A World Without Fishermen... Again

For once, I'll give Adidas some credit because their marketing team seems to be correct on this one. As you may know from following this blog, I have a soft spot in my heart for the New York Islanders' Fishermen jerseys. For as hated as they were, it seems that the Fishermen have found that warm-and-cozy spot in Islanders lore as well considering how many sold last year during Adidas' Reverse Retro phase of jerseys. While the Reverse Retro jerseys were a step down from the original wave-design jerseys, the fact that the Islanders were embracing the Fisherman logo once again was certainly something to be celebrated 'round these parts.

As I alluded to in the opening paragraph, though, it seems Adidas' marketing team knew something we didn't because history won't be repeating itself this season according to a report in The Hockey News filed by Stefan Rosner. He writes,

"Although fans can still buy them in the team store, the Islanders will not be donning them on the ice this upcoming season, per an industry source."

And that's when I put my Kasparaitis #11 Islanders' Fisherman jersey away for good because the decision not to continue using the Fisherman is a mistake bordering on idiocy.

Yes, they were awful during the Milbury days back in the 1990s when these jerseys were worn for two seasons, and fans who lived through those days may have winced when the Islanders announced they were going back to the Fisherman. Memories of brutal play combined with a rotating door of stars who never found their footing on Long Island led to some long stretches of terrible hockey. The Islanders' record over those two seasons? 51-91-22 - a points percentage of 0.378. Needless to say, seeing the Fisherman on the chests of Islanders may have spawned nightmares for some fans.

Let's give the team on the ice a little credit, though, as they were a respectable 3-3-0 in the Reverse Retro version of the Fisherman. When it comes to selling merchandise, team performance helps to generate sales, but good merchandise always sells itself. With the way fans took to the Fisherman returning last season under the Reverse Retro campaign, it seemed as though the Islanders had themselves a bit of a cash cow when it came to selling memorable merchandise.

Whether it was the nostalgia factor or the trendy factor, the Fisherman sold. It didn't land the Islanders in the top-five selling jerseys last season, but the Islanders weren't all that great when it came to winning. Having this fun logo and using it in marketing seemed to draw people in, though, so I'm left scratching my head why the Islanders would choose not to wear it on the ice. Maybe there's a chance it could be worn for a special event, but it won't be seen on game nights this season at UBS Arena.

We're back to an NHL where the Fisherman is but a memory. I stand by my belief that the logo is decades ahead of its time. While I respect the tradition and the history associated with the Islanders' primary logo - I have a Miroslav Satan Islanders jersey and a blank Islanders jersey as well! - the Fisherman was a wrinkle in time so different that it nearly fractured a fanbase before it brought a new generation of Islanders fans together with older fans who remembered when the Fisherman was worn with paper bags on people's heads. It found new life last season, and now it seems that life is being mothballed once again.

If there's one positive in all this, it's that I won't have to see Fanatics disgrace the Fisherman with a poorly-made product. I'm still not embracing this ten-year deal that the NHL signed with Fanatics to be the on-ice supplier of jerseys, but that's a choice the NHL made. As I said, I'm happy the Fisherman doesn't have to be part of that legacy.

I guess Adidas was right: history never repeats. The Fisherman will have to wait for a third unveiling somewhere down the line after the Islanders walked away from the logo again.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!