Islanders finalize fan-designed “lighthouse” third jersey for 2027-28 season

The New York Islanders have picked a winner in their fan-created third jersey contest, naming the navy “lighthouse” design as the uniform that will represent the franchise’s alternate for the 2027-28 season. The team announced the final design Thursday evening, ending the period of voting that allowed supporters to shape a piece of the Islanders’ visual identity for the coming year.

According to the report, the project was built around fan input, with voting taking place over several days. The winning concept, described as a lighthouse-themed jersey in navy, is positioned as the Islanders’ next third/alternate option for 2027-28 rather than a one-off look for a single game.

Third jerseys are a notable part of modern NHL branding, and fan participation can carry extra weight because it turns a design process into a relationship-building exercise. For teams, a successful fan-driven concept can also influence merchandise demand well before the first puck drop it is attached to.

The Islanders’ announcement also underscores how quickly the league’s jersey culture has evolved. Alternate uniforms have become calendar events in their own right, with teams often timing reveals and building hype around the visual debut. In that context, the Islanders’ lighthouse project is less about competition on the ice and more about creating a collectible moment for the fan base.

Even with the design locked in, the Islanders and the NHL still will need to translate the finished concept into game-day details that affect how a jersey is worn, marketed, and photographed. Those elements, such as specific crest placement and any sponsor or manufacturer branding choices, are not part of the information available in the reporting provided for this story.

For fans, the immediate next question is how often the Islanders will deploy the third jersey during the 2027-28 season and how it will look in actual arena lighting, camera angles, and on-ice motion. The lighthouse theme, if it matches the visual punch typical of alternate releases, could become one of the season’s most noticeable uniform stories early in the calendar.

What to watch next from the Islanders is any further explanation that accompanies the reveal, including design inspirations and how the organization plans to use the alternate throughout the 2027-28 schedule. That follow-through often determines whether a fan-designed jersey becomes a durable fan favorite or a temporary novelty.