Fichaud Fond of Fisherman Jersey

For Eric Fichaud, the Fisherman jersey holds special meaning. The former Islanders netminder and the jersey both came into the league in the 1995-96 season, so Fichaud associates the jersey with his best early memories in the NHL.
"When I see the Fisherman, it represents all the good times that I had with the Islanders, even if I wish we would have won more games than we did," Fichaud said. "For me, just being in the NHL was a dream come true."

After the jersey was cast out to sea in 1997, Fichaud was pleasantly surprised to see it get reeled in 25 years later as the Islanders' 2022-23
Reverse Retro alternate.
"I always wonder if we had more success during that time, what people would think about the Fisherman. Maybe they would see it differently," Fichaud said. "I was surprised [to see it come back]. It was a good surprise."

Fichaud chronicled his experience in the original jersey in the foreword of Nicholas Hershon's book "We Want Fish Sticks." The Anjou, QC native made his NHL debut in the Fisherman, in a 5-4 OT win over Dominik Hašek and the Buffalo Sabres on Jan. 30, 1996. Fichaud played for the Islanders through the entirety of the original Fisherman era (1995-97). The jersey became emblematic of his early years in the NHL, and the friendships he made along the way.
Since Fichaud's time with the team, the jersey has gained cult status among sections of the Islanders fanbase. In the 2014-15 season, the team wore the logo for a special warmup jersey and has marketed fisherman gear in the years since, culminating in its return for the 50th anniversary season.
"It's a new generation of fans and now they think the fisherman logo is cool," said Fichaud, who currently works as an analyst for TVA Sports, a French sports channel in Quebec. "I think it's good. It's a part of the Islanders' history. The fact that I was there during that time, I think it's great that it's being brought back."

The new design updated some of the classic features on the jersey, like flattening the teal wave, and adding more orange accents. Fichaud, for one, was happy to see the teal take a backseat to a darker blue color scheme. "You're not on a ship now," he said, laughing.
Fans can pre-order the Fisherman now at
IslesLab.com
, or buy one at
Isles Lab Team Store
or
Islanders Pro Shop
at Northwell Health Ice Center starting on Nov. 15. The Islanders will
wear the jersey six times
this season, beginning on Dec. 10 against the Carolina Hurricanes.