Islanders GM's son jokes about missing out on jersey design contest

The New York Islanders launched a public contest that attracted over 80,000 entries for the team’s 2027 alternate jersey, culminating in a navy shirt featuring a broadside lighthouse logo. General manager Mathieu Darche shared that his son’s design failed to reach the final eight, prompting a joking comment about rigging the vote. Darche deliberately avoided entering his own design to preserve the fan-focused nature of the competition and admitted he isn’t a fashion expert.

He expressed amazement at the level of fan participation and acknowledged that not every design will please everyone, which was the contest’s intent. Kelly Cheeseman, the president of business operations, said that while many runner-up concepts won’t be produced, they may inspire future merchandise or additional jersey ideas. The organization plans to consider those secondary designs for later use.