Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Justin Mapletoft (with guest Noel Fogelman)
“Why would you ever want to leave the New York Islanders?” Joined by returning guest Noel Fogelman, Mike and Dan remember Justin Mapletoft, a highly-touted Islanders prospect from before the social media era.
A decorated junior player and very strong two-way center in the AHL, Mapletoft’s game never quite translated to the NHL. And on an Islanders team that was suddenly strong down the middle - thanks to the acquisitions of Alexei Yashin and Michael Peca - he didn’t get much of a chance to show what he could do. Mapletoft was around the organization for a long time, but missed the time of podcasts, blogs, YouTube and the like, which is both good and bad for a prospect that fans had high hopes for.
Noel has spoken to Justin and tells us his thoughts on his days with the Islanders, the time he considered asking for a trade and a very surprising regret he’s been carrying around for years.
Thank again to Noel (@thefirstnoel19 on Twitter) for coming on again. Check out his podcast Remembering My Youth for great interviews with actors, musicians and celebrities like Anne Cusack and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels.
WEIRD BONUS MATERIAL!
Mapletoft was a Red Deer Rebels legend. Like the Sutters except not blood related (that we know of).
In The Athletic, Rick DiPietro talked about how much that 02-03 Sound Tigers Calder Cup Final run meant to him, and singled out Mapletoft as one of the team’s best players.
Peter Laviolette liked the cut of Justin’s jib.
First goal alert! At least, Adrian Aucoin told Mapletoft it was the rookie’s goal, so we’ll take his word for it.
Hey, another. And a much more dynamic one (Spoiler: the Islanders still lost the game).
Put this game recap into the Hockey Hall of Fame (or at least the Islanders one).
Preorder your Anders Lee Reverse Retro Bobblehead today from the fine folks at FOCO. This is a fantastic limited edition collectable that you won’t want to miss out on. Preorders are only open for a few weeks, so get yours in today at this link: https://www.foco.com/products/anders-lee-new-york-islanders-reverse-retro-jersey-bobblehead
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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