EXCLUSIVE: THIRD JERSEY COULD BE FIRST
NYI considering full-time move to classic design
9:30 am - Those vintage, royal blue Third Jerseys the Islanders are debuting on Saturday? They soon could come First.
Point Blank has learned that the Islanders are looking into the possibility of their old-new classic-style sweaters being their primary uniform of choice in 2009-10, or at latest the season after that.
Speculation leads to two reasons for the decision: the Islanders want to continue to re-connect with their fan base - which has almost unanimously rejoiced over the Third Jersey design. In addition, it simply looks far sharper than the team’s current Reebok uniform system.
The Islanders are holding a sale on the Third Jerseys from noon - 4 pm on Saturday at the Coliseum. Anyone buying the jersey at the sale receives a voucher for two complimentary tickets for when Monday’s game against Columbus.
More than that, you may be the owner of the Islanders’ primary jersey of the near future.
Reactions? Comments.
55 Responses to “EXCLUSIVE: THIRD JERSEY COULD BE FIRST
NYI considering full-time move to classic design”
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That would be awesome if they moved full time to that jersey! I think its far better looking than the ones we currently have.
that is great news. nothing beats the classics. now if they would just go back to home whites and away darks we would be all set.
This is an absolute neccessity. I dont know anyone that likes the roller-hockey replicas we wear now.
bring back the vintage
I would be all for that! I think these ‘third’ jerseys are really sharp looking and it would be absolutley great if they eventually become the primary jersey once again. It’s a classic that needs to be brought back on a permanent basis. Let’s do it!
CB - I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you and let you know how phenomenal this site has been since its inception. I’ve never seen such in-depth (and insightful) coverage of the Isles in all my years following this team. It has been extremely enjoyable and informative, and I look forward to reading it every day. Keep up the great work! And please continue to keep us informed on the Lighthouse Project (amongst everything else) - thanks again!
Not a big deal but this fan’s not rockin those jerseys. If the picture above is what they look like then I guess it follows along with the whole circus theme. My first thought was ..clowns. I hope I’m in the minority. And good luck to the boys tonight, GO ISLES!
Great news. I’m all for it.
By the way, Monday’s game is against Columbus not Carolina.
Thanks for the catch, Jude…CB
i dont mind the navy jerseys, and i’d like to see them kept as a 3rd jersey, but the royal blues should definitely be the primary jersey.
While I understand the economics of new team merchandise, it would be great if the team went back to the old look. I wouldn’t call the jersys currently worn ugly, but the design worn through the cup years and longer are the way to go. Now, if we could only get the league to have the home teams wear white on a regular basis that would be great. It’s been a couple of years, but it still doesn’t look right to me to have the road team wearing the white uniforms. I grew up watching basketball and hockey home teams in white and I think it just looks better.
Now, if the team really wants to re-connect with the older fan base, winning would help. I’ve been around this team a long time. I was in the building when they won Stanley Cups. Many older fans just lost interest through the ownership struggles and poor play. Now the team has chosen this iron curtain mentality when it comes to releasing player injury information. Chris, I know you’ve addressed this but I just wanted to add my two cents. If you want to “re-connect” with your eroding fan base, how about some good old fashioned honesty with all of us. I don’t believe this paraniod thought that releasing injury info on a player could put him in danger. Why now?? Is there any evidence that teams have targeted a particular player’s injury area. I sincerely doubt it. At a time when this organization is struggling to sell tickets, a veil of secrecy about the players fans care about is counter-productive.
LOVE YOUR BLOG!
there is a God after all! this is great news. i really think that this is the best jersey that the isles have ever worn. it’s just a great jersey. only thing missing is the lighthouse patch. they blow our current jerseys out of the water. i really hope this happens.
Who cares what the 3rd jersey looks like? Just start winning some games and every jersey will look great!
Does this mean they are going to “adjust” the white jerseys as well? I have to be honest, i don’t dislike either of the Edge jersey’s except for the numbers on the front…I HATE the numbers on the front.
As far as arm patches go, they can add a Lighthouse patch once the Lighthouse project is approved- to celebrate!
Definately a great idea to make the classic royal blue their primary jersey.
I will buy one.
Yes! Classic look, no other patches. and PLEASE no stupid labels in the orange band. Labels are for the inside of jerseys. When will these companies learn. I do not want to be sitting there cutting that label off and messing up a new jersey. I’d take these over our current Slashing Pumpkins jersey any day.
And not giving decent injury reports is not going to convince me to buy tickets at all. Makes me wonder what else they are hiding from us
Botta, you are Johnny on the Spot with Islanders News! Are they doing pre-orders for the jerseys on Saturday or are they already stitched up?
We’re # 30
We are #26 if you adjust for the # of GP. Its a more fair way to compare the teams, esp when some have played 8 games and others have played 12. Not like #26 is GOOD, but Im just saying lol.
I have not read the above comments so if you have already said this, sorry for saying the same thing.
They want to “reconnect”?
WIN!
Just WIN! WIN! WIN!
oooh..My fav Nystrom!..I would LOVE his Jersey. Hmm.. Dear Santa, lol!..
Maybe wearing the old jerseys will rub off an bring some of that Hockey Gods luck, Lord knows we can use it!
Very good to hear about the 3rd Navy’s becoming the full-time jerseys. Too bad we could switch them to full time now. That being said we still are DREADFUL with our glorified AHL team. Bridgeport is doing well a good sign… unless other AHL teams just field garbage which could be.
I would rather see the Isles in there dynasty era jersy’s, and maybe use the edge jersey’s as a 3rd vs western teams (home or away, unless it’s for the cup ;-). also a Lighthouse patch (when the project is approved) is a great idea.
CB, i have a question: have you herd anything about them putting some more names (maybe Tonelli, Goring, Morrow) on that hall of fame banner? i think it’s been 2 years since the Bob Bourne night! and it could definitly help sell some tickets!
Sounds good, CB. If you could pass this along, a friend of mine had an awesome suggestion about these jerseys if they switch full-time:
They finally took the 4 chevron patch off the shoulder, so they should instead honor Long Island geographically. Looking straight at the jersey, the left-hand shoulder patch should be the Brooklyn Bridge, and the right-hand patch the Lighthouse. Hopefully it could also lead the team to more aggressively market to potential fans in those areas.
Thanks for all you’re doing, this site is great.
Chris, this blog is fantastic. Although I love Greg’s blog as well, the comments section has become a surreal mix of diehards, blowhards and trolls… oh my. It’s nice to see fans giving opinions, and not throwing hissy fits.
Great news on the jerseys, although I think we’re all in agreement that the way to an Isles fan’s heart is through the win column.
One last thing. I spend a lot of time on the road listening to games on the radio, can you please give me some inside information on why on God’s green earth the Isles decided that 94.3 FM would be a good choice for expanded coverage?!? I have a better chance listening to the game driving down the meadowbrook past the turnpike with my head out the window than I do picking up a signal. It is truly infuriating. Any chance we’ll change to a stronger station, or beef up the signal?
Thanks again for a tremendous blog.
More Importantly is Fritz dressing tonight?
Great News about the jerseys but i would be alot more happy if they got a goal scorer !!
Oh goodie a NEW jersey. I’m glad for the new/old look..I really am. But they could t-shirts as far as I’m concerned as long as the team WINS GAMES!!
You know, that’s the point of this sports/hockey thing. Not what jersey’s their wearing. Not what songs their playing after they score. It’s to beat the other teams you’re playing. I know us Islander fans forget that at times. It has been a long time!
Anyone else looking at that picture of the guys above notice how much BIGGER Gillies and Nystrom are compared to Sillinger and Bailey?
Garth….take a memo please.
Well Bailey is still growing. What is he 14 or 15 years old now?
Five bucks says I still won’t be able to get it with “Bergenheim” on the back straight off the rack!
Whats with all the hate about the RBK Edge jersey? I think its fine and I also like the new third jersey… but I think its too retro for it to be our primary jersey… its not the 1980’s anymore (unfortunately)
JlaMonica… whats wrong with roller hockey jerseys?! haha no, but I agree it looks like one. not suitable for nhl caliber
That is great news, these vintage jerseys are really sharp all around. I wish they would change it completely this year, but I guess it would be fitting if they wear it next year, and the Lighthouse Plan passes, and we have Tavares in our line-up. It’s an entirely new outlook on the Islanders entirely, and hopefully one that involves a Stanley Cup down the road in the jerseys that brought us four. I know, this is a very optimistic post, it’s been a good day!
I was thinking the very same thing in regards to the jerseys/lighthouse/tavares…i know its all still a long ways away, but it can’t hurt to be optimistic
I’d like to see these full-time as well. Unlike most Isle fans my age I actually like the navy blue a little better than royal (the dark jerseys worn prior to last year’s redesign were the best IMO), but on the whole, these uniforms are much better than the current ones.
as long as they get rid of the shoulder patch, i don’t care which jersey they wear.
Anything is better than these Frankenstein jerseys.
The best thing about them going back to this jersey is that this jersey still represents winning. The Islanders have been horrible in all of their jersey’s from the fisherman logo to the present. The Islanders logo and the royal blue still mean winning. I believe it will bring us a little respect around the league.
nobody cares what the islanders jersey looks like, they still stink. but i’d rather see them win a cup in those royal blue beauties than the hideous nylon concoctions they currently sport.
BUT THEY HAVE TO GET RID OF THE HORRIBLE BREAK IN THE STRIPING ON THE BACK OF THE SOCKS. Whose brain fart led to that oversight?
Do it! make the change! Keep the current full-time jersey as a third if you want, but make the change full time to the Royal Blues!
I was hoping that this would happen. It just makes so much sense. The weird design of the current “first” jersey is much more of an experimental/gimmicky look. It might be well-suited to a third jersey. The pre-fisherman jersey just has such a good look. It would definitely be the right move to go back to it full time.
As usual, this blog is breaking news that the fans really care about. Keep up the good work.
Now if they can all wear Gorings helmet…..it will complete the look
These jerseys as the primary jerseys? Nice.
Awesome news.
Step in the right direction, but personally, I would prefer the dynasty era style.
Or maybe one of these that I was messing around with over the summer…
http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=541492
ya know i like the throwback. i really do.
But WTF i just bought one of those new edge jerseys
is that gonna be 250$ down the drain or what??
hopefully they would keep the edge blue as a third jersey
god wiling
Hi Chris, great article, the news is “Super”, only to me the main uniforms should be the pre fisherman uniforms, just like the ones they wore winning the 4 stanley cups. The Lighthouse patch on the shoulder would be fine. Also the whites to be worn at home. As far as the currents being the thirds, to me, forget it, they are the “WORST”. These new third uniforms are outstanding, I commend Charles Wang, and Terry Goldstein, on the project, a job very well done. I am currently having Terry do me a Mitchell and Ness verson of the 1980, “Classic White”, with Kyle Okposo, #21, when its completed, I’m going to send it to you, and see what you think. They did a really nice job on the jersey. By the pictures I’ve seen the only concern I have with the new third, is the size of the crest. Aside from hating most everything, with the exception of the numbers and names, on the back of the current mains, that includes the size of the crest on the current mains, way, way, way, to large. The size of the crest is very important. They should be the size they used to be. And the brightness of the colors on the Mitchell and Ness verson is also impressive. So the 1980’s through pre fisherman, as the mains, whites to be worn at home, and the new third uniform to remain as the third, all perminantly, never to change again. Again great article Chris, as usual. Thanks again, Mark NJ, Go Islander’s
Cant blame the Isles for the no home whites thing, they have nothing to do with that- its an NHL thing.
On points about/ the 1980’s Islander’s uniform’s being to 80’s? Are the current Chicago Blackhawk’s also to 80’s. I think not they, are also very sharp! Bring back the 1980 to pre- fisherman, as the NY Islander’s main uniform’s. Thanks CB, Mark
Law, how is the third jersey different from the dynasty jerseys? I don’t see any difference.
JKP,
The orange and white stripes are reversed for one. Also the space btwn the stripes.
http://www.nhluniforms.com/1980s/Islanders1.html
http://www.nhluniforms.com/1970s/Islanders2.html
Not a huge difference but the white just looks out of place as the bottom stripe and the cut of the Edge jerseys doesn’t help with the diaper bottom.
YES! Bringing back the royal blue classic unis is the 1st thing this franchise has done right in a long long time. The water wing jerseys are horrendous.
Now get the games back on free radio and win some games and don’t be so boring.
Good news for you guys. Hopefully, the Sabres are looking at doing the same type of thing. We’ve got our 40th coming up, so it would make even more sense for us.
As far as hockey sweaters go …this is a good step … now everyone has to campaign to make this the #1 jersey - or at least the home-white version of same (if the league can wrap their corporation-kissing minds around going back to HOME WHITES).
I like the new third jersey, but I would like to see them in the cup era jerseys. Those are the classics to me. This franchise never does what the fans want.
The 3rd royal blue is an example of how less is more. Compared to the horrendously overly busy main jersey they have know, this old/new royal blue 3rd jersey is a pleasure to look at. Making them full time is a great move. Once this 3rd royal blue jersey is made the main jersey with matching white road to match the Islanders should stop with all the 3rd jerseys. No more, stay with only two jersey in the franchise: the traditional styled royal blue home and one white for the road.