The New York Islanders fan-designed 2027-28 third jersey contest is finished as the navy lighthouse sweater comes out on top.
On Tuesday, I spent the entire day out in Montauk for my fiancée Alyssa’s birthday — it was an incredibly peaceful day — and because my mind always seems to find its way back to hockey, I started thinking about just how fitting a lighthouse really is for the Islanders.
We all know that the Islanders’ primary logo is Long Island — duh.
From day one, the organization leaned into the nautical theme, even using a fisherman as their logo at one point, in case you have wiped that from your memory despite them bringing it back a few years ago and that logo making it to the final four of this jersey competition.
A lighthouse logo certainly makes sense for this franchise.
Being out there on the water in Montauk made me a bit curious about just how deep the lighthouse’s connection to Long Island actually goes.
We’re talking all the way back to George Washington.
Congress authorized the construction of the Montauk Lighthouse in 1792, with the first president approving the project a mere 16 years after we gained our independence from Great Britain.
The lighthouse was completed in 1796, during Washington’s second and final term, and its inaugural operation began a year later, in 1797 — George’s last year in office.
It was the first lighthouse built in New York State and, more importantly for this conversation, the first one on Long Island.
Think about this for a second.
The Islanders didn’t form until 1972.
Long before Nassau Coliseum. Long before the four Stanley Cups. Long before UBS Arena. Long before hockey was even played, there was a lighthouse sitting at the end of Long Island, helping guide ships along its coastline.
Now, Montauk Point Lighthouse isn’t Long Island’s only lighthouse.
There’s the Fire Island Lighthouse, Horton Point, Execution Rocks, and plenty of others that have played a role in Long Island’s maritime history.
But when you think about the Long Island lighthouse, it’s hard for your mind not to go directly to Montauk.
It’s quite literally at the end of the Island.
The more I learned about it, the more I liked what the design could represent.
The Islanders have always had one of the more unique identities in professional sports because they’re not named after a city.
They’re named after an Island. That’s always been the point.
The original logo didn’t just say New York Islanders. It showed you Long Island, even marking where Nassau Coliseum is located — the top of the “I” in “Islanders.”
While plenty has changed since the organization entered the NHL, that connection has remained at the center of the franchise.
That’s what makes the lighthouse interesting.
For centuries, lighthouses have helped ships navigate the waters surrounding Long Island, and the Montauk Point Lighthouse has stood through generations of history, storms and erosion while remaining one of the Island’s most recognizable landmarks.
After spending a day out there, especially on the water as the sun went down, I think I understood the connection a little better.
There’s something about Montauk that feels uniquely Long Island.
You can drive all the way out east until there’s essentially nowhere else to go and find a lighthouse that’s been standing there for generations.
That’s pretty special.
So, yeah, on the surface, it’s just a lighthouse on a hockey.
But there’s a lot more history behind that logo than I initially realized.
The Islanders have represented Long Island for more than 50 years.
The lighthouse has been doing it for more than 200 years.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7461179/2026/08/18/new-york-islanders-nhl-prospects-rankings-pipeline-2026/
Looks fantastic to me. Completely Underrated ! Nelson is a stud 3rd center. The prospect pool concerns are nonsense! Bottomline media is not use to the Islanders having a bunch of great prospects and the people in the organization to develop them. Times are Changing!
Excellent article. Never looked it this way.