Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 34 - Kip Miller (with guest Greg Picker)

Along with Islanders radio color commentator Greg Picker, Mike and Dan celebrate Kip Miller, who had three stints with the team including one spectacular but short playoff run.

Miller was a Hobey Baker winner at Michigan State and is a member of a longstanding hockey family, but it took him a while to find his footing in the NHL. By the time he came to Long Island for the third time (after two short, unmemorable trips), he was the AHL’s leading scorer and immediately jolted a team that was already good but had fallen off the track. And during their brutal playoff series with the Maple Leafs, Miller was an absolute machine, scoring goals in four straight games and giving fans a dose of hope that led to devastation when the series ended.

Greg talks about how crucial Miller and that series was to his Islanders connection, the instantaneous impact he had on the roster seemingly out of nowhere, and how the player’s exploits should be better remembered today (and might be had the Islanders beaten Toronto).

A million thanks to Greg for coming on. He’s obviously busy during the season doing a great job with Chris King on the radio, but the offseason allowed us to finally hook up. You’re probably already following him on Twitter at @GregPickerHere and, if you’re not, you should be listening to his Talkin’ Isles podcast with Cory Wright. It’s a feel good, fun show full of love for The Island and the Islanders, and it makes a great compliment to the silliness of Weird Islanders: The Podcast!

And a belated thanks again to Björn Falk, who provided our theme song, “Knuckles.” You can hear more of his music anytime on Spotify and at Bandcamp.

This is our season finale for this year. Thanks to all of our great guests and for all of your listens. We’ll be back next season with a whole new slate of Weird Islanders and guests.

WEIRD BONUS MATERIAL!

• Before his, uh, well-traveled NHL career, Miller was a Hobey Baker winner for Michigan State.
• He also spent a long time in the minors, and his coach with the IHL’s Utah Grizzlies was none other than Butch Goring.
• When he signed for the third and final time with the Islanders, Miller was leading the AHL in scoring, and immediately contributed to the team’s scoring punch.

• Miller was a friggin’ beast in the 2002 playoffs against the Maple Leafs, putting up four goals and two assists in the final games after having none in games 1, 2 and 3. He had a big insurance goal in Game 6 on the way to the Islanders tying the series.
• His most famous goal made the score 3-2 in Game 7 gave the Islanders and their fans a jolt of hope in what would be a losing effort.

• After he left The Island, Mr. Miller went to Washington and got some first line time with a guy he knew from Pittsburgh named Jaromir Jagr.

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.