- Islanders drew 80,490 fan submissions for their 2027-28 third jersey
- The finalist field grew from five designs to an eight-jersey bracket
- Read below for who picks the eight and when the fan vote opens
The Islanders got more jersey designs than they knew what to do with.
New York announced Wednesday that its 2027-28 third jersey competition will now run as an eight-design bracket, up from the five finalists the team originally planned to put in front of fans.
Volume is the reason. Submissions closed on July 24 with 80,490 entries, a total Sports Business Journal broke down alongside the tools fans had to work with.
Fans could mix 15 patterns, nine logos and more than 50 colors once the Islanders opened their jersey builder in July, then leave notes explaining the details the app could not handle.
No NHL team had ever handed the design room over to its fans like this.
Cutting 80,490 designs down to eight falls to the front office, and players will have a say in the finalists before anything reaches a public ballot.
Kelly Cheeseman, the club’s president of business operations, framed the whole thing as a handoff when the contest launched.
“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. Our third jersey will truly belong to the fans, born from their passion and chosen by their voice.”
Early August was the original window for the fan vote. That date is soft now, with the club saying only that more information on timing is coming.
Whoever wins gets a team-signed version of their own jersey, plus tickets to the 2027-28 game where it hits the ice at UBS Arena.
Three more designs made the bracket than anyone expected, which is a good problem when 80,490 people show up to draw you a sweater.
