Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 74 - Josef Vašíček (with guest Sab)

Joined again by their friend Sab, Mike and Dan remember Josef Vašíček, the big, versatile, likeable center who left us far too early in the Lokomotiv airplane disaster. Vašíček only spent one season on Long Island, but he made a lot of fans in that short time, bringing goals and a big smile to a patchwork team about to enter a full rebuild. In Al Arbour's historic return game, it was Vašíček who led the Islanders to a victory in front of a packed house and the legendary coach. In a season that isn't fondly remembered or marked by consistency, Big Joe was one of the team's most reliable players. Years before that, he made his reputation playing for the Hurricanes at both their bizarre beginnings and in their best seasons. He was part of their Stanley Cup finals team in 2002 and, after a quick jaunt to Nashville, was on their championship team in 2006. As usual, Vašíček contributed positively on the ice, even if it wasn't with a goal or an assist. Following his time with the Islanders, he signed on with the nascent KHL so that he could play closer to his home in Slovakia. Even there, he helped lead Lokomotiv to the first Gagarin Cup finals and proved he could win anywhere. Tragically, in September of 2011, Vašíček died as the team's plane crashed soon after take-off, killing 44 passengers. The shocking loss of life still reverberates to this day, especially for those of us who were fans of the many players on board, including and especially Josef Vašíček. Sab tells us about his memories of and connection to Vašíček through the years, including some rare personal stories that might be forgotten. As always, we thank him for coming on and for his invaluable YouTube channel, which is packed to the gills with Islanders history. To hear more of our conversation with Sab about Lou, Kashawn Aitcheson and other topics, head over to our Patreon and sign up for the Country Club tier to access our latest Weird Islanders Extra! bonus podcast. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, discounts 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