Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Zenon Konopka (with guest Peter Flynn)

Jan 27, 2023 - 3:40 PM




Joined by guest Peter Flynn - a former Islanders fan and Red Wings blogger - Mike and Dan reminisce about Zenon Konopka, one of the most popular one-and-done Islanders and more than just a fighter.

Konopka came to Long Island with little fanfare but left as a favorite thanks to the incredible amount of fighting spirit and pride he brought to the franchise in a remarkably short amount of time. Whether it was intimidating evil Penguins, standing up to snarky media types or giving the Islanders an identity (and a goal song) all their own, Konopka helped give a young, rebuilding team a degree of backbone they severely lacked and made lifetime fans in Peter and the hosts.

Oh, and he also had a pet bunny and started his own wine business.

Thanks again to Peter for coming on and reliving his Islanders fan youth. You can listen to his music at Activate the Queen on Soundcloud.

WEIRD BONUS MATERIAL!

  • So. Many. Fights. Here’s the long one versus Chris Stewart heard in the episode.
  • Here’s one of Zenon’s many tussles with Dan Carcillo.
  • And one against former Islander Arron Asham. Watch out for that man-eating jersey.
  • Not a fight but his altercation with Max Talbot in the Penguins Fight Night Game was really memorable (gotta watch it on actual YouTube per the account).
  • On the man and his bunny.
  • Finally: Live if Life, Zenon’s goal song that was the perfect punctuation on that whole crazy season.

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 has t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, and our Al Arbour and THE ISLAND merch, which benefit dementia research. Use the code ANXIETY to save 15%.
  • The Pinot Project has Rosé, Pinot Grigio and a Pinot Noir that was named a 2022 Top 100 Best Buy by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. All are under $15 a bottle and are available at local wine shops and at UBS Arena.

Please subscribe, download, rate, review or spread the word about all of our Lighthouse Hockey podcasts any way you can. All of it helps to raise the show’s profile and maybe could get us another fancy sponsor to sell out to in the near future. And if you give us an iTunes review, write a comment here or even send us a tweet, we might just read it on our next show.

Theme song: “Knuckles” by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp.

Drum sfx via Zapsplat.com.








No one has shouted yet.
Be the first!

Related News