Will Islanders also get in on jersey ads?

As it stands now, the New York Islanders aren't slated to have any ads on their jerseys for the 2022-23 NHL season. You may have forgotten that was a thing for next season but it absolutely is. Teams can sell ads on their home, away, and third jerseys starting the 2022-23 season.

And some teams have already jumped into this. Like a while ago.

Back in September of 2021, the Washington Capitals announced a multi-year deal with Caesar's to place an ad on their home and third jerseys. A few other teams joined in not long after.

Just yesterday the Pittsburgh Penguins announced Highmark as their jersey ad for home games. So the question is "will the Isles do it"? Yeah, they probably will.

New York Islanders likely getting jersey patch ads

Look, it's no secret that the NHL needs to diversify its sources of revenue. The pandemic made it abundantly clear that relying so heavily on gate receipts can be a problem. And it looks like jersey patch ads are going to be a pretty solid source of revenue.

In a recent piece for Sportsnet by Sonny Sachdeva, the NHL's Chief Business Officer Keith Wachtel stated that these ads can likely fetch between $5 and $10 million per club.

With that kind of return it's really not a question of "if" but "when and who" for the Islanders.

I know we don't like these ads. The Islanders jersey is perfect the way it is. And there's no way an ad will enhance the aesthetic quality of the classic sweater. But not even Lou Lamoriello is going to be able to resist this type of change.

The NHL is after all a business and businesses need to diversify their revenue streams to stay profitable. If a few jersey patches put $5 to $10 million in their coffers you better believe they're going to do it.