere, our non-hockey podcast exclusively at Patreon.com/IslandersAnxiety. To hear the rest of the series and get other extras, consider a subscription. Thanks!) Mike walks us through a scandal that has rocked the world of English cricket, involving a beloved captain, a nightclub dust-up and some hasty retreats. Ben Stokes is a big deal in British cricket. He's an all-rounder who's captained the Black Caps to huge victories. He's not a buttoned-up Brit, either. He's more Oasis than The Beatles. But an unfortunate past-curfew incident in an afterhours club with (ironically) another English sports club caused the England and Wales Cricket Board to strip his captaincy, get his coach fired and cast a pall over their upcoming tests. After cooler heads prevailed, Stokes returned... only to abruptly retire in an even more disappointing and unfortunate layer to this entire shit shepherd's pie. Mike explains the whole sordid affair to us and gives us some North American analogs to help us better understand who these people are and what they represent. Along the way, we hit on the World Cup final (and its halftime show) and villains becoming coaches of teams that hate them. We also pay condolences to a recently passed cricket legend and his connection to Black Sabbath, which we just made up. Also, Dan may have found a new team to cheer for. Thank you all for listening and we hope we've sparked your interest for England's next test cricket match on August 19 versus Pakistan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a spiritual sequel to "A Canesmas Carol," we examine Hurricanes' owner Tom Dundon's decision to put his wife and five kids - none of whom work for the team and some of whom are in elementary school - on the Stanley Cup. There are written and unwritten rules about whose names can be engraved on the Stanley Cup. Rich asshole Dundon seemed to break all of them by putting his entire family on it ahead of - and in some cases, instead of - team members who helped actually win the championship. This is an egregious breach of established hockey protocol that angered even some of the Hurricanes' biggest cheerleaders, in and out of their fanbase. This was a bridge too far, and may have - finally - shown people who this guy really is, despite all of the Twitter mutuals he may have hired. We dramatize a selection of writing about this topic, from the serious to the satirical and from full length explainers to tweets and Reddit posts. The only people okay with this are the ones willing to stick up for the poor, put-upon billionaires who are just trying to make their kids happy (while ruining life for the rest of us). We didn't expect to do a sequel to our last Special Presentation, but we're glad we were able to and keep the series going. Works Cited: Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon has names of wife, kids engraved on Stanley Cup above actual players By Chuck Schilken LA Times, 7/10/26 Why Hurricanes owner is facing criticism for having entire family engraved on Stanley Cup by Daniel Chavkin, The Sporting News, 7/10/26 Carolina Owner Faces Backlash for Engraving Kids’ Names on Stanley Cup by Eric Fisher, 7/10/26 I’m Not Sure There Are Enough Dundons On The Stanley Cup by Barry Petchesky, Defector, 7/9/26 Jeff Marek, Twitter, 7/8/26 Mike Harrington, Twitter, 6/9/26 Mark Lazerus, Twitter, 6/9/26 Josh Yohe, Twitter, 6/9/26 Chris Johnston, Twitter, 6/9/26 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). Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan examine the newest Islanders and the plan going forward, say goodbye to those who left via free agency - especially former captain Anders Lee - and wrap up their 10th podcast season. Islanders GM Mathieu Darche made some smart, short-term pick ups on the first day of free agency, signing winger Matias Maccelli, goalie Vitek Vanacek and an "850K Club" of other depth pieces. While the moves themselves were fine, what they didn't do was move the needle for the team, who once again find themselves in tough to make the playoffs next season. The plan of having the cap space in 2027 to make bigger moves makes for an easy sell to fans, but it doesn't make the current team any better on the ice. There's a "shifting deck chairs on the Titanic" feel right now, even if the new guys might have some promise. We also bid farewell to favorites Marc Gatcomb, Maxim Shabanov and Anders Lee, who all had their moments on Long Island. Seeing Lee, the longtime captain and one of the best post-Dynasty Islanders ever, sign with Utah makes us sad, but not mad. The contract he got from the Mammoth was too much for where the Islanders are going, and the ovation he gets when he returns to UBS Arena will be thunderous, reflecting all of the many things he did for the franchise off the ice and over 900-plus games. Not that the people who will now cover him have ever watched any of them... Finally in the second half, we go around the league and discuss some of the smarter and more bizarre moves other teams made. The Capitals got better, the Leafs got... some guys, the Panthers got even nastier, the Kings got older and infinitely more hilarious and the Rangers remain the Rangers. Along the way, we sneak a little Michael Russo Non-Mystery in there, too. We thank all of you for listening over these 10 seasons, and we look forward to coming back in October. We try to have some fun every episode and appreciate you all coming along for the ride. We'll have stuff all summer long for Patrons so stay tuned. 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

Mike and Dan recap the Islanders picks in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, look ahead to a shallow free agency pool and bring forth a new, delusional Master Leaf Theatre. The Islanders didn't make any big splashes in Buffalo but didn't come away as one of the draft's big losers, either. By focusing on defensemen - highlighted by first round pick Malte Gustafsson, who sounds like a Swedish clone of Adam Pelech - they went the safest route possible. Which is fine, but hardly sexy. And while some fans wonder why so many of their defensive prospects shoot from the same side, the fact is there's no guarantee any of these guys make the big club any time soon. We also discuss Matthew Schaefer's entertaining performance at this draft and the re-signing of Tony DeAngelo to another safe, fine deal. In the second half, we talk about some free agents we could see (and would rather not see) the Islanders take a run at. None of these older guys deserve any kind of term, but some might be helpful on shorter, more frontloaded deals. We also look at how some teams in the Metro Division got much better over the weekend, which is never not annoying, and serve up a Master Leaf Theatre that not only boosts the Boys in Blue and White but also changes the trajectory of the NHL and every American player in it. Cancel those plane tickets to Florida, fam. 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

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

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

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

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

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

From the creators of Master Leaf Theatre comes a tale of the duality of man, of corporate greed and of a rich asshole 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 asshole. 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

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

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

Mike and Dan rejoice in Matthew Schaefer winning the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year by unanimous vote and his incredible presence on and off the ice. We're not sure what's left to say about Schaefer. A historic season, a joyous soul, a giving spirit and a loving son. All at just 18 years old. And while he collects accolades and attention from across the globe, we wonder what he will do for an encore. Frankly, don't be surprised if the Pope was involved. Beyond the light from Schaefer, there is other news around the team. Ryan Pulock undergoes surgery, AHL coach Rocky Thompson gets a promotion, prospect Danny Nelson represents Team USA at the Worlds and "A" Hagens comes home (at least, for a trial run). In less normal news, Mat Barzal plays chess for the Wall Street Journal, Josh Bailey is a Hall of Famer and Brock Nelson's brilliance finally gets recognized. All he had to do was get traded across the country and play for the best team in the NHL. We also pay tribute to former Islander Paul Boutillier who passed away last week. Finally, we examine the Minnesota Wild's arrogance in defeat and the Maple Leafs coaching search that apparently has a strict statue of limitations dating back to... just this 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

Along with Lighthouse Hockey's Jenny Berman, we remember Kieffer Bellows, whose moments of fun in with the Islanders were few and far between. Kieffer Bellows had everything you'd want in an NHL prospect: a famous name and family lineage in hockey, high praise from prospect watchers, a tantalizing shot and a history of showing up in big moments. But as the years stretched on, from college teams to junior teams to the minors to cups of coffee with the Islanders, it seemed less and less likely that Bellows would turn into what fans hoped he would be. Despite an AHL hot streak and couple of cool goals in the big league, he was eventually lost on waivers without much of a peep. We're not mad, just disappointed that he turned from a can't-miss-prospect into a winger who couldn't skate (especially since the Islanders already had a few on the roster...). Jenny takes us through her history with Bellows, including some very insightful observations about this entire era of Islanders hockey and how she felt a connection with the player over, of all things, Pokémon. We remember his strange and really unfortunate career that continues in Europe, make the Hall of Fame case for his dad Brian, and lament how we all have those prospects we want to see work out, even as it gets more and more evident that they won't. Thanks again to Jenny for joining us twice this season. Due to various factors, this has been waiting a long time to come out but it's always treat to remember this time period and she was the perfect guest to walk us through it. 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

In an epic edition of Master Leaf Theatre, the Maple Leafs find a very questionable new general manager and we find an unlikely hero in his dogged pursuer. Since the end of the regular season, the Maple Leafs have been a picture of disarray. Stories about dysfunction and questions about the future abound, including who will be their next GM. John Chayka's previous tenure with the Coyotes did not go smoothly. His teams found little success on the ice and he found himself in the NHL's crosshairs more than once. But after a six year absence, he is back to lead hockey's biggest franchise. It all seems a little strange, and with no answers coming from the top, it's up to old school sports columnist Steve Simmons to get the inside story on how Chayka was able to get another chance. Although the Leafs won the NHL Draft Lottery on the night we recorded this, this insane episode in their history needed to be captured for posterity. A first overall pick is no guarantee of success. And with a brain trust of an out-of-his-depth suit, a beloved but green former player and a possible con artist at the helm, Master Leaf Theatre is in no danger of going away any time soon. Works cited: “Inside the stunning fall of the Maple Leafs: Chaos, dysfunction and AI” by Jonas Siegel, Chris Johnston and James Mirtle, The Athletic, 4/15/26 “Maple Leafs should aim high with their next head of hockey operations” by Jonas Siegel, The Athletic, 4/20/2026 “Mats Sundin and John Chayka would be hockey’s newest odd couple running the Leafs” by Steve Simmons, The Toronto Sun, 4/29/26 “Mats Sundin makes us happy, John Chayka makes us wonder” by Steve Simmons, The Toronto Sun, 5/3/26. Press conference, The Real Sports Bar and Grill, Toronto, 5/5/26. “The Maple Leafs’ struggle to answer the question of the day: Why?” by Jonas Siegel, The Athletic, 5/4/2026 “John Chayka has a divisive reputation. Can he and the Maple Leafs overcome it?” by James Mirtle, The Athletic, 5/5/2026 “John Chayka’s tenure with the Maple Leafs begins under intense scrutiny” by Cathal Kelly, The Toronto Globe & Mail, 5/5/26 “The confusing and confounding Leafs hiring of John Chayka and Mats Sundin” by Steve Simmons, The Toronto Sun, 5/4/26. 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

Mike and Dan go PTI-style across a few Islanders topics before discussing how a recent playoff elimination made them reflect on the past, present and future of the franchise. The last few weeks have seen a couple of departures - of an assistant coach and a third string goalie, respectively - and a couple of guys being celebrated for the great seasons they had. But even there, we can feel disappointment and tempered enthusiasm where we really should be rejoicing. A few Islanders will be attending the World Championships, while one notable guy is staying home, for good reason. Finally, we listen to the new coach talk about his hiring and philosophies, which right now are the biggest reasons to be excited for next season. In the second half, we look at how yet another Oilers ouster took on a different feel now that the Islanders have a generational star of their own. Connor McDavid going home empty-handed used to be funny, but now we see him as a cautionary tale of how putting too much pressure on one or two players can be a huge mistake. The Islanders are one of the few NHL teams to not have made a Stanley Cup final this century, and it's high time the organization fixes that and produces some actual results. The right time is right now, not later. Just look at the Oilers. 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

Aaron Kleinman of Heartland Signal tells us about his enduring love of the Hartford Whalers, his home state's former NHL team, whose final road game was against the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum. It's been almost 30 years since the Whalers last took the ice at the Hartford Civic Center, the only rink in NHL history located inside of a shopping mall. While the team had limited success in its time, it cultivated a rabid fanbase that still misses its best players, legendary logo, classic marching band theme song and other quaint charms. But rooting for a goofball team in a very small market feels like you're getting away with something. And as you try to keep the scam going for as long as possible, the jig always comes up. As a born and bred son of The Constitution State and a huge sports fan from birth, Aaron lived and died by the Whalers and still carries with him the memories and scars from their eventual move to Raleigh, NC. He tells us about how the team excelled at falling just barely short of the playoffs, what it was like living across the street from Whalers GM Jim Rutherford (and in the same town as tough guy Glen Featherstone) and the particular indignities of having your team bought and moved by a guy sporting a ponytail. Aaron also talks about how the team's off-ice strife shaped his outlook on the world, even at a very young age. Of course, we do cover some Weird Islanders here including a legendary tough guy of our own and two defensive defensemen we never thought we'd ever get a chance to cover on the show. Turns out there's a lot of connective tissue between these two teams aside from one game late in a lost season for both of them. We can't thank Aaron enough for his time and sharing his very vivid memories of his favorite team. He's a great guy to chat with and has been a legendary sports poster for many years. Check out Heartland Signal and his own free newsletter, Radio Free America. 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

Please enjoy this sample of our Monthly Mail Bag podcast for April, 2026. If you like what you hear, consider subscribing to our Patreon at patreon.com/IslandersAnxiety to get the full two hour episode plus extra bonus episodes, written posts, chats and more. The Islanders are done and the people have questions, mainly about what the hell happens next. Do core pieces get moved or bought out? Who will be back? Are the Islanders even a normal team? We try our best to answer these and other questions about the interminably terrible power play, what is and isn't GM Malpractice and how injuries and the Olympics affected their performance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan recap some news around the Islanders and their AHL affiliate, question the team's bizarre partnering with JELL-O and reveal some important announcements. While fans like us are still mad about the Islanders being home during the NHL playoffs, there was some news coming out of the team's prospect pool. The Bridgeport Islanders ended their 25-year-run in the city with a short and unsuccessful stay in the playoffs that mirrored how the big club ended their season. Once again, there are things to celebrate, but also things to be sad and disappointed about. Many have fond memories of the longtime minor league outpost that will become more intense as the move to Hamilton inches closer to finality. But there is excitement about a fresh start in a lush new home, and it will be a fascinating experiment to watch the... whatever they'll be called. Later, we do something people have been asking about for a while and give the Islanders themselves the Master Leaf Theatre treatment. What seems like an innocuous corporate cameo appearance is, for us, a concerning look at the team's real priorities. It's fair to wonder what truly matters here, as this flashy new toy isn't exactly filling us with the childish sense of fun it's supposed to and feels more like a peek into a dystopian future. Sprinkled throughout the show are three big announcements about a sweepstakes, a poll for our Weirdest Islander of the Year and our schedule for the rest of the offseason. So stick with us through the whole thing. 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