It’s mid July, free agency has settled down…how do we get something on the radar? I got an idea and it’s only as fish-sticky as you make it…
Islanders News
In a move that would’ve invited infinite scorn during the Blog Box era, and now only invites…well, scorn but also satire and shrugs, the Islanders are inviting fans to design (via a template) their next third jersey. Here’s their PR hype about it. Here’s Newsday on it. Have fun with your design here. It’s for the 2027-28 season, of course.
Advertisement
It did its job by getting lots of attention and media coverage, and it’s off to a big start with 37,000 submissions so far — some of them probably aren’t even from Rangers fans. [Newsday | ESPN]
The unusual path of March undrafted goalie signing Josh Kotai, and the friends he met along the way. [Isles]
Elsewhere
-
In a move that surprises very few, the Ducks chose to match the offer sheet to Leo Carlsson. [Sportsnet] So Danny Briere and company singlehandedly shat on everyone’s salary scale for…the drama, I guess. At least they made Pat Verbeek uncomfortable.
-
Carlsson appreciates the generous raise and generational wealth for his family but insists he “always wanted to be a Duck.” [NHL]
-
The Mammoth also matched the offer sheet for Barrett Hayton by the Devils, so the lesson here once again: It’s not that NHL GMs are too chicken or buddy-buddy to do offer sheets (though some surely are), it’s that they only make sense and actually work in very specific circumstances, such as when Edmonton screws itself and leaves it exposed. [NHL]
-
Hayley Wickehnheiser is leaving the Leafs though, unable to find common ground on her role with the new GM. [Sportsnet]
Read the full article here
