Islanders games become new hot spot to make fashion statement as female fans flock to NHL

They’re in it from the blue line to the clothing line. The new cool-as-ice spot for cosmopolitan influencers and fashionistas is Long Island’s UBS Arena – where cheering on the…

They’re in it from the blue line to the clothing line.

The new cool-as-ice spot for cosmopolitan influencers and fashionistas is Long Island’s UBS Arena – where cheering on the hometown Islanders and donning orange-and-blue are in style for the season.

Some 80 miles west of the high-society Hamptons, female hockey fans are flashing bold and loud looks while dodging ketchup and mustard stains in the process — as the rink becomes “their own runway,” said Holly Horvat, the wife of Islanders team captain Bo Horvat.

“It’s no longer just about throwing on a jersey or sweatshirt,” she told The Post.

Marina Heinz and other Islanders super fans are turning hockey games into fashion statements.
Marina Heinz and other Islanders super fans are turning hockey games into fashion statements. Robert Sabo for NY Post

“Girls are putting together full looks, incorporating team colors, accessories, boots, jackets and really expressing their own personal style,” added Horvat, who runs the boutique shop Statement Threads with Mammoth forward Vinny Trocheck’s wife, Hillary.

Isles business operations director Kelly Cheeseman focused on getting the see-and-be-seen fashion-forward TikTok crowd into seats last year — like influencer Xandra Pohl and the snarky VIP List ladies — as the league is seeing an explosion in women’s interest.

“The NHL this past year saw 30% growth in the female audience,” he said, adding that more will “organically happen” with the Islanders this year to appeal to that sector.

The Islanders are inspiring colorful and creative clothing lines for its female fans, like Marina Heinz.
The Islanders are inspiring colorful and creative clothing lines for its female fans, like Marina Heinz. Robert Sabo for NY Post

Hockey social media has become about fit checks as much as body checks, too.

“My entire feed now is just girls getting ready to go to a game, coming to a game, their experience,” said Marina Heinz, operator of locally popular “Isles Styles.”

That shift was an ideal opportunity for 29-year-old Heinz – a fan of almost 10 years – to get off the bench and into the garment game. 

Marina Heinz devotes her spare time to making colorful and creative Islanders outfits.
Marina Heinz devotes her spare time to making colorful and creative Islanders outfits. Robert Sabo for NY Post

The Hicksville hairdresser launched her Instagram page at the end of last season to showcase her intersecting passions. She happily dedicates her life to fine-tuning and customizing chic looks from rhinestone jackets to sneaker decals and Isles-embroidered pants to strut around ice level.

“One sweater took me seven hours to bedazzle,” said Heinz, who recently launched a “power play” pre-game hair blow-out bundle at work that includes blue and orange beaded tinsel. 

Plenty of women are upping their game on game-day looks thanks to the social media and online market “ripple effect” that even player wives and girlfriends like Horvat have taken notice of.

“I see one girl post a video of her wearing a cute sweatshirt. Immediately, I have to comment, ‘Where’d you get that?”’ Heinz said. 

Islanders superfan Marina Heinz spends hours bedazzling her custom team gear.
Islanders superfan Marina Heinz spends hours bedazzling her custom team gear. Robert Sabo for NY Post

“I feel like I’ve made a lot of friends just through me starting an Instagram page.”

Heinz, who dutifully keeps up with the WAGs looks, even met a Bruins fan who stitches player t-shirts into flannels while waiting to get into a recent Islanders game.

Trendsetter Horvat, meanwhile, loves “pairing Islanders colors with denim, neutral pieces, or more elevated basics.

“Fashion is such a fun way to connect, and I love seeing girls take inspiration from something we’ve worn and make it their own,” she added.

Holly Horvat, the wife of Islanders captain Bo Horvat, has seen a huge tilt of fashion forward female hockey fans coming to games.
Holly Horvat, the wife of Islanders captain Bo Horvat, has seen a huge tilt of fashion forward female hockey fans coming to games. Instagram/Bo Horvat

“Most importantly, wear something that makes you feel confident — I find this part of the game has really taken off the past few years, which is so great to see.”

The Islanders also just revived the franchise’s vividly colorful and polarizing 1990s fisherman uniforms, and operate knowing fans want much more than run-of-the-mill jerseys and t-shirts.

Their wooden-walled team store, Isles Lab, feels closer to Ralph Lauren with designer-style cardigans, varsity and denim jackets, puffer vests — and soon some Statement Threads items– that work for the Stanley Cup playoffs and New York Fashion Week.  

Heinz is constantly buying patches from the shop to sew onto her burnt orange pants and other DIY fits.

The Islanders also revived its colorful fisherman style jersey from the mid 1990s.
The Islanders also revived its colorful fisherman style jersey from the mid 1990s. NHLI via Getty Images

She credits the merch department for always being on its game with what’s “one second in and one second out.”

“A big part of the plan is to focus on the growth of the game,” added Cheeseman, who recently headed a widely popular first-time fan vote for the team’s 2027 lighthouse-themed alternate jersey.

“Get younger, more diverse, and more female.”

And the ladies love of watching the Isles pass the puck won’t become passé anytime soon.

Islanders fans like Marina Heinz are making huge fashion statements with their gamed wears.
Islanders fans like Marina Heinz are making huge fashion statements with their gamed wears. Robert Sabo for NY Post

“It’s very special,” Heinz added. 

“Hockey could be for everybody, so why can’t the girls all start getting involved with it too?”

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