The New York Islanders are engaging their fanbase in a novel way by inviting them to design the team's alternate jersey for the 2027-28 season. This initiative allows fans to contribute to every detail, from shoulder patches to trim, with the winning design earning the creator an in-person viewing of their creation's debut on the ice.
"In the end, you’re going to end up with a jersey that the fans like, and the players like — and hopefully that’s the one that you want to win a Cup in," Kelly Cheeseman, Islanders president of business operations, told The Post. The team has launched a dedicated online portal, islesjerseybuilder.com, where enthusiasts can begin designing. Submissions can draw inspiration from existing team styles, including the 1990s fisherman wave and the classic NYI aesthetic, as well as fresh interpretations of past looks, such as repurposing the font from the team's 2011 black, gray, and orange jerseys.
The contest opened on a Wednesday and received over 11,000 entries within its first four hours, well ahead of the July 24 deadline. Cheeseman noted the significant fan interest and ongoing discussions surrounding the team's uniform history, including debates about bringing back an all-orange jersey, a popular alternate from the mid-2000s.
"I just love all that chatter. It just brings the passion of the fan base forward," Cheeseman said. "When there’s that irrational talk about anything in sports, that’s what real fan bases dream about."
Fans have a broad palette of colors to choose from, including unusual hues of gold, red, green, and purple, in addition to the Islanders' traditional blue and orange variations. While fan creativity is encouraged, Cheeseman confirmed that team staff and players will have the final say on the design. This ensures that the chosen jersey is not only popular among fans but also one that players feel confident and comfortable wearing.
"I think really getting the players involved, so that they’re picking what they want to wear, that’s to me always the most important part of the jersey uniform process," he stated. "When they’re putting it on, they’ve got to feel like, ‘All right, I want to win a game’ and not to feel all goofy."
Cheeseman, who previously saw similar success with fan-concept designs for the MLS' LA Galaxy in 2013, described the contest as a "tease" to the team's upcoming season's "hometown remix jerseys." The portal also includes a feature for fans to add notes if their design concept couldn't be fully realized, offering further input on their vision. Cheeseman emphasized the collaborative nature of the project, calling it "the jersey of the people — and the team of the people."