The NY Islanders will have an 8 entry bracket to determine its next jersey

When the NY Islanders announced that fans would be the ones designing the team's next jersey, there was sure to be lots of interest. Still, it's difficult to imagine even the organization could see over 80,000 entries submitted.

"Islanders fans are among the most passionate in all of sports, and their emotional investment is the heartbeat of this franchise," said Kelly Cheeseman, president of business operations for the Islanders. "With this contest, we are breaking down traditional boundaries and inviting ‘Isles Nation' directly into the design room to do something that has never been done before in our league.

The new jersey, which will be used for the 2027-28 season, had fans use their imaginations to determine what the players would wear on the ice, using what the organization called a "paint-by-numbers" setup.

It will take time for those working on the project to whittle down from 80,000 to eight, but in the end, it will surely become a one-of-a-kind design for the Islanders as other franchises around the sports world may adopt in the future.

Since the induction of alternate uniforms around the NHL, Islanders fans have had a difference of opinion regarding the designs. The black jersey that read "Islanders" across the front, used from 2011-2014, was widely considered one of the least liked concepts. But the two Reverse Retro jerseys used in 2021 and 2022-23 were much more popular, though some still hold a grudge against the Fish Sticks logo.

But this time the fans will have the final say, and one lucky fan will be able to say it's their design, and who doesn't love filling out a bracket?

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