The Islanders just wrapped up something the NHL has never actually let a fanbase do before: design their own jersey. After opening submissions to the public, the team says it got a staggering 80,490 design concepts from Isles Nation, whittled that pile down to a handful of finalists, and let fans vote on the winner in a bracket format. The result dropped this week, and it's called "Navy Lighthouse."
First look at the Islanders' 2027-28 third jersey concept that fans voted into existence.
The design leans navy blue with a lighthouse as the primary crest, framed by orange and teal striping down the sleeves and hem — a callback to the franchise's Long Island roots dressed up as a modern alternate sweater. It's a departure from the fortress-crest third jerseys the Isles have rotated through in recent years, and it's notable specifically because it wasn't cooked up in a design studio. It came from the stands.
Daily Faceoff was among the first to flag the reveal, tagging it as the official winner of the fan vote for next season's alternate look.
Islanders unveil contest winner for 2027-28 third jersey https://t.co/i6lg3jQoz9
This wasn't a quiet little poll, either. The Islanders built an actual digital design tool for the contest, complete with historic logos, official team fonts and a color palette locked to NHL jersey templates, so fans could submit something that could realistically get made. Submissions closed in late July, a committee trimmed the field down to finalists, and the sweater went through a public bracket vote before Navy Lighthouse came out on top. The Islanders are now working with Fanatics to turn that digital mockup into an actual on-ice jersey.
It's a smart marketing swing for a franchise that's leaned into its Long Island identity hard in recent years, and it's the kind of stunt other teams will be watching closely — if it lands well at UBS Arena next season, don't be shocked if more NHL clubs start crowdsourcing their alternates too. For now, Isles fans have their first real look at what they'll be wearing for the 2027-28 season, and the person who actually designed it is reportedly getting a signed jersey and tickets to see it debut on the ice.