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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Islanders Anxiety - Episode 217 - Genuinely Pleasantly Surprised
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 216 - Josh Bailey 1000 Games Special
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 215 - And Then It Went to Hell
Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 15 - Felix Potvin (with guest John Muir aka @OlegKvasha)
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 214 - Cautiously Encouraged
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 213 - Six Months of Playoffs
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 212 - Everyone is Such a Diehard
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 211 - The Natural State of Things
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 210 - All of a Sudden Out of Nowhere
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 209 - Our Third Season Finale
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 208 - There's Been No Shuffling
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 207 - Don't Be The Islanders
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 206 - We Have a Trade to Announce
Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 14 - Craig Janney (with guest Dominik Jánský)
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 205 - Research and Development
Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 13 - Chris Simon (with guest Eric Needell)
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 204 - Deep Pocketed Monsters
Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 12 - Raffi Torres (with guest Nick Costa)
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