The NHL’s Seattle franchise has chosen “Kraken” as its long-awaited team name.
As part of Thursday’s announcement, the Kraken revealed two logos, a wordmark and uniforms. The primary logo features a green tentacle shaped like an S, while the secondary logo puts Seattle’s iconic Space Needle inside an anchor.
The home uniforms feature four different colours of blue – deep sea, ice, shadow and boundless – as well as a red stripe along the edge. The road uniforms feature the same coloured trims while swapping the deep sea blue for white.
.@NHLSeattle_ have released their jersey design.
What do you think? pic.twitter.com/v9aiYKckDw
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) July 23, 2020
According to the team website, the name originated from the Giant Pacific Octopus which lives in the waters of Puget Sound near Seattle.
“The Kraken represents the fiercest beast in all the world,” the team’s website reads. “Too large and indomitable to be contained by man (or finned mammal). It instills one message in all opponents whether in our waters, or theirs… Abandon all hope.”
The “S” shaped logo pays tribute to Seattle’s hockey history, specifically the Seattle Metropolitans, who in 1917 became the first team based in the United States to win the Stanley Cup.
Seattle will play in the Pacific Division starting in the 2021-22 season, meaning the Arizona Coyotes will move to the Central. The league’s most recent addition will give the NHL an even 16 franchises in the Eastern and Western conferences.
The Oak View Group, which includes sports executive Tim Leiweke, billionaire David Bonderman and filmmaker Jerry Bruckheimer, was granted the franchise on Dec. 4, 2018 paying a US$650 million expansion fee.
As part of the application, the ownership group is financing a $660-million arena renovation, with the goal being to have the building ready for the 2021-22 season.
