Along with Will Stevens of Isles Meet Ups NYC we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Islanders' sojourn to Brooklyn's Barclays Center and some of the players we connect to that era.

In October of 2012, the Islanders announced that they would start play in Barclays Center for the 2015-16 season, ending 40+ years of glory and struggle at Nassau Coliseum. Even the most hardened haters were encouraged by the news... for about five minutes. Before they moved into the corner of Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues, there were already problems; building was critiqued and criticized, the people in charge didn't have a clue, and the fans weren't happy while the players tried to make the best of it. It wasn't long before an exit strategy - which turned into UBS Arena, back on Long Island - was needed.

Still, we have a lot of nostalgia for this very strange period in franchise history, especially for some players who made their only appearances with the Islanders during it.

Whether they were disappointing trade deadline acquisitions, "veteran" presences, minor league call ups or constant healthy scratches, these players best represent the bastardized, black-clad, hipster bearded, Brooklyn version of the Islanders that, in spite of everything working against it, actually had some success.

Thanks again to Will for not only chatting but coming to us with the idea for this super duper-sized walk down Memory Lane. You can follow the Isles Meet Up groups on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook to find the one closest to you.

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Our theme is "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠ and at ⁠⁠⁠Bandcamp⁠⁠⁠.

Drum sfx via ⁠⁠⁠Zapsplat.com⁠⁠⁠.

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[Please enjoy this bonus episode of our Patreon-exclusive Country Club Atmosphere podcast. If you like what you hear and want more, sign up for the Country Club tier at Patreon.com/IslandersAnxiety to access the full archive of Country Club Atmosphere episodes.]

Mike and Dan talk about fan conventions, one Mike created and one where Dan finished a quest that took over 30 years to complete.

Years ago, Mike was one of the driving forces behind FrancesaCon, a day-long celebration of New York sports radio icon Mike Francesa. What started as a loose bar crawl turned into three jam-packed dates over three years at another NYC institution, Irving Plaza, and even earned participation by Da Pope himself. Luminaries like Chris "Mad Dog" Russo, boxing champ Amir Khan and football Hall of Famer Jack Youngblood all attended and FrancesaCon hit the big time, even getting covered by ESPN and other outlets. Mike tells the full story about how the con came about, the relationships he made along the way that are still going and some of the funny behind-the-scenes stories from those wild times.

Dan's con story is much different. At a local comic con in April, he found the missing piece to a collection that he had been growing since he was eight years old. As the feeling of relief and happiness washed over him, so did a little confusion as to what to do next. After decades of comic cons all over the area, this small New Jersey one stands as the most important in his life.

And, of course, as is tradition on this non-hockey podcast, the Islanders do come up a few times.

No matter what world a convention is in, the best part is gathering with people who "get you," and feeling free to be in a world you truly feel comfortable in.

Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠⁠⁠⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of the shows, bonus podcasts, written posts and much more. Or follow us for free to get announcements and our weekly release calendar.

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).

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Mike and Dan recap Mathieu Darche's introductory press conference and his first decisions as Islanders GM.

The most amazing thing about Darche's first press conference as Islanders GM was just how normal it was. From streaming it on the team's website to the little jokes about learning everyone's names, the hour-long presser was as by-the-book as it gets, which is why the new guy came off pretty well. Announcing there would be new assistant coaches and a new staff for the bedraggled AHL team was icing on the pound cake. We got clarity on the head coach - again, not a surprise - but one name wasn't heard, which was all the opening some folks needed to start wondering about whether or not the team was in the right hands.

Darche then signed two players to contracts that were most likely already in his desk drawer by the time he sat behind it for the first time. Kyle Palmieri's new deal is a bit of a hometown discount and a devil-you-know-versus-the-devil-you-don't scenario. At a modest number and just two years, it gives him the stability he wants while also letting the Islanders move him next year should things go sideways. If he scores in his usual neighborhood of goals, it could turn out great. Adam Boqvist also returns on a cheap one year deal with an RFA expiry. What position he plays next season is anyone's guess.

All of this is very sensible, especially for a new GM with a lot on his plate. The only question is: why was Mitt Romney sitting next to him at that press conference?

We also take a few minutes to talk about the Stanley Cup final rematch, featuring our allies the Florida Panthers versus the Edmonton Oilers, who just might be pissed off enough from last year to sneak past the Cats this time.

Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠⁠⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of the shows, bonus podcasts, written posts and much more. Or follow us for free to get announcements and our weekly release calendar.

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, including their new album "God Looks Out for Fools."

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joined by friend and Skates at the Stakes co-host Ryan, we discuss defenseman James Wisniewski, who is more remembered for one regrettable incident than his quality play.

Wisniewski was already well-traveled before he was acquired by the Islanders to augment their blueline offense. But when Mark Streit went down with an injury in the preseason, Wisniewski became a key contributor and point producer... until one game against the Rangers and a decision that got him suspended. Over the course of another month and a half, he endured a long losing streak, a coach firing and getting accosted by a Long Island nurse just before Christmas. Then he was traded to Montreal before the end of the calendar year, leaving just as quickly as he arrived.

There was a reason he played for so many teams - James Wisniewski was pretty good! He found ways to produce no matter where he played. Unfortunately, he also found new ways to get suspended, which probably explains why he was moved so often.

For Ryan, this season was his first as an Islanders fan and that fateful date with the Rangers was his first ever live game experience. We talk about Wisniewski's crazy career, his early hockey blogging, how his game should be soundtracked by Linkin Park and other on-the-fly fun facts.

We also throw in a bonus Weird Islander! Johan Sundstrom was drafted with the pick the Islanders got from the Canadiens for Wisniewski and was expected to be the next Frans Nielsen but ended up having a short North American career with a few odd footnotes.

Thanks again to Ryan for coming on. Be sure to subscribe to Skates at the Stakes. And yes, we held this back so it would be Episode 69.

Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠⁠⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of the shows, bonus podcasts, written posts and much more. Or follow us for free to get announcements and our weekly release calendar.

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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 react to the hiring of Mathieu Darche as the Islanders' new general manager and the blank slate the future holds.

As Islanders fans across the U.S. prepared for Memorial Day weekend, the Islanders dropped the news that their GM search was over. Mathieu Darche seemed like an unlikely choice given his lack of experience running an NHL club, but he won the owners over and beat out former GMs like Marc Bergevin and Jarmo Kekäläinen. The search that got them to Darche wasn't smooth (and involved a few more big names and swings that went nowhere). But Darche represents a truly new era for the club and only time will tell if it was the right move. For now, all we can do is observe and see where he takes them.

In the second half, we enjoy another new installment of Master Leaf Theatre, as former team president Brendan Shanahan is told he will be leaving the Ford Performance Center, forcing many Leafs writers/fans to reckon with the failed "Shanaplan" (that they named). We also add a new character to the Master Leaf Theatre canon in MLSE CEO Keith Pelley, who loves to make up stories about his kids and blow smoke up people's behinds. We might have one more in us this offseason, depending on how things shake out up north. But if not, at least we got our thoughts out.

Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of the shows, bonus podcasts, written posts and much more. Or follow us for free to get announcements and our weekly release calendar.

Visit our friends:

Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠, including their new album "God Looks Out for Fools."

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan discuss the Islanders GM search and enjoy another Maple Leafs elimination with an epic Master Leaf Theatre.

The Islanders still have no general manager but that may change soon. Second interviews are happening and two final candidates have emerged (assuming no one else shakes loose from the recently eliminated) who represent experience versus new blood. Even without a GM, the Islanders' scouts are hard at work deciding who to use the first overall pick on. While fan debate rages, we reexamine what we thought we knew about the prospects at the top of the class and discover new ways things can go totally wrong.

Then it's on to one of our favorite segments of the year, as Toronto's hockey team once again cloaks itself in failure and embarrassment, we enjoy a new edition of Master Leaf Theatre. The main targets this time are the possibly outgoing team president and the hometown boy who does everything except show up in the playoffs and is now being chased out by an angry mob. There's poetry and motion, anger, humor and a soundbite that already feels like it will live in infamy. It's a Dickensian drama we enjoy year after year, and this might be the most massively magnificent one of all.

Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of the shows, bonus podcasts, written posts and much more. Or follow us for free to get announcements and our weekly release calendar.

Visit our friends:

Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠on Spotify⁠, including their new album "God Looks Out for Fools."

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan is joined by former Islanders GM Neil Smith, who talks candidly about his his long association with the club and 40-day tenure in the front office.

While he is still mostly connected to their chief rival, Smith has been part of the Islanders going back to their very beginnings. He was a draft pick, a player and a scout before finally getting his chance to be their GM in the summer of 2006. But the unorthodox ideas of owner Charles Wang clashed with what Smith (and everyone else) knew was the proper way to run an NHL team. Although he was let go after just month-and-a-half, many of his decisions would benefit the Islanders for years to come.

Smith speaks very plainly about getting hired by Wang, the personal distress the job caused him and his acrimonious dismissal, as well as his relationships with fellow "committee" members Ted Nolan and Bryan Trottier, and the acquisitions of players like Kyle Okposo, Mike Sillinger, Brendan Witt and Chris Simon. He also tells us how the dynasty Islanders figured into the Rangers 1994 Stanley Cup championship and how the Islanders should approach having the first overall pick in this year's draft.

We also hear some great stories about helping build another champion in Detroit, being the first D1 captain for the current NCAA champion Western Michigan Broncos and working with Jaclyn Smith and Armand Assante on a TV miniseries in 1983. We cover a lot in an hour so buckle up.

Thanks again to Neil for coming on and being so open and honest. Be sure to check out his NHL Wraparound podcast, especially their upcoming special celebrating the 45th anniversary of the Islanders' first Stanley Cup, which releases (appropriately) on May 24th.

Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of the shows, bonus podcasts, written posts and much more. Or follow us for free to get announcements and our weekly release calendar.

Visit our friends:

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

Holy shit. The Islanders won the draft lottery and Mike and Dan know exactly what they need to do (Draft grifters and prospect perverts be damned).

Despite having a 3.5% chance of winning and no general manager in place, the Islanders walked out of the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery with the first overall pick in this season's draft. As Isles legend Ken Morrow - a man who only knows winning - looked on over a video call, his team got an instant ticket to erase the nonstop weirdness of this season. And of the available players at the top of this year's draft lists - including big defenseman Matthew Schaefer and Erie forward Michael Misa - only one is from Long Island and grew up a die hard Islanders fan.

Boston College forward James Hagens should be the Islanders pick in June. This is an opportunity that comes around exactly never for this franchise. Being able to take a kid that already knows the team and its history should supersede whatever the grifters and talking heads have on their lists. If he doesn't work out, then he doesn't work out. But not taking him and seeing him succeed elsewhere would be worse than taking him and seeing him fail at home on his favorite team.

In the second half, we discuss the other weirdness of the day, including the governor of New York being mad that the 2026 All Star Game at UBS Arena won't be an actual All Star Game, and the Kings saying good bye to their GM, which might impact the Islanders' search for one.

Monday had the feeling of a momentous day in Islanders history. Only time will tell which way it went.

To support Brian Compton in the Walk MS: Long Island 2025 on May 17, ⁠⁠click here⁠⁠.

⁠Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of the shows, bonus podcasts, written posts and much more. Or follow us for free to get announcements and our weekly release calendar.

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, including their new album "God Looks Out for Fools."

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan discuss some of the news leaking out of the Islanders lately about GM interviews and misguided decisions.

Since letting go of Lou Lamoriello, a lot of names have popped up around the Islanders' vacant general manager (and possibly team president) role. While some names are new and intriguing, some are old and tired. But without Lamoriello keeping a lid on things, any name getting out is new territory. We discuss a few of the names and throw in a few of our own should the team look to make two new hires.

We also make clear our feelings about the team letting go of longtime radio voices Chris King and Greg Picker. There's no monetary reason for letting two valuable resources get away and the organization should bring both back in some capacity, even if they switch to a radio/TV simulcast model.

In the second half, we look around the Metro Division as more teams make coaching changes (or wait on to make it's own decision on the other side of the continent). While one rival makes sure we all know how much everyone loves each other, the other doubles down on a GM everyone seems to hate. It's a shame we can't fully enjoy the chaos but that won't stop us from trying.

To support Brian Compton in the Walk MS: Long Island 2025 on May 17, ⁠click here⁠.

Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of the shows, bonus podcasts, written posts and much more. Or follow us for free to get announcements and our weekly release calendar.

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, including their new album "God Looks Out for Fools."

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Along with author Allan Kreda, Mike and Dan celebrate Ken Morrow and some of the Weird Islanders he played with in his incredible career.

Morrow was the exact opposite of a Weird Islander - he was a reliable, steady presence for a decade as the Islanders dominated the NHL. Even off the ice, the lanky defenseman is far more normal and humble than a gold medalist and a four-time Stanley Cup champion should be. But as we trace Morrow's career throughout his memoir - Miracle Gold, Four Stanley Cups, and a Lifetime of Islanders Hockey - we learn about some of the other characters that played roles, including former Olympic teammates, fellow Bowling Green alums, various Hall of Famers and a couple of short time Islanders that he mentions in the book.

Kreda reveals how the book came about, what Morrow is like as a person and a player and his importance in Islanders history. But as a journalist that's followed the Islanders and covered them for a number of outlets, Kreda also tells us about players like Alex McKendry and Hector Marini, who managed to score massive goals during the dynasty run and get their names on the Cup despite not being around long.

It's not often that we get to talk about Islanders greats on this show, and it was equally satisfying to get a couple of perfect Weird Islanders in there as well. This episode is very special and we can't thank Allan enough for coming on. You should buy Miracle Gold today from wherever you can.

To support Brian Compton in the Walk MS: Long Island 2025 on May 17, ⁠click here⁠.

⁠Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of the shows, bonus podcasts, written posts and much more. Or follow us for free to get announcements and our weekly release calendar.

Visit our friends:

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