The wait is finally over, Seattle! The Seattle Kraken were officially unveiled on Thursday in a long-awaited announcement from the expansion team.
More than two years out from their confirmation as the NHL’s 32nd franchise, Seattle finally got to share their identity with the sports world. Anticipation raged all along as fans impatiently speculated and rumored about potential mascot names. All the while, the Kraken remained a front-runner among many legions of fans.
The Kraken is a nod to the esteemed maritime history of the Pacific Northwest, a history flooded with stories of Seattle’s Puget Sound and the mysterious creatures that might inhabit it. Legends and folk tales of the monsters and sea serpents swimming through the Puget Sound have been synonymous with Seattle for generations.
Now, legends of the Kraken will appropriately come to life on the ice as the NHL’s newest franchise aims to build their on-ice mentality off their neighboring maritime monsters. Just as well, one of America’s most passionate sports cities has even more of a reason to be excited for 2022 after already surpassing 40,000 members on the season ticket waiting list.
Without further ado, let’s introduce you to the Seattle Kraken!
The Seattle Kraken Logo
A leading question around the rumored selection of the “Kraken” mascot was this – how will they pull off the logo? Will they be plastering a full-on octopus creature across the front of their jersey, or keep it simple?
The answer: a bit of both. Seattle featured the best of both worlds with their sick new logo. The “S” across the chest marries the Kraken to their Seattle sports brethren, and also represents the defunct Seattle Metropolitans, the city’s first hockey team that had a brief history but won the Stanley Cup in 1917.
The slithering notes across the letter feature a single tentacle, and are tied together with a threatening red “eye of the beast” that gives it quite the daunting look.
The secondary Kraken logo features a simple anchor design, and the wordmark Seattle Kraken design encompasses the two-tone features of deep sea blue and ice blue and pops off the page.
The Seattle Kraken Jersey
With no players yet to debut them, the Kraken wasted no time getting their initial uniform design in front of fans. The result is an unmistakable work of art.
Seattle’s main logo is strewn across the front, and the four differing shades of blue blend together beautifully while syncing up their identity to the deep blue waters. Secondary anchor logos befit each shoulder.
The same icy blue coloring of the “S” is featured prominently on the sleeves in two shades, adding a classic look to this modern franchise, and there is just enough red bordering at the bottom and across the collar to accentuate the red eye of the serpent.
How Seattle Decided on a Name
Seattle’s sports fan base immediately rallied around their new NHL team from the very beginning, and the ownership group paid them back by giving the fans a huge input into the search for the perfect mascot.
According to the team’s official site, a fan survey of more than 200,000 entries helped to sway the vote.
“We met deposit day with 32,000 passionate fans and scores of prospective team names. One in particular emerged quickly as the frontrunner. Two years later, and that same name still carries the conversation. 215,000 fan votes, 50+ fan forums & speaking engagements and over 12 months of social media listening have supported this phenomenon—Seattle is the Kraken.”
Seattle Kraken Official Site
After identifying the name, Seattle NHL worked closely with historical experts and city historians to craft the logo, colorways and cement the identity of the league’s 32nd team.
Shop Seattle Kraken Gear
All of the Seattle Kraken merchandise featuring the new logos will be available on NHL Shop, Fanatics, FansEdge and anywhere else you buy licensed NHL apparel! The first range of Kraken gear spans Seattle Kraken t-shirts, hats, hoodies and sweatshirts, and more essentials befitting the brand new logos and mascot.
