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New York Islanders Plan To Have Smart Jerseys At New Arena

By Matt O'Leary

ELMONT, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 23: Patrick Dowd holds up a sign at the groundbreaking ceremony for the New York Islanders hockey arena at Belmont Park on September 23, 2019 in Elmont, New York. The $1.3 billion facility, which will seat 19,000 and include shops, restaurants and a hotel, is expected to be completed in time for the 2021-2022 hockey season. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
ELMONT, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 23: Patrick Dowd holds up a sign at the groundbreaking ceremony for the New York Islanders hockey arena at Belmont Park on September 23, 2019 in Elmont, New York. The $1.3 billion facility, which will seat 19,000 and include shops, restaurants and a hotel, is expected to be completed in time for the 2021-2022 hockey season. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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The New York Islanders announced that they will have “smart jerseys” at their home arena which will open in two years. They would be the first NHL team to implement this.

Just a few weeks ago, the New York Islanders broke ground on their new home at Belmont Park. Since yesterday was alumni day for the Isles, the team decided to take the former players down to the job site.

With the arena opening up in 2021, the goal from Jon Ledecky and company is to make the arena as state of the art as possible. One of the things they plan to do is use virtual reality experiences and “smart” jerseys.

Now, what’s a smart jersey you might ask? Well, think of it as a jersey that could change names and numbers as you enter the building. The NBA released this idea this past February and it looks like something that could be the future of sports merchandise.

Could you imagine a piece of clothing changing while you’re wearing it? That’s something that boggles my mind, even as a 24-year-old millennial this is something that seems like it’s coming out of a movie that depicts life 100 years from now.

Ledecky said:

"“That’s the future of sports, that’s the future of arenas,” Ledecky said, adding that they’ve tried to anticipate what technology will have become mainstream when the arena is slated to open in 2021. “[Everything] takes advantage of technology. That’s what happens when you’re starting something from scratch, when you’re building a new building. … If you can get that family excited about jumping in the car or going on the railroad, it doesn’t get any better than that.”"

Just think, you can cut down on the number of jerseys you buy and instead buy one of these that changes players names. One night, it could be a Mathew Barzal jersey, maybe the next day you want an Anders Leee jersey, it’s truly amazing what you could do with today’s technology.

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The Islanders seem very forward-thinking with what they want to do in their new building, and that’s a great sign. The Islanders are in good hands from top to bottom.

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