Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 12 - Raffi Torres (with guest Nick Costa)

Mike and Dan are joined by Nick Costa of the legendary Offside Tavern to talk about Raffi Torres, an infamous NHL player that most people forgot even was an Islander.

Nick tells the tale of a memorable run-in he had with a young Torres that all but guaranteed he’d never forget the winger’s drafting and uneventful first two seasons on The Island. They talk about his goal-free 31 games in blue-and-orange and their near universal excitement that he had been traded for defenseman Janne Niinimaa, even as Torres went on to produce for Edmonton. They marvel at two other forgotten Torres stints with other teams before diving into his tumultuous time as one of the NHL’s most hated players.

Along the way, Nick drops more stories about running into Islanders in various dining establishments around Long Island, including one generous prospect who spent some of his meager salary to buy a young Nick a bagel.

Thanks again to Nick for coming on. You can follow him on Twitter at @Offside_Tavern (as if you weren’t already) and be sure to stop in at the Offside Tavern at UBS Arena for a pint and to say hello. And be on the lookout for some exciting news coming soon on the Offside front...

WEIRD BONUS MATERIAL!

• Not a whole lot. Here’s video of Torres’ first NHL point, but the video isn’t great and the play is, shall we say, underwhelming.
• This is slightly better; an assist on an Alexei Yashin goal against the Predators.

• Battle of California was never one to mince words.
• These days, Raffi is mentoring youth hockey players. God help us.

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.

Visit our friends!

• Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and mugs with hundreds of classic hockey logos, and our Al Arbour shirts which benefit dementia research. Use the code LIGHTHOUSE15 to save 15%.
• Betway, the official betting partner of the NHL. Please play responsibly.
• The Pinot Project has Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio and Rose all under $15. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena.

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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.