Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 76 - Mathieu Schneider (with guest Joe Buono)

We welcome back our friend Joe Buono of IslesFix to rediscover Mathieu Schneider, an excellent defenseman who made a big impact on the Islanders in a surprisingly short period of time. The "other" piece of the disastrous Kirk Muller trade, Schneider was a born-and-bred New Yorker and the rare player who actually looked forward to coming to Long Island in the mid-1990's. After winning a Stanley Cup with the Canadiens and gaining headlines for calling out NHL commissioner Gary Bettman before the 1995 lockout, Schneider seemed like a big get for the Islanders and was a popular player among fans, many of whom were also members of the Jewish faith. He was their All Star Game representative in 1996, an alternate (and sometimes temporary) captain and productive all-around player. But then, just like that, he was gone in another big trade that sent yet another All Star away (but at least brought back a couple of future ones). Along with Joe, we discuss Schneider's high standing among fans of this time, some of his standout moments on the ice and the quietly impactful NHL career he had a for a long list of teams and even after retirement. We also run down some other Islanders All Stars who were weird for various reasons. Thanks again to Joe for coming on, it's always a pleasure talking to him. If you're not already signed up for the IslesFix newsletter for some reason, fix that immediately. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends: Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. The Pinot Project has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit Lighthousehockey.com for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN). Our theme is "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices