Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Chris Osgood (with guest Michael Paul Smith)
It’s still incredible that he actually came here. Joined again by podcaster and actor Michael Paul Smith, we remember when the Islanders were gifted two time Stanley Cup champion goalie Chris Osgood, who helped their quick transformation in the early 2000’s.
The late 90’s Detroit Red Wings and Islanders were barely playing the same sport. One was the best team of its era and the other was all but dead in the water. But after making splashy trades for centers Michael Peca and Alexei Yashin, the Islanders - now owned by billionaire Charles Wang - were in position to take advantage of the Red Wings having to put Osgood on waivers after they signed Dominik Hasek. With “Ozzy” giving them the best netminding they had seen in years, the Islanders emerged as a force and rolled into a classic playoff series against Toronto.
Mike, Mike and Dan talk about where they were when they heard about Osgood’s acquisition (shoutout to Cheesecake Factory) and how wild it was to see such a respected, decorated player wearing the blue and orange. Well, at least some blue and orange... with Osgood’s mismatched pad set-up being just as memorable as the team he played on. We talk about how quickly he fell into the Islanders mindset, how his trade away a year later let the air out of an exciting run and how Osgood remembers his short time on Long Island (Spoiler: it’s occasionally painful).
Thanks again to Michael for coming on again. It’s always great catching up with him. Listen to his hilarious sketch comedy podcast Ted and Michael Read Sketches into Microphones wherever you get your podcasts.
Don’t forget about our live event at the brand new Offside Tavern in NYC on March 30th at 4 pm. Bring your Weird Islanders jerseys, shirts and swag because we want to hear your stories for a live podcast to be released soon after.
WEIRD BONUS MATERIAL!
Could Osgood have ended up with the Rangers? Apparently both clubs tried to swing deals for the goalie before he was placed on waivers.
RIP The NHL Waiver Draft, which led to all sorts of chaos just before the season. This report includes a Kirk Muller mention!
Osgood got a feature episode of the NHLPA’s Saturday Morning Show “Be A Player” when he first arrived on Long Island. What a fascinating document (hosted by Brett Lindros!)
Osgood and the 2001-02 Islanders were announced by Joan Jett!
“Islanders Stretch Budget for Osgood” is a great headline that sums everything up. ‘’We should be looking at doing some big things this year,’’ Osgood said in a conference call with reporters. ‘’Don’t underestimate us.’’
He was very good in the series against the Leafs in 2002 and helped the Islanders climb out of an 0-2 hole, starting with a 34-save performance in Game 3.
These games are both from the 2002-03 season but they showcase how much Osgood meant to those Islanders teams. Here’s a game from November 2002 versus Ottawa and here’s a game from a month later against his old mates in Detroit.
More recently, Osgood has gotten into broadcasting himself. Here’s him telling a story about some hilarious (for us) pranks that were pulled on him during his Islanders days.
A season and a half later, Osgood was an impending RFA and was shipped off to St. Louis, basically bringing their renaissance period to a close.
What makes a “Weird Islander?”
We’re always open to suggestions about other Weird Islanders to discuss. Remember the criteria. Candidates must fulfill one of the two of the following:
Played one (1) season or less for the Islanders or very short stints over multiple seasons.
Be a veteran NHLer who is not generally associated with his time on Islanders.
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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.
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Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN).
Theme song: “Knuckles” by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp.
Drum sfx via Zapsplat.com. Jingle bell sfx also via ZapSplat.
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