Steelheads, Pilots or Metropolitans? What’s the best name for a Seattle NHL team?
A hundred years after winning the Stanley Cup, Seattle is hoping to land its first National Hockey League team.
The NHL has agreed to hear a proposal for a Seattle expansion team, the Los Angeles-based Oak View Group plans to spend more than $600 million to renovate KeyArena and a season-ticket drive is expected in the coming weeks. Of course, the team will need a name and hockey fans have plenty of ideas.
This is important work, of course, or your team might end up with a name like the Vegas Golden Nights, the NHL’s latest expansion team.
The Metropolitans, a tip of the cap to the Pacific Coast Hockey Association team that beat the NHL champion Montreal Canadians to win the Stanley Cup, is among the usual recommendations. Other ideas included the Pilots (the name of Seattle’s first Major League Baseball team), the Steelheads (the state fish and the name of a local Negro leagues team) and the Thunderbirds (Seattle’s longtime junior hockey team).
Canadian sports network TSN proposed four uninspired names: The Thunder, Nighthawks, Neon Warriors and Skyscrapers. For good measure, hockeyfeed.com added another Northwest cliche: The Seattle Sasquatch.
Readers of The News Tribune have emailed in a few suggestions: Seals, Wolfcats and Whalers.
Here are some other suggestions (both new and old) via Twitter:
Only one name should be considered:
— HongKongHawk☝✌ (@dbloomy) September 13, 2017
Seattle Grinders
Tie in with coffee & a kick ass hockey name. Done. You're welcome. #seattlenhl @NHL https://t.co/Zh5nu4MK8m
Another bonus for a Seattle NHL club: the league would have to get abstract with the team name. Who wouldn't love the Seattle Thunderwovles?
— Adam Steevens (@adamstvns) August 15, 2017
I love the name Seattle Skyline (Liners for short) as a potential name for a future @NHL team. The logo would be unreal. @NHLtoSeattle
— MrWilson2U (@mrkellywilson) June 15, 2017
Personally, I think the new name for the Seattle NHL franchise should be the Seattle Firebirds.
— Kim Larsen (@SeattleKim1960) May 5, 2017
If we do go with a fish name for Seattle's #NHL franchise like the Steelheads or the Sockeyes, etc. I demand we use this logo. #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/7JrRAjFVrM
— Seattle SuperSonics (@BringBackSonics) April 15, 2017
If (hopefully) not the Metropolitans. What other names do you guys like for a Seattle #NHL hockey team name? #StanleyCup
— Seattle SuperSonics (@BringBackSonics) April 14, 2017
Seattle Smoke would make a good name to the hockey team
— Dean E. S. Richard (@deanfortythree) August 9, 2017
Wonder what a Seattle hockey team name would be. I vote the Seattle Bombers and they play an air raid siren as a goal horn.
— Joel Whetzel (@JoelWhetzel) June 9, 2017
Chicago radio host Jay Zawaski also collected an array of creative ideas.
Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs
— Chuck (@ivychat) September 12, 2017
The Seattle Courtney Love Killed Kurt Cobains
— UnofficialEPA (@ChrisTKBinetti) September 12, 2017
Seattle Chinooks!
— Mitch Bosse (@bossehawks) September 12, 2017
The Seattle Sleepless, duh.
— Brian Foran (@BForanNHL) September 12, 2017
Seattle Snowcaps (shoutout to Mt Rainier, use it in the logo?)
— Brad Repplinger (@TCRBrad) September 12, 2017
The Weed Salmon
— Strop Enthusiast (@catt_marpenter) September 12, 2017
Seattle Sea Cucumbers
— Miss Bell (@ImaRealBeach) September 12, 2017
Seattle Sea Cucumbers
— Miss Bell (@ImaRealBeach) September 12, 2017
The Seattle Geoducks pic.twitter.com/b8Sq3bviBk
— chris fedunok (@cfed1218) September 13, 2017
Flannel
— Aaron Mote (@amote0014) September 13, 2017
Craig Hill: 253-597-8497, @AdventureGuys
This story was originally published September 13, 2017 at 2:44 PM with the headline "Steelheads, Pilots or Metropolitans? What’s the best name for a Seattle NHL team?."