‘We Want Fish Sticks’: The Rebrand That Sank the Islanders
“We Want Fish Sticks: The Bizarre and Infamous Rebranding of the New York Islanders” is a 2018 book by Nicholas Hirshon, with an introduction by Eric Fichaud. The book tells the story of one of the strangest events in sports history. The book is funny and a cautionary tale for all sports fans.
The Islanders won four consecutive Stanley Cups in the early 1980s. One could make a strong argument that they were the greatest dynasty in sports history. Then, they fell apart. “We Want Fish Sticks: The Bizarre and Infamous Rebranding of the New York Islanders” tells the story of the strange new uniform and mascot for the Islanders. Also, the book makes the point that the guy who bought the team during this time period was a fraud and ended up in jail. Is this the greatest collapse in the history of sports?
New York Islanders Historical Greatness
The Islanders were once one of the greatest, if not the greatest, dynasties in sports. The team won four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1979-1980 through 1982-1983. The team lost in their ‘Drive for Five’ to Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers in 1983-1984.
Five members of that team have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, so has their coach and the general manager. In their run, the team won a record 19 consecutive playoff series, and the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, where they played, was dubbed “Fort Neverlose.” However, it all came crashing down.
“We Want Fish Sticks” Rebranding
The team soon fell on hard times, and ownership tried to generate revenue by introducing a new uniform and a new mascot. “We Want Fish Sticks” tells the story of this incident. In 1995, the Islanders changed their uniform. The Long Island crest that became famous in the Stanley Cup run was gone.
When a team gets a new uniform, fans buy it. The intent behind the rebranding was to generate revenue. What happened was something entirely different. Opposing teams’ fans thought the fisherman on the front looked like the Gorton’s Fisherman, of fish stick fame. They chanted, “We Want Fish Sticks” at games to taunt the Islanders and their fans.
The new jerseys were accompanied by a new mascot, Nyisles. He was supposed to be a seafarer who recalled Long Islanders’ seafaring past. Instead, when he roamed the stands, the fans beat him up. He became a laughing stock.
The uniform and mascot were quickly reversed. The ownership understood their shocking unpopularity. The jersey was retired after the 1996-1997 season. The jersey returned in 2015 warmups, in retail in 2018 and in a 2024 AHL Bridgeport rebrand. Nyisles lasted until 1998, when he was replaced by Sparky, a blue dragon. But he returned and now appears alongside the dragon.
“We Want Fish Sticks” The Crook
While this was all going on, the franchise was bought by John Spano, or so everyone thought. Spano turned out to have little money. He was a fraud. Eventually, the good liar was found out. In 2000, he was thrown in jail with a sentence of 71 months. Later, in 2015, he was convicted of forgery. He received another 10-year sentence for that.
Why You Should Read This Book
People should read this book because it is funny. It also tells a cautionary tale that is relevant to all sports fans. Any time a sports team undergoes a rebranding, things like this can happen. “We Want Fish Sticks: The Bizarre and Infamous Rebranding of the New York Islanders” is funny because of the reaction of the fans to the new jerseys. Their hostility, chants, and throwing fish sticks on the ice are the stuff of legend, and it is interesting to know. The story of John Spano, however, is a cautionary tale. When a person lies, they will eventually get found out.
Hope Springs Eternal
As the 2026-2027 Hockey season begins on September 29, it is good to be reminded of this comical tale. The Islanders have been a good hockey team a couple of times, but for the last 43 seasons they have mostly been bad. Of note, this season, they have the strongest prospect pool in recent memory, and they will have about $40 million in salary cap space next season.
The NY Islanders open Sept. 30 in Toronto, and their home opener is Oct. 3 vs. New Jersey.
