The Islanders’ fisherman logo has pulled off one of the strangest turnarounds in NHL history.
What was once mocked as a disastrous rebrand in the mid-1990s has slowly become something fans actually want back. The same logo that drew instant backlash, spawned “we want fish sticks” chants, and lasted only two seasons is now tied to nostalgia for a generation of Islanders supporters.
The story starts with the Islanders trying to follow the wave of successful NHL rebrands in the 1990s. The Kings, Sharks, and Ducks had all refreshed their looks and found plenty of success in the process.
New jerseys were selling, and the Islanders wanted in. That push came during a rough stretch for the franchise, which was coming off the 1980s dynasty and struggling badly, including a merchandise ranking of 24th out of 26th.
On June 22nd, 1995, the team unveiled its new look. The design leaned into Long Island’s fishing tradition and featured a fisherman holding a hockey stick with Islanders underneath.
The reaction was brutal. Fans said it looked too much like the Gorton Fish Stick logo, and the “Fish Stick” nickname stuck immediately.
The Islanders didn’t keep it around for long.
But time changed the conversation. As younger fans grew up, the logo stopped feeling like a punchline and started feeling like part of their own Islanders memories.
For them, it wasn’t an embarrassment. It was the jersey of the team they loved as kids.
That shift helped fuel the push to bring it back, and the Islanders answered in 2022 by wearing it in the Reverse Retro series.
The clearest sign that the logo had been rehabilitated came with the Bridgeport Islanders. The AHL affiliate, which had previously been the Sound Tigers, rebranded to strengthen its connection with the parent club and adopted a modernized version of the fish stick logo as its primary mark. That move gave the design a new life and a stronger place in Islanders identity.
What began as one of the NHL’s most ridiculed logos has become a lasting piece of Islanders lore, and its popularity keeps growing.
In Other News...
Islanders Fans Wont Love How This Patrik Laine Interest Looks
When NHL free agency opened, Patrik Laines name briefly surfaced in Islanders circles, but the interest never sounded especially aggressive. New York already has a surplus of forwards, and with roster spots and cap decisions still being sorted out around the league, the club does not appear to be pushing hard to add another scorer at this stage.
Laines market may not be settled yet, though, and that leaves the door cracked open if his search drags on. His agents could always circle back to the Islanders later if the winger remains unsigned, but for now this looks more like a team keeping tabs than one preparing to make a real run. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Center Ranking Missed One Crucial Piece Of The Puzzle
The Athletics Harman Dayal took a swing at the Islanders center depth and came away unimpressed, slotting the clubs top-six group below average on the strength of Bo Horvat and Brayden Schenn. Horvats recent production was part of the case, and the broader concern was simple enough: if those are the names driving the middle of the lineup, it is hard to place the Islanders among the better teams down the middle.
But the evaluation may be missing the part that matters most to New York. Pete DeBoer has indicated Mathew Barzal is expected to shift back to center, and that changes the whole conversation about how the Islanders can line up. If Barzal is back where he belongs and paired with Horvat, the group starts to look a lot less ordinary and a lot more like a strength the rest of the league has to account for. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Face A Franchise Defining Choice On Proven Scoring Help
Kirill Marchenkos name has started to surface in trade chatter, and that alone is enough to put the Islanders in an uncomfortable spot. The Blue Jackets forward is viewed as a proven scoring help option, which makes him appealing to a team that could use more offense, but the price tag is expected to be steep enough to force real soul-searching in New York.
The Islanders are still trying to rebuild their prospect pipeline, and that makes any aggressive pursuit a complicated fit for a front office that has stressed patience and a longer view. General manager Mathieu Darche has leaned hard into that approach, so even if Marchenko remains the kind of player who would draw interest, this looks like the sort of deal that would have to clear a very high bar before New York seriously bites. [Read more 🡒]