Islanders Anxiety: A New York Islanders podcast
Sports:Hockey
Part Two of our look at Mike Bossy’s sensational rookie season begins at a low point, a fight-filled game in Detroit that Bossy later said embarrassed him. He thought he had put all of his old junior fears to rest once he joined the NHL and a line with Bryan Trottier and Clark Gillies. But a stumble at The Olympia was a wake up call.
Over the next several months, Bossy resumed his scoring pace and eventually matched - then obliterated - Rick Martin’s record for goals in a season scored by a rookie. The Islanders won their division for the first time and looked to be a serious contender heading into the playoffs. But Roger Nielsen, Tiger Williams and the rest of the Toronto Maple Leafs had other ideas...
The decision to make this a two-part episode was a late one, but I think it makes sense. There’s so much to unpack from Bossy’s first season in the NHL, even almost 50 years later, that doing it in one episode would have meant either cutting content, or making the narrative too dense to fully comprehend.
This way, we can sit back and really marvel at his immediate impact on the Islanders and on Long Island. It’s not every day that a 21-year old player can be thought of as “legendary.” Mike Bossy wasn’t an ordinary player.
Mike Bossy’s autobiography Boss: The Mike Bossy Story, co-written by Barry Meisel, was used extensively, with excerpts read by Michael Paul Smith. Listen to Michael’s podcast “Ted and Michael Read Sketches into Microphones” wherever you find your podcasts, or directly from their website at TedandMichael.com. And follow Michael on Twitter and Instagram @mpsmithnyc.
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 and Sports Illustrated, and the books New York Islanders: Countdown to A Dynasty by Barry Wilner, Pride and Passion: 25 Years of the New York Islanders by Stan Fischler and Chris Botta and Dynasty: The Oral History of the New York Islanders 1972-1984 by Greg Prato.
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SPECIAL - Fans First Sports Network NHL Playoff Roundtable, Round 1
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 244 - The Favored Underdogs
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 243 - Most Relaxing Night of the Year
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 242 - Dreading the Feeling
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 241 - The World Stopped
Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 28 - Two GMs and One MacG (with guest Phil Strum)
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 240 - Hell on Earth
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 239 - Recognize the Situation
Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 27 - Alan Quine (with guest Joe Buono)
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 238 - Learning the Lingo
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 237 - Chewing at My Insides
Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 26 - Roberto Luongo and Kevin Weekes (with guest Sean Cuthbert)
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 236 - The Villains of the Playoff Chase
Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 25 - Derick Brassard (with guest @RattMartin)
Islanders Anxiety - Patreon Announcement
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 235 - A Big Week for Belief
Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 24 - Justin Bourne
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 234 - Thank You to the Dishwasher Gods
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 233 - Inexplicably Still Hanging On
Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 23 - Micheal Haley (with special guest Travis Reilly)
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