New York Islanders and Their Third Jerseys

A team’s third jersey could breathe a new spirit, a new life, and excitement into a franchise. Not to mention another opportunity for a fanbase to show off some new merchandise. It’s an opportunity to grow. Those jersey updates can also be met with some confusion. Determining how to merge the existing culture and spirit around a team and making room for revisions can be challenging. At times, it has been just that for the Islanders. Understanding where this cultural element started could help to figure out where it’s heading.

There had been a wide span of third jerseys through the team’s history. The Islanders first incorporated their third jerseys in the mid-to-late 1990s. A way to bring something new to a team that needed something fresh. A modern take and an idea around a fisherman didn’t go over well with fans. The fisherman logo, which is exactly what it sounds like, would incorporate a fisherman donned in a rain slicker and full beard. It only lasted about a season. But it’s still a prevalent artifact within the team and fanbase’s culture.

The bright orange “traffic cone orange” had been another attempt at an alternate or third jersey made by the organization in the 2000s. That bright orange had been the main color; navy stripes had gone down the sleeves and front. This jersey was kept in the rotation from 2002 to 2007.

The next time the team would try for a jersey would be in 2011. The jerseys would look nothing like what many fans had been accustomed to. These were black and silver, a sleeker style. The jerseys tried a wordmark style with “Islanders” across the front.

Fans remember the Brooklyn Blacks. This was the third option when the team would play at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. This was something out of left field. Fans are still torn about this look. Many disliked the modern take; there would be other fans who appreciated a new take. These jerseys did not stick around long. Given how different they were from the rest, they may stick in one’s memory more than others.

The longest third jerseys were seen a bit more recently. They included a modern NY crest on the chest, and these had returned to the team’s blue and orange colors. With a nod to the four Stanley Cup wins, the hockey stick on the jersey would have four stripes on the blade to portray those wins. They had first been seen with a little bit of a different take before developing it a bit more for a regular season rotation at the stadium series they played at Yankee Stadium.

While there have been other special jerseys, such as the Stadium Series in 2024, when the team played the Rangers at MetLife Stadium, about ten years after playing at Yankee Stadium. They also wore special edition jerseys for nights they were representing a cause, such as Hockey Fights Cancer Night or Military Appreciation Night. The jerseys are a fun element to incorporate into a theme; they also give back, often being raffled off to benefit the causes at hand. It’s worth noting the team donned a reimagined version of the fisherman logo on their navy and teal reverse retro jerseys during the 2022-2023 season. Opinions still vary on the that logo.

Now the organization is looking to fans to help them come up with new ideas. This upcoming season gives fans a bigger role than ever before, and it takes place before the players even step on the ice. The Islanders announced there would be a contest where fans can design an official third jersey for the 2027-28 season. This idea has gained attention from around the league. The Winnipeg Jets have taken notice, posting social media content that pokes a little fun at the idea.

This would be the first time a team would offer something like this. Upon announcing the contest, fans had fun designing their idea of what their alternate jerseys should look like. According to Yahoo Sports, the submissions surpassed 65,000 entries. With that number, it’s obvious that fans are excited to be involved. The New York Islanders’ third jerseys may have a storied history. The team is making history with the fans at the helm, assisting them in creating this new chapter. The franchise has taken on another level of excitement as seen in recent seasons, and now this gives back to fans who have been showing up, letting them have a hand in designing something that will be an element in how the team shows up on the ice.