Two Split Emma Rizzo Pride T Shirt Design

Emma Rizzo attended her first New York Islanders game when she was a few months old, nestled in a basinet in the stands of the Nassau Memorial Veterans Coliseum. Rizzo’s love for the Islanders stayed with her throughout her life and she's now using art to combine her love of the Islanders and advocacy for representation of the LGBTQIA+ community.

“I have always wanted people to be able to be seen,” Rizzo said. “I feel that LGBT fans in hockey are overshadowed, and people don’t think you can be gay and love hockey or can’t enjoy the sport and it’s such a lie. I just want to send the message that there are people like you, who enjoy the sport and cherish it just as much as everybody else. I see you, that’s my message, I see you.”

Rizzo won a contest to design a pride t-shirt that will be sold on Pride Night at UBS Arena on Jan. 16 when the Islanders host the Philadelphia Flyers. The Islanders logo centers Rizzo’s design, as six hockey sticks – all a different color of the rainbow – are behind it at an angle.

“I wanted something that showcased both my love of pride and my love of hockey, so I thought about hockey sticks and incorporated a rainbow,” Rizzo explained. “I thought the thirds logo had a sleek look. It just came together and kept adding on more ideas.”

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She took the design from farm to table, creating a base sketch and an outline, coloring and adding some gradient work on the rainbow for the perfect blend, adding tints and shadows. The pastel rainbow colors provided an aesthetic background for the Isles’ third logo as a centerpiece.

Rizzo is a freshman studying forensic science at Hofstra University and she has a passion for art, describing herself as a creative person. She showed off that creativity at an Isles game years ago, as she created a custom-designed pride jersey, using rainbow stick tape on a Scott Mayfield jersey in a proud showcase of her favorite player and a meaningful message of inclusivity in the sport of hockey.

“Last year I was in an Islanders’ promotional video for pride night,” Rizzo said with a laugh. “They had a picture of the back of my jersey, and they added it to a part where Scott Mayfield was talking, so that was the best.”

As a longtime fan of the Islanders both at the NHL and AHL level, Rizzo cheered on Mayfield since he was in Bridgeport and remembers meeting him at games when he played there from 2013-17.

“He’s always been a favorite of mine,” Rizzo said. “I met him when he played for Bridgeport, and I loved him since. He signed my ticket for me when I was eight or nine years old.”

Her love of the Isles even inspired her dog’s name, Isla May, and the pup even sports an Islanders themed bandana when she runs around at home.

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A fan since day one, Rizzo grew up watching and going to games with her family and still frequently attends, while she also found friends who share the passion of the team. Her favorite memories include the New Year’s Day game where Noah Dobson scored an OT winner against the Edmonton Oilers, and she has a special place in her heart for Mayfield’s game-tying goal in Game 6 against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2021 playoff run.

“I met some of my closest friends through the Islanders, through social media and at games,” Rizzo said. “We watch every game together basically, even if we’re just texting about what’s going on during the game. I met some of my best friends through hockey, just being an Islanders fan. I met some of the best people because of this fanbase.”

Thursday will mark the fourth Pride Night Rizzo will attend, and it’ll be an extra special one as t-shirts with her design will be available for purchase for $25 at the Community Relations table at section 109/110, helping the LGBTQIA+ community to be heard, seen and celebrated as an important part of the Isles fanbase.

“To be LGBTQIA+ and to love hockey and to be acknowledged for that, to go to a game and see other people who are in the community like me, it’s such a welcoming environment.,” Rizzo said. “Those nights are special. Pride nights are so welcoming for the whole community.”