Islanders: Marty Biron and The Maven
A surprise chat with the Isles' newest netminder
Posted on Friday, July 24, 2009 at 3:30 PMIt isn't often that I get a phone call from Martin Biron.
Actually, over a half-century of covering hockey I've never received a buzz on the buzzer from any NHL goalie; at least not out of the blue like this one.
But this one WAS a stunner. It was so surprising, in fact, that I thought it was my buddy, Larry Gaines, doing one of his infamous imitations.
How wrong The Maven was because this time it was Martin Biron imitating Martin Biron; in other words THE man, himself!
"I thought you were Larry Gaines," I said.
"I'm not," laughed Marty.
"So, what nice thing did I do to deserve this call?" I wondered, tickled that he was not reaming me for something I had written way back when.
Biron: "Just wanted to chat. Going back to when I was backing up Dom Hasek in Buffalo, we've had some good talks. Remember the time we had that conversation about my brother when he played for the Islanders?"
"Yeah, yeah," I shot back, "but that was then and this is now and YOU, my fine feathered friend, are with the Isles. What gives?"
"It's a good opportunity for me," the affable French-Canadian explained. "This will give Ricky (DiPietro) time to rehab and get back in the lineup without being rushed. I'm happy."
Other than after giving up a goal that he wished he had stopped, Biron rarely is unhappy. Matter of fact, he's one of the most delightful guys I've ever encountered, short of Smilin' Jack, my comic book hero.
"But Marty," I pointed out, "a three-goalie system is not exactly the kind that any goaltender I've known would be tickled about."
"It'll work," Biron insisted. "Rolly (Dwayne Roloson) and I get along. We'll split the chores 'til Ricky is ready and then we'll see how things work out. To tell you the truth, I'm excited about coming to the Island. I think it'll be good for me."
Marty tells me that he and his wife shortly will be visiting Nassau to find a house. If he has ANY compunction about the move, I couldn't detect it over a fifteen-minute chat.
Like all of us who have studied the team closely, we wonder how the netminding triumvirate will eventually become a duet because there's no way Garth Snow will retain three number one goaltenders.
Everything hinges on DiPietro's physical condition during training camp and thereafter.
Assuming that his health is A-1, DP will give the club three starting goalies which is another way of saying that it gives Snow the option of TRADING one to a goalie-starved team – there always is one – during the season and emerging with a Number One draft pick.
That, however, is for the dim, distant future.
Biron-Roloson will open the campaign, and if I were to turn Marty's feelings into a hit song, it would be "That's Quite Alright With Me."
Or, to put it directly into his final words before our conversation concluded: "I like the way the (young) Islanders are shaping up. When I was with the Flyers, the Islanders always gave us trouble; always hustled; always worked. Last year, with all their injuries and whatnot, they'd lose games by a goal. With our goaltending now, and a healthy team, we could be winning those games by a goal. This is going to be a fun season for me."
I'm happy that Marty's happy. Isles fans should be giddy as well.
As for the surprise phone call, I told Monsieur Biron that he could call me anytime – COLLECT!
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