Islanders fire longtime announcers while evaluating radio broadcast future

The New York Islanders have reportedly fired longtime play-by-play voice Chris King and analyst Greg Picker, putting the future of their radio broadcast in doubt.

Arthur Staple of The Athletic was first to report the news Wednesday morning, posting that King and Picker were let go. The surprising news was paired with the equally surprising note that the Islanders may not have a radio broadcast going forward.

King had been part of the Islanders’ radio broadcast since 1998, with Picker joining him on the call in 2013. Both broadcasters are very popular amongst the Islanders fanbase, with King specifically becoming synonymous with some of the franchise’s biggest moments in the last quarter-century. The news of their ousting has been met with significant negative feedback from their peers and fans on social media.

In recent seasons, the Islanders have appeared less invested in radio. Prior to the 2023-24 NHL season, it was reported the Islanders radio crew would broadcast most road games from Long Island. King and Picker only traveled for road broadcasts that were in driving distance, such as games against the New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers. The rest of the Islanders road schedule has been called remotely.

For a franchise that has an estimated value of nearly $2 billion, their desire to now potentially do away with a radio broadcast altogether will be perceived as cheap. The Islanders radio broadcast has been produced by Hofstra’s student radio station, WRHU 88.7FM, while being simulcast by ESPN Radio 1050AM and WRCN 103.9FM.

Several NHL teams have opted to simulcast their TV broadcasts on radio instead of having dedicated radio announcers in recent years. Other teams have used online radio platforms instead of airing on terrestrial stations. But the Islanders could be the first NHL team to eliminate radio completely.