General Manager Mathieu Darche of the New York Islanders revealed that even his own son was heavily invested in the team's recent alternate jersey design contest, jokingly asking his father to 'rig it' when his submission was not among the finalists.
The contest, which received over 80,000 submissions, aimed to let fans design the team's 2027 alternate jerseys. Darche's son's design did not make it to the final eight, prompting the playful request.
Ultimately, Darche's two sons supported the winning design: a navy jersey featuring a broadside lighthouse logo. Darche himself did not submit a design, opting to keep the process fan-centric and admitting he's "not a fashion person" and believes his own submission might not have been "that great."
Darche expressed his amazement at the level of fan engagement. The winning design narrowly beat out a navy and cream submission that featured "Islanders" across the torso. He acknowledged that "whatever jersey you do, not everyone is going to agree," which is why the team opted for a contest with submissions from fans.
Kelly Cheeseman, president of business operations, suggested that the numerous runner-up designs might inspire future merchandise or alternative jersey concepts, even if they don't hit the ice. "And that's what's really cool to me," Cheeseman stated.