Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 29 - Rob Schremp (with guest Lisa aka @IslesChick)

Mike and Dan are joined by Lisa, a longtime Islanders fan and owner of the indispensable @Islandermania on Twitter, to remember Rob Schremp, whose slick moves and potential were highlight for fans during the early rebuild period.

A standout in junior, Schremp was a star who never fully became a star, but who brought excitement and entertainment with him wherever he went. After a stalled start with the Oilers, he came to Long Island via the waiver wire and immediately seemed like a steal - and a possible core piece - going forward. But injuries and perceptions limited his tenure to a short but memorable one.

Lisa tells us how she first heard about Schremp, how it felt having a vaunted player like him on the Islanders, and how she and a group and friends came to “Schrempify” some jerseys in tribute to the man. Be sure to follow both the @Islandermania and @IslesChick accounts on Twitter if you aren’t already.

WEIRD BONUS MATERIAL!

• Schremp was one of Garth Snow’s earliest waiver wire winners.
• The Lighthouse Hockey posting after the Islanders claimed Schremp on waivers is a classic. “Head: Uncertain, partly cloudy.”
• His first NHL goal was not quite as spectacular as anyone expected it would be.
• Schremp was an early favorite on YouTube. Unfortunately, a lot of videos of him seem to be from a bygone era and weren’t great to use on the podcast. Here’s a clear one with his regular season goals and one with many of his great shootout goals.
• Of course, being away from Edmonton didn’t stop the Oilers media from still throwing darts Schremp’s way.
• After 89 reasonably productive games in blue and orange, Rob Schremp Hockey was no more, getting plucked from waivers again and heading down to Hot’lanta with a Dom-penned verse to his name.
• Shortly after that, it was off to Europe.
• This year, Schremp hit back at the old boys club that never gave him a chance to find his game.

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.