Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Two GMs and One MacG (with guest Phil Strum)
A few intriguing “What Ifs” and one incredible “Who?” Joined by wrestling podcaster and former sportswriter Phil Strum, Mike and Dan remember two short time Islanders who became general managers as well as the most obscure player we have ever featured.
Don Maloney and Darcy Regier are mostly remembered as GMs these days, but both played for the Islanders under different circumstances. Maloney signed as a free agent after many years with the hated Rangers, and after two seasons, stepped right into the front office, eventually succeeding the legendary Bill Torrey. It started well but... didn’t end there.
Regier came over in an important pre-Dynasty trade, but had no place to play on a stacked Islanders roster. He would work his way up the executive ladder and forge paths using some cutting edge methods until he also reached the GM chair... for a team that wasn’t the Islanders.
Finally, there is Garth MacGuigan, a man who played only five career NHL games, all with the Islanders. It wasn’t much, but it was long enough to have a memorable interaction with a very young and budding sportswriter, Phil Strum.
Thanks again to Phil for coming on. I can now stop harassing him. Check out Phil’s podcast, Under the Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations everywhere podcasts are found.
WEIRD BONUS MATERIAL!
The sound bites heard in the episode were pulled from here (and edited for time). The whole thing is worth your eight minutes:
More about the day Bill Torrey was out and Don Maloney was in.
This isn’t the first time we’ve wondered what would have happened if Darcy Regier had been named Islanders full time GM and not Mike Milbury.
Yes the Islanders did once consider an executive with the Orlando Magic as a possible general manager.
Here’s the legendary article and picture we talked about. Great way to introduce your new, unorthodox GM selection.
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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Theme song: “Knuckles” by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp.
Drum sfx via Zapsplat.com....
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