Islanders players, coaches are big fans of redesigned Fisherman 'Hometown Remix' jerseys
Matthew Schaefer shows off the Islanders' NHL "Hometown Remix" alternate jersey featuring the fisherman logo for the 2026-27 season Credit: NHL
Matthew Schaefer was born in 2007, more than a decade after the Islanders originally introduced their new Fisherman logo to much subsequent fan derision.
So the star defenseman doesn’t have much personal context for the should-they-have?/they-shouldn’t-have debate about the team’s new Hometown Remix jerseys that feature a redesigned Fisherman logo. The team debuts its white alternates for Thursday night’s game against the Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes at UBS Arena, the first of 11 times the Islanders will wear their new sweater.
“I personally love the way it looks,” Schaefer told Newsday. “Obviously, I know some people like it and some people don’t from those days. But that’s in the past. These are great jerseys. It’s going to be a good touch. I’ve always loved the Fisherman. I think it shows the Islanders, that we’re gritty. We’re going to keep fishing for that [Stanley] Cup.”
The original Fisherman jersey, complete with wavy piping that featured teal, was introduced for the 1995-96 season. It was an intended rebrand for a franchise that had fallen upon hard times playing at aging Nassau Coliseum. Instead, the jersey quickly coaxed “We want fish sticks” chants and only lasted one full season. The next season, the Islanders mixed the Fisherman logo with their classic logo on the new jersey design. By 1997-98, the Fisherman had been retired.
It was brought out of retirement in 2022-23 for the team’s Reverse Retro jersey and the Islanders’ AHL affiliate used the logo last season in Bridgeport, Connecticut, before that franchise relocated to Hamilton, Ontario, and was renamed the Hammers.
“I vaguely remember some controversy,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “This is what I know, I know people are really excited about it. There’s a really good buzz about it. I like the fact that we’re wearing something different, it’s exciting for the group. What’s old is new again, right?”
“I haven’t looked into the history too much,” 24-year-old Swedish forward Emil Heineman told Newsday. “I already knew that the Islanders have played with them before. I thought it looked sick right away. My brother [Calle], when I got traded here [in 2025], he went and bought one of those. It’s pretty cool.”
The new alternate jersey updates the Fisherman logo by eliminating the goal crease that surrounded the Fisherman and the “Islanders” lettering, which formerly had the first and last letter enlarged as part of the goal post but now has all its letters of equal size. The jersey incorporates navy, orange, blue and tonal gray into its design and the navy blue shoulder yoke features an updated lighthouse logo with nods to both Long Island and New York.
“I do love the Fisherman logo,” Brayden Schenn, 35, told Newsday. “This is a classic Islander look. I enjoy it. I think they did a good job with the jerseys. From a player’s perspective, I don’t put too much thought day-to-day into the jersey. It’s more from the fans’ perspective.”
The fans’ perspective, at least in e-mails received by Newsday on the subject, has been mixed.
“I absolutely love the new Fisherman jersey,” said Conall Ryan, 31, originally from Floral Park and now residing in Woodside. “As someone who has spent most of my life living outside of Nassau County, this is my preferred logo. It keeps that classic Long Island feel while still being welcoming to the full fanbase.”
Joseph Lozito, 56, of Massapequa thought otherwise.
“The Islanders once again using the fish stick logo is a perfect example of a money grab,” Lozito said. “It’s tired, boring and lazy but the [fans] will gladly fork over almost $300 for a sweater with negligible differences from the ones already in their closet. I guess I can’t blame the organization for resurrecting the symbol of the darkest time in franchise history in the spirit of making a buck. But both figuratively and literally, it’s a bad look.”
Beyond the Fisherman logo, what’s most striking about the alternate jersey is it will have the Islanders wearing white at UBS Arena for 10 games (the jerseys will also be worn April 1 in Pittsburgh).
NHL teams wore their dark jerseys at home until 1970, when the league switched it to the home sweaters being white. It remained that way until 2003, when the NHL switched home jerseys back to the dark versions.
“I think white,” DeBoer, 58, said when Newsday asked his preference. “I’m a traditionalist, right? That’s how I grew up. That’s been par for the course.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Schenn said to the same question. “When I played minor hockey, or when you’re younger, it was always the home wear whites and you wear your colors for away. I don’t know what the exact reasoning behind it but I’m indifferent.”
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
