Isles alumni Cal Clutterbuck and Josh Bailey to deliver an insider’s perspective throughout the 2025-26 with the launch of an AltCast, podcast and revamped radio
Josh Bailey was dialed into ESPN’s Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli – known as the ManningCast – when inspiration struck. The former Islanders winger immediately texted his good friend and former teammate Cal Clutterbuck.
“I said, ‘why don’t we do something like this? It’s such good insight,’” Bailey said. “I’m a pretty casual football fan, I enjoy watching the game, but I don’t understand the ins and outs of each play. Those guys give fans a better experience for the game, so why not do it for hockey?”
The idea brought Clutterbuck back to all the memories he and Bailey would watch games together on the road or after practice, casually talking through a game for an hour or two to decompress. The idea of bringing those chats to life for Islanders fans piqued Clutterbuck’s interest.
“Josh just sees the game at a very elite and almost different level than most people would see the game, so I felt like it was probably a great opportunity for people to get a little glimpse into his hockey brain,” Clutterbuck said. “And obviously I’m not short for words, so I figured it would be a good idea.”
The idea is now becoming a reality, as Bailey and Clutterbuck will debut a series of AltCasts for the Islanders 2025-26 season. Though the ManningCast is the blueprint, Clutterbuck and Bailey are looking to bring their own flare to the sports commentary meets talk show format for Islanders hockey for select nationally televised games.
Bailey and Clutterbuck have built a wealth of fun stories to tell in their shared 10 seasons together on Long Island. Clutterbuck, the NHL’s all-time hits leader, and Bailey, a veteran of 15 NHL seasons with the Islanders, are thrilled to break down coverage and calls in real-time, while leaning into some humor and personal stories.
“The vision for it is us just hanging out, talking hockey and talking about different plays,” Bailey said. “We’re excited to give some insight behind each play, the little things that go on during the game, just give the fans a little more insight.”
The AltCast is just one of the new facets of the team’s reimagined broadcast and programming for the 2025-26 season. Clutterbuck, who served as an analyst on MSG Networks last season, is rapidly expanding his broadcast presence and is launching his own podcast where he’ll be joined by current players, fellow alumni and influencers to share never-before-told stories and behind-the-scenes insights.
“It’ll just be for somebody who loves the Islanders and has 30 or 40 minutes in the car as a commute and to listen,” Clutterbuck said. “It’ll be the perfect podcast.”
Clutterbuck was the star of the show in the team’s schedule release video, where the former winger became an Islanders intern. The skit was the most watched NHL schedule release video from this summer with over two million impressions.
“I still get comments about it, it was a really fun thing to be a part of,” Clutterbuck said. “I think I get a lot of attention for that video, but really it was the brainchild of a lot of smart people in media and video. They executed it really well.”
The new programming schedule also includes a cinematic docu-series, On The Island, which chronicles the Islanders team and Hockey Operations during the 2025-26 season. The first episode, which featured the lead-up to the 2025 NHL Draft, is streaming now on YouTube, with the second episode slated to launch in early October.
“You turn on your TV to watch the game, but there’s so much that goes into puck drop from a player to a coach, the trainers and everyone behind the scenes” Bailey said. “To give the fans a little more access to what actually goes on behind the scenes is a positive for sure.”
The Islanders are also enhancing their radio broadcasts with new fan-first segments celebrating the team’s history and culture. Alan Fuehring, who has served as Bridgeport’s radio play-by-play broadcaster and PR manager since 2016, will serve as the team’s new play-by-play voice. Radio broadcasts will involve Bailey, Clutterbuck and other Islanders alumni, and special guests throughout the season.
Clutterbuck and Fuehring made their unofficial broadcast debut together on Sunday night when they called the Islanders first preseason game against Philadelphia via live stream, marking the first of many calls together.
“It was a thrill to be able to get there and call a game from the booth,” Clutterbuck said. “I got to give Alan a lot of credit, he did a great job making it easy for me.”
All regular season games will continue to be broadcast on 88.7FM WRHU, 103.9FM LI News Radio, the NY Islanders + UBS Arena App, SiriusXM, and the NHL app. The team is also strengthening its long-standing partnership with Hofstra University, with students playing a larger role in producing and engineering content.
“It’s a whole new era, ushering the Islanders into the next phase,” Clutterbuck said. “The marriage of the excitement for a young team, excitement to see what they can do, coupled with a little more access to what’s going on and a little more fan connection to the players and their stories, it’s a perfect time.”
Buy a ticket plan by Sept. 26 and BBQ with the full Isles team, including: Anders Lee, Bo Horvat, Mathew Barzal, Kyle Palmieri and Ryan Pulock.
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