New York Islanders fans have spoken. Here's your favorite blue and orange third-jersey moments, as it sounds like they will be retired when the league switches from Adidas to Fanatics.
The New York Islanders jersey rotation will receive a shakeup as the NHL shifts uniform rights from Adidas to Fanatics next season. According to reports, the team's longtime alternate jersey will not be making the jump for 2024-25:
The story of the jersey began back in October of 2018 when it was officially revealed. After the league scrapped third jerseys due to the transition from Reebok to Adidas ahead of the 2017-18 season, several teams were quick to bring them back for the following year, and the Islanders were one of them:
The jersey, another rendition of the team's first Stadium Series jersey and mid-2010s alternate, was part of the Islanders uniform lineup for six seasons.
Those seasons included some of the most memorable games and performances in the franchise's recent history.
They made their debut on Nov. 1, 2018, when the Islanders hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins at Barclays Center.
Josh Bailey scored the first goal in the new threads in the second period, doing it in shorthanded fashion. After Anders Lee and Evgeni Malkin traded goals in the third period, the stage was set for overtime, where it was goaltender Thomas Greiss who stole the show against Sidney Crosby:
Bailey scored again in the shootout to propel the Islanders to a 3- 2 victory. That game was the first of several memorable moments in the jerseys that season.
In addition to great games, there were also highlight reel moments, such as Valtteri Filppula's highlight reel goal against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Another memorable contest came on Jan. 20, 2019, against the Anaheim Ducks.
The Islanders were coming off a statement back-to-back, and they shut out the Ducks 3-0, with Robin Lehner putting up the goosegg.
After the game, the crowd serenaded the goaltender in a show of appreciation.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmFYg348L5g[/embed]
Over the next five years, the great moments continued to come with the alternate jerseys. In fact, they were part of several historic moments in 2019-20, when the Islanders were chasing a record-setting point streak.
Starting on Oct. 14, 2019, the Islanders hosted the St. Louis Blues at Nassau Coliseum. Trailing 2-0 with less than six minutes left, Brock Nelson and Mathew Barzal brought New York back from a slow start to force overtime.
In the ensuing extra session, it was Devon Toews who finished the grand larceny.
Per MSG's Eric Hornik, the win was the latest the Islanders ever came back from a 2-0 deficit to win a game, doing so against the then-Stanley Cup champs. The win helped spark a run of momentum that resulted in a 10-game winning streak and, eventually, a historic point streak.
The Islanders tied a franchise-best mark with points in 15 consecutive games, and only the Pittsburgh Penguins stood in the way of the milestone on Nov. 21, 2019. While the Islanders did break the record by forcing the game overtime, Nelson made sure the Islanders celebrated in style.
Later that season, on Feb. 11, 2020, the Islanders hosted the Flyers in Brooklyn.
After losing a 3-0 lead in the game and overtime seemingly on the horizon, it was Ryan Pulock who got the game-winner just under the wire.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the third jerseys didn't see much action during the 2021 season; only six times did they wear them. While they did see a few great efforts, including an impossible-angle goal by Matt Martin, the great moments returned once UBS Arena opened the following year.
New York brought back the alternate sweaters on New Year's Day in 2022 when they faced Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers. Trailing 2-1 heading into the third period, Anthony Beauvillier got the game even to force the game into sudden death. From there, it was Noah Dobson who had his first signature moment.
The uniforms were also part of a pair of hat tricks that season, both just under two weeks apart.
The first one came on March 10 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, where Lee got three goals, including a red light inside the final minute of regulation to finish it. Nine days later, facing the Dallas Stars, Nelson got in the action, finishing his second hat trick of that season.
Despite the fanfare surrounding the franchise's 50th anniversary, the alternates weren't part of much history in 2022-23.
It saw some solid performances, take a 4-1 matinee win over the Detroit Red Wings and a 6-1 drubbing of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the midst of a playoff push, but the swan song the following year a bit of everything.
For starters, the Islanders wore the thirds when they slayed the Los Angeles Kings' winning streak on the road.
With the Kings on a historic, 11-game winning streak on the road to start the season, Los Angeles jumped out to a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes of play. With the streak seemingly set to grow, Lee scored two goals to force overtime, where it was Jean-Gabriel Pageau who played hero.
Although most of the other games the alternates played this season were losses, save another comeback win over the Blues, they got the proper sendoff in what proved to be their final game on April 6.
Facing the Nashville Predators, Semyon Varlamov pitched a 42-save shutout at a pivotal point in the Islanders' playoff hunt. Dobson's goal in the second proved to be the difference-maker, as New York snapped a 10-game losing streak to Nashville with a 2-0 win.
All told, this rendition of Islanders' alternate jerseys will always be a part of big moments in recent Islanders' history.
While it has its share of critics and fans, the alternate jersey has undeniably been a part of some big moments in the franchise's history, be it thrilling comebacks, dominating performances, or historic victories.