The New York Islanders missed the playoffs the last two years. And while the front office is trying to fix that with trades and roster moves, the team just handed fans a different kind of job. Design the next third jersey.
This isn’t a typical fan contest where you vote on a couple pre-made options. The Islanders are letting anyone with an internet connection actually build a sweater from scratch. Well, from a set of approved parts. Fans will use an online tool that the NHL signed off on. It has 15 base jersey patterns, nine historic logos and patches, team-approved fonts for numbers and names, plus more than 50 color choices. You submit by July 24. Then a committee picks five finalists. Early August, there’s an online vote. The winner gets their design worn on the ice starting the 2027-28 season. Oh, and they get a VIP trip to the debut game.
Kelly Cheeseman, the team’s president of operations, put out a statement that basically says the fans are the heartbeat of the franchise and this contest breaks down the old walls between the team and its supporters. She called it something that’s never been done before in the league. That’s a big claim, but it’s hard to remember another NHL team letting the public do this much of the actual design work.
Isles fans are known for being loud and loyal. They’ve stuck through some lean years. Giving them a direct say in what the team wears feels like a genuine move, not just a marketing gimmick. It acknowledges that the people in the stands matter even when the on-ice product isn’t delivering playoff hockey.
The timing is interesting. The Islanders haven’t made the postseason since 2024-25. The roster is in flux. A new third jersey won’t fix the power play or shore up the defense. But it might give fans something positive to engage with during a long offseason. Something that’s theirs. The team is asking them to be part of the identity, literally.
If you want to enter, the Islanders posted the link on social media. You have until July 24. After that, it’s up to a committee and then a fan vote. The winning design will hit the ice in 2027. For a fanbase that’s been waiting for something to get excited about, this might be it.
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