Former NY Islanders captain Alexei Yashin reveals reason behind his iconic turtleneck

For years, Alexei Yashin’s signature turtleneck was simply part of the look.

If you watched the New York Islanders in the early 2000s, you probably remember it immediately. Yashin would hit the ice with the turtleneck underneath his equipment, creating one of the more recognizable styles of that era.

Now, the former Islanders captain has finally offered some insight into where it came from.

And as it turns out, it had a lot more to do with practicality than fashion.

“I was wearing a lot of lucky charms, like small gold chains and silver chains,” Yashin told NewYorkIslanders.com. “Every time I was on the ice, they would start coming out, and I was worried about breaking them.”

That concern made plenty of sense considering the era Yashin played in. Scrums, fights and players grabbing at collars were common, leaving those chains exposed and vulnerable.

Yashin eventually turned to the Ottawa Senators equipment staff for a solution. A tighter undershirt was not available, so they suggested a turtleneck.

A signature look was born.

And despite having been in a long-term relationship with model Carol Alt during his time on Long Island, there was no superstition tied to the shirt itself and no attempt to create a memorable fashion statement. “It’s very simple,” Yashin said. “There was no magic there or some kind of fashion look.”

The turtleneck certainly did not hurt his production.

Yashin recorded 781 points in 850 NHL games across 12 seasons with Ottawa and the Islanders. During his five seasons on Long Island from 2001 through 2007, he totaled 290 points in 346 games and served as Islanders captain from 2005 through 2007.

Nearly two decades after his final game with the Islanders, the turtleneck remains one of the lasting images associated with Yashin. Turns out one of the most distinctive looks in Islanders history started simply because Yashin did not want to lose his jewelry.

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