Islanders Anxiety: A New York Islanders podcast
Sports:Hockey
Mark Fitzpatrick came to the Islanders as a highly-touted goalie prospect and quicky established himself as a fiery NHL-caliber netminder. But right before the 1990-91 season, the 21-year-old found himself in a Los Angeles hospital with swollen hands and arms, and feet the size of footballs. Even when doctors were able to name his ailment as a rare blood disease called eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome or EMS, Fitzpatrick’s frightening and frustrating ordeal to reclaim his playing career was just beginning.
After treatments and stops and starts on the ice, Fitzpatrick was able to play 30 games for an Islanders team with slim playoff hopes in 1992. He became the Islanders’ second ever recipient of the Masterton Trophy for dedication to hockey, but more importantly, became a beacon of hope to others suffering from EMS all across the world.
While Fitzpatrick was battling for his life and career, the Islanders of this time were an absolute trainwreck. Their scorers couldn’t score, their defense wasn’t consistent, their owner was an absentee cheapskate and their best player and only star wanted to be traded. Other than that, everything was great! It was all a far cry from where the team had been a decade earlier and a small taste of where things would go.
And, yes, the use of Georges Bizet’s “Habanera” aria as background music at times is an homage to Michael Richie’s 1976 classic The Bad News Bears and a way to lighten the mood a little. Hearing it still makes me chuckle and picture a field of foul-mouthed kids who can’t play baseball. That seems like an apt comparison to the early 1990’s Islanders.
Research and other assistance was provided by Kevin Schultz. Visit VintageIceHockey.com, where you can buy t-shirts, hoodies and mugs featuring the logos over over 100 classic hockey teams from all across North America, as well as our own Al Arbour tribute shirt. Use the code ANXIETY20 to get 20 percent off an order of two items. Our portion of the sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research.
This episode of Islanders Award Winners was written using archival material from Newsday, The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, 100 Things Islanders Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die by Arthur Staple and Pride and Passion: 25 Years of the New York Islanders by Stan Fischler and Chris Botta.
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Islanders Anxiety - Episode 232 - The Idea of Hope
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 231 - A Lot of Emotions to Unpack
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 230 - The Hold Steady Are Here
Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 22 - Zenon Konopka (with guest Peter Flynn)
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 229 - A Week Full of Tone Deafness
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 228 - Playing the Hits
Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 21 - Justin Mapletoft (with guest Noel Fogelman)
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 227 - Still 41 Games Left
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 226 - Good Leads to Bad
Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 20 - Brent Sopel (with guest Matt Kammerer aka @ExIsledUsher)
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 225 - Christmas is Back On
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 224 - Continuous State of Confusion
Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 19 - John Vanbiesbrouck and Chris Terreri (with guest Nick Giglia)
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 223 - Two Most Opposite Games
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 222 - Talked On to The Ledge
Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 18 - J-P Dumont (with guest Alex Daugherty)
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 221 - Timing is Everything
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 220 - The Uncles in the Corner
Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 17 - Wendel Clark (with guest Sean McIndoe)
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 219 - What the Hell is This Team
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