Islanders Announce 3rd Jersey Design Contest For Fans, Will Be Worn in 2027-28 NHL Season

The New York Islanders announced Wednesday that they are holding a fan contest to determine a third jersey concept to be worn during the 2027-28 NHL season.

According to the Islanders, the contest marks "the first time in National Hockey League history that a franchise has turned to its fanbase to create an official team sweater."

Fans can submit their design ideas through a digital tool provided by the team, which includes "historic logos and patches, official team fonts, and a wide color palette."

The Islanders will accept design submissions until July 24, at which point five finalists will be chosen, and they will be put to a fan vote in August to determine the team's third jersey for the 2027-28 campaign.

Whoever designed the winning concept will receive "a team-signed third jersey and tickets to a 2027-28 game to watch its on-ice debut," per the Islanders.

The Isles have one of the most classic and celebrated jerseys in the NHL, but their attempts at alternates have not always been well received.

Perhaps the most famous example of that occurred in the mid-1990s when they shortly replaced their traditional royal blue jerseys with navy jerseys that featured a unique fisherman logo.

The design only lasted from 1995 to 1997, perhaps due in part to public outcry, before going back to the more familiar logo.

That jersey did become something of a cult classic over time, though, leading to its return as a reverse retro jersey in 2022.

The Islanders have also had some other iffy alternates, including the orange jerseys introduced in 2002, the black jerseys with numbers on the front first used in 2011, and the all-black jerseys with a simplified "NY logo" first utilized in 2015.

Putting the decision of the next third jersey in the hands of the fans could potentially yield better results for a franchise that has cycled through several questionable looks.