The New York Islanders are taking an unusually hands-on route for their next jersey, and the response has been enormous. More than 80,000 entries were submitted after the team invited fans to help design the sweater that will be worn in the 2027-28 season.
That kind of turnout forced the club to adjust the process. The Islanders said the voting will now be expanded to an eight-jersey bracket as the field is narrowed down.
"#IslesNation - Because of the incredible number of jersey submissions, we're expanding the voting to an 8️⃣ jersey bracket.
More details on timing coming soon. 👀"
Kelly Cheeseman, the team’s president of business operations, said the fan response showed just how deeply connected the fan base is to the organization.
"Islanders fans are among the most passionate in all of sports, and their emotional investment is the heartbeat of this franchise," said Kelly Cheeseman, president of business operations for the Islanders. "With this contest, we are breaking down traditional boundaries and inviting ‘Isles Nation' directly into the design room to do something that has never been done before in our league.
The concept behind the project gave supporters a “paint-by-numbers” setup, letting them use their imaginations to decide what the players would wear on the ice.
It will take some time to trim the submissions from 80,000 down to eight, but the end result should be a jersey unlike anything the Islanders have worn before. The organization also noted that other teams around sports could eventually follow a similar path.
The Islanders’ alternate-uniform history has not always produced agreement among fans. The black jersey with “Islanders” across the front, which was used from 2011-2014, drew plenty of criticism. The Reverse Retro looks from 2021 and 2022-23 were more popular, although the Fish Sticks logo still leaves some fans unconvinced.
In Other News...
Islanders Fans Are Turning This Jersey Vote Into An Identity Fight
The Islanders have turned a future uniform project into an unexpectedly lively referendum on the teams image, with the club releasing partial results from fan voting for its third jersey set to debut in the 2027-28 NHL season. The fisherman logo design is currently trailing a lighthouse-themed jersey, a reminder that for this fan base, jersey choices are never just about fabric and colors. Voting remains open until Monday, and the process is far from done.
The two leading designs will advance to another round before a winner is announced after final voting, and the person behind the chosen look will be rewarded with prizes that include a signed jersey and game tickets. For Islanders fans, the debate has already become bigger than a simple alternate-uniform contest, because the outcome will say something about which piece of the franchises past, and present, they want carried forward. [Read more 🡒]