Report: Islanders Move on From Longtime Radio Voices Chris King, Greg Picker

More shocking news out of Long Island this morning. Arthur Staple of The Athletic reported that the team decided to move on from longtime radio broadcasters Chris King and Greg Picker.

King has been a part of the Islanders’ radio broadcast since 1998 and is as integrated with this fanbase as any. I still remember growing up with King making some of his trademark calls. Greg Picker joined him in 2013, and the duo has been calling games since.

Excitement always lined King’s voice, and his voice became synonymous with some of the biggest moments, particularly with the 2021 Playoff Run and his emphatic call of John Tavares’ 2016 Series-Winning Overtime goal.

IslesDen posted this compilation on YouTube, and it’s worth everyone watching just to appreciate the very best of King:

Just from initial reactions on social media, the devastation’s clear. This fanbase adores passionate people who put their all into this franchise. Nobody did that more than Kinger, his nickname in the booth and for all. On a personal level, King’s been fantastic to me since I joined the beat. He always wore a smile and was ready to chat over dinner on the media level.

As a kid, nothing was better than coming home from my hockey games and listening to King call games. His excitement and energy brought anyone listening right into the thick of the action. He’s still the voice of the Long Island Ducks, another community staple.

As for Picker, nobody knows more about the game of hockey and Islanders trivia than him. One of the sharpest and best minds around.

Staple reported there’s a good chance the Islanders will not even have a radio broadcast going forward. At the start of the 2023-24 season, it was reported they were no longer traveling, only covering home games, and traveling to the Rangers, Devils, and Flyers. It wasn’t confirmed at the time, but it’s widely assumed it was a cost-cutting move.

Presently, this move only serves to upset fans who love King and Picker on 88.7 WRHU or enjoy radio broadcasts. The move may well be the first big move by John Collins running the business ops, and if it is, it is not a popular one amongst Islanders fans. If it’s truly just a pure cost-cutting move, and this writer is unsure of what else it’d be, it’s a massive shame and disappointment.