Women showing up to New York Islanders games in sharp orange-and-blue fits should not be a controversy, but here we are.
A New York Post feature on Tuesday spotlighted the growing number of female hockey fans turning UBS Arena into something of a fashion scene, and somehow that was enough to set off a strange social media pile-on. The piece centered on Marina Heinz, who makes customized Islanders clothing, posts game-day looks online and has built friendships through her love of the team.
Holly Horvat, wife of Islanders captain Bo Horvat, also talked about how women are getting more creative with what they wear to games. Heinz, who runs the Isles Styles Instagram account, described the connections she’s made through customized Islanders apparel.
That should have been a pretty simple story about fandom and community. Instead, the replies on the post - which has now drawn more than a million views - veered into accusations that this was some kind of calculated push to attract casual female fans, or that the people participating were more interested in attention than in the Islanders themselves.
“Get younger, more diverse, and more female," Islanders President of Hockey Operations Kelly Cheeseman has previously stated. And that, apparently, is enough to irritate some of the louder corners of the fan base.
But women have been around this sport for a long time. They’ve followed the Islanders through good stretches and bad ones, and they didn’t just show up because someone added rhinestones to a jacket.
That’s not what the original story was saying anyway. The point was simpler: more women are finding new ways to express their fandom, and hockey is part of that.
The reaction also wasn’t limited to Islanders fans. Supporters of other NHL teams chimed in to say they’re seeing the same thing in their own buildings, with fashion communities and game-day experiences becoming more visible across the league.
So the backlash feels even more misplaced.
This isn’t some one-off marketing trick unique to the Islanders. It’s part of a wider shift in how women are connecting with hockey, with their teams and with each other. That ought to be an easy thing to understand.
The NHL has spent years trying to bring in younger fans and broaden its audience. Now women are showing up, making content, buying merchandise and turning hockey into part of their social lives, and somehow the argument is whether they’re doing it the “right” way.
There’s a real point to be made about not reducing female fans to outfits and appearances. Plenty of women know the game better than the people taking shots at them online.
But liking the fashion side of game day doesn’t make anyone less of a fan.
As one fan put it: “Ya know the only reason I began doing different hockey looks is because I was tired of the typical women’s “V neck” or crappy material. Everyone fits things differently. Women want more than a thin v neck with a logo”
Not every fan follows the same path into the sport. Some break down systems.
Some collect jerseys. Some track prospects, listen to podcasts or just love the buzz of a full arena.
Plenty do all of it.
And if someone first gets pulled in by a friend, a player or an outfit they saw online, so what? If they leave wanting to come back, that helps the Islanders and it helps hockey.
Given the early-season attendance numbers, the Islanders could use every new fan they can get. And if those fans are showing up in style, that seems like a much better problem than seeing sections filled with Devils or Canadiens supporters.
Growing the game should not come with a dress code.
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