Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 93 - Pascal Morency (with guest Tom Liodice)

Mike and Dan are joined by Pascal Morency and Blog Box veteran Tom Liodice to discuss the tough guy's time with Bridgeport and one preseason game with the Islanders. Pascal Morency has a well-traveled career in hockey, providing grit, scoring and community service to teams across Canada, the US and Europe. He spent three seasons with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, then one of the tougher teams in the AHL. Although he only had one preseason game in a New York Islanders jersey, it was a memorable one, with Morency coming to the aid of a fallen Kyle Okposo after he was laid out on a dirty hit by Calgary captain Dion Phanuef. In the first half of the episode, we talk with Tom about the legendary Islanders Blog Box and what it was like covering the team as a fan in those early internet days. We then discuss Morency's impact and our lasting impressions from the one game most will remember him playing for the organization. It was a dark time for the Islanders, and seeing one of their bright young stars get injured in a meaningless game made it just a little bit more painful. Players like Morency helped us feel that at least someone had our back. Then in the second half, we're joined by Morency himself, as he candidly recounts his time in Bridgeport, his fondness for those years and for the community he served so readily, his favorite teammates and some memorable fights. He talks about his continued closeless with another Sound Tigers soldier, Trevor Gillies, having to learn how to fight with one hand after one particularly gruesome injury and once tussling with a guy named Robin Big Snake. True story. Thanks again to Pascal for joining us and sharing his great memories. And a huge thanks to Tom for not only being a great guest himself, but putting us in contact with Pascal. We also have a Weird Islanders Extra! bonus podcast with Tom where we discuss a photograph that's a snapshot of what kind of team the Sound Tigers had in the late 2000's. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends: Vintage Ice Hockey for 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 ANXIETY20 to save 20% off an order of two items. 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. Drum sfx via Zapsplat.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices