Parrish Interview: Yashin, Milbury, Laviolette, Ledecky

[DarkHorse2]

If you haven't listened to the latest Isles Seat podcast, they have a great interview with Mark Parrish, who's working some upcoming games on MSG.


Couple of the things he talks about:

• Laviolette never lost the room (the reason given for his firing.) In the exit interviews, Milbury kept asking questions of the players about Laviolette losing communication, but the players told him no (he confirmed this with Wiemer and Aucoin.) Despite that, Laviolette was fired, with that excuse.
• Aucoin left the Islanders because they wouldn't buy out Yashin, going as far as to ask the management if they would before leaving. Many on team felt they wouldn't win with him because he played when he felt like it.
• Says that Ledecky has made the former players feel "Islanders pride" again, name-checking the legacy of Goring, Smith and Nystrom.
  
• Loves Barzal

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[Mr Misunderstood]

Also said "some players are a-holes" referring to the Peca hit.

 

[Doshell Propivo]

Also said "some players are a-holes" referring to the Peca hit.

Was he talking about Peca or Tucker?

 

[Mr Misunderstood]

Was he talking about Peca or Tucker?

Bcomp and Parrish were talking about Tucker but never mentioned his name. Bcomp was taken aback a little bit when Mark said it.

Some other good conversation about being a professional athlete in New York during 9/11.

 

[Poulin 0n My St1ck]

Thanks for posting, can't wait to listen when I have time.

It's amazing how one person, who is not the owner, could set a franchise back a decade, let alone survive multiple ownership changes. Milbury just wanted a puppet for a coach.

 

[Strummergas]

Some general managers are assholes too. f*** you Mike Milbury.

 

[PK Cronin]

Really interested in listening to this later. Thanks for posting.

 

[Doshell Propivo]

Thanks for posting, can't wait to listen when I have time.

It's amazing how one person, who is not the owner, could set a franchise back a decade, let alone survive multiple ownership changes. Milbury just wanted a puppet for a coach.

Think about this:

Over the past 20 years our "best" owner has been John Spano, our "best" GM has been Garth Snow and our "best" coach has been Jack Capuano. LOL

 

[MJF]

If you haven't listened to the latest Isles Seat podcast, they have a great interview with Mark Parrish, who's working some upcoming games on MSG.


Couple of the things he talks about:

• Laviolette never lost the room (the reason given for his firing.) In the exit interviews, Milbury kept asking questions of the players about Laviolette losing communication, but the players told him no (he confirmed this with Wiemer and Aucoin.) Despite that, Laviolette was fired, with that excuse.
• Aucoin left the Islanders because they wouldn't buy out Yashin, going as far as to ask the management if they would before leaving. Many on team felt they wouldn't win with him because he played when he felt like it.
• Says that Ledecky has made the former players feel "Islanders pride" again, name-checking the legacy of Goring, Smith and Nystrom.
  
• Loves Barzal

Rck DiPietro once said on his radio show that many of his teammates couldn’t stand Yashin’s indifferent attitude towards playing and rehabbing from injury. DP said a vet once threw an exercise bike at Yashin in the exercise room and screamed at him “WAKE THE F UP”. I wonder if it was Aucoin.

 

[Costigan77]

Was he talking about Peca or Tucker?

DiPietro on his show has set the record straight a few times. He has said that Yashin was a massive problem in that locker room, not Peca. He thought the team would have been better with Lavioltette staying. Yashin and Peca had a cold war. Aucoin hated him.

That being said, DP has also said Hilbert was one of the most talented players he ever played with, but just played at 50%

 

[Doshell Propivo]

DiPietro on his show has set the record straight a few times. He has said that Yashin was a massive problem in that locker room, not Peca. He thought the team would have been better with Lavioltette staying. Yashin and Peca had a cold war. Aucoin hated him.

That being said, DP has also said Hilbert was one of the most talented players he ever played with, but just played at 50%

Has he said anything about Blake? Many fans speculated that he was a big problem in the locker room which I always questioned.

 

[MatthewBarnabysTears]

Wow fascinating stuff, I always wondered why it was taking us so long to learn what actual went on behind the scenes with those early 2000s teams. It's really great to see random alums like Parrish and Asham coming back into the fold. Yeah it's great to have the legends hanging around, but there's no reason not to have every generation of Isles represented.

Aucoin is one of my all time favorites. I really wish we could have kept him long-term.

 

[MJF]

DiPietro on his show has set the record straight a few times. He has said that Yashin was a massive problem in that locker room, not Peca. He thought the team would have been better with Lavioltette staying. Yashin and Peca had a cold war. Aucoin hated him.

That being said, DP has also said Hilbert was one of the most talented players he ever played with, but just played at 50%

I remember DP saying that Hilbert in practice looked like a superstar who should score a ton of goals. Then he played a game and nothing ever happened.

 

[SI90]

I’d gave anything for an Aucoin on this current team.

 

[periferal]

Rck DiPietro once said on his radio show that many of his teammates couldn’t stand Yashin’s indifferent attitude towards playing and rehabbing from injury. DP said a vet once threw an exercise bike at Yashin in the exercise room and screamed at him “WAKE THE F UP”. I wonder if it was Aucoin.

And this is the guy that wang pushed Milbury to deal for, and give him a 12 year deal. Jesus.

 

[12Dog]

Rck DiPietro once said on his radio show that many of his teammates couldn’t stand Yashin’s indifferent attitude towards playing and rehabbing from injury. DP said a vet once threw an exercise bike at Yashin in the exercise room and screamed at him “WAKE THE F UP”. I wonder if it was Aucoin.

But Yashin was Wang’s buddy not Peca. Yet another example of what might’ve been had the “fish not stank from the head down”
Someone mentioned Blake, he had a deserved repuatation as a tool, me first player. Nobody would room with him on the road.

 

[MatthewBarnabysTears]

But Yashin was Wang’s buddy not Peca. Yet another example of what might’ve been had the “fish not stank from the head down”
Someone mentioned Blake, he had a deserved repuatation as a tool, me first player. Nobody would room with him on the road.

Is there an underlying source for the Blake stuff, or just years of accumulated rumors?

I don't doubt them, though he was one of my favorite players to watch. Impossible to deny his work ethic in working his way from a grinding 4th liner to a 40 goal scorer. Ho-Sang's skating reminds me of him.

 

[MJF]

But Yashin was Wang’s buddy not Peca. Yet another example of what might’ve been had the “fish not stank from the head down”
Someone mentioned Blake, he had a deserved repuatation as a tool, me first player. Nobody would room with him on the road.

Wang’s other buddy Rick DiPietro also hamstrung the team for years with that ridiculous contract.

 

[eoin92]

Wang’s other buddy Rick DiPietro also hamstrung the team for years with that ridiculous contract.

If DiPietro would’ve turned into a Lundquist, Wang would’ve looked like a genius. Unfortunately it didn’t play out that way.

 

[periferal]

Wang’s other buddy Rick DiPietro also hamstrung the team for years with that ridiculous contract.

Let us be as clear as day about what you just said.

DiPietro did NOT hamstring the Islanders AT ALL with his contract.

charles wang hamstring the Isles by GIVING DiPietro that contract.

 

[MJF]

Let us be as clear as day about what you just said.

DiPietro did NOT hamstring the Islanders AT ALL with his contract.

charles wang hamstring the Isles by GIVING DiPietro that contract.

Duly noted

 

[LeapOnOver]

Is there an underlying source for the Blake stuff, or just years of accumulated rumors?

I don't doubt them, though he was one of my favorite players to watch. Impossible to deny his work ethic in working his way from a grinding 4th liner to a 40 goal scorer. Ho-Sang's skating reminds me of him.

There's actual footage out there of someone punching him in the head after he fired a puck during warmups and hit one of his own players. It was pretty obvious he was disliked.

 

[Doshell Propivo]

There's actual footage out there of someone punching him in the head after he fired a puck during warmups and hit one of his own players. It was pretty obvious he was disliked.

Meh, lots of NHLers have been disliked. Billy Smith whacked a teammate's wife in the arm with his stick because she "disturbed" him by wishing him luck before a game.

All I know is that come game time, Blake busted his ass on every shift and never took a night off. When he got the puck it was pretty much guaranteed the Isles would have possession in the offensive zone and often times it generated a scoring opportunity. Puck hog or not, Blake was one of the reasons to root for the team during some not so good years. Loved watching him skate.

 

[majormet]

I think Jason Blake is just one of those guys that looks like you would hate him, he has that Seth Green thing about him. I saw him in person eating with his family at Johnny Rockets at the Broadway Mall once, I think some people have a look about them like they might be a smart a$$.

As for throwing the exercise bike at Yashin, the Zamboni driver told me that story... it was Mike Sillinger who took over the leadership role on the team at that point and was loved in the locker room, Yashin is a nice guy though, a solid philanthropist etc... just did not have winning passion, if you could only put Casey Cizikas heart in his body

 

[LeapOnOver]

Meh, lots of NHLers have been disliked. Billy Smith whacked a teammate's wife in the arm with his stick because she "disturbed" him by wishing him luck before a game.

All I know is that come game time, Blake busted his ass on every shift and never took a night off. When he got the puck it was pretty much guaranteed the Isles would have possession in the offensive zone and often times it generated a scoring opportunity. Puck hog or not, Blake was one of the reasons to root for the team during some not so good years. Loved watching him skate.

Sure, not going to argue Blake's role. Fans liked him plenty. Hard not to like a guy that goes from the spot he was in to having the success he did. I was just responding to whether or not it was confirmed that he was really disliked in the lockerroom, like Parrish is stating about Yashin and confirming now. I'm pretty sure that's enough to add credence to the fact that Blake was not easily to get along with off the ice.