On and Kraken: After 18 months of anticipation, the Seattle Kraken is the team name for NHL Seattle
Ever since Seattle was named the 32nd NHL franchise on December 4, 2018 this was perhaps the most anticipated day.
NHL Seattle is no longer a team name or the identity, and the debate is over on what to call this hockey franchise. At long last, we now know what this team will be.
The Seattle Kraken.
CEO and Team President Tod Leiweke and other members of the staff announced the team name at the site of the Climate Pledge Arena on Thursday in Seattle.
“We know that the past few months have posed an unprecedented change in all our lives with many interesting moments,” said majority owner David Bonderman in a press release.
“Through it all, we have been on a long journey to name our team and design the logo with input from our fans, our leadership team and partners. We already have strong ties to hockey with Ron Francis, our general manager, Tod Leiweke, our CEO, and the backgrounds of many of our senior team and ownership group. We have listened to our community and our fans to create a brand that is the image of who we want to be as an organization.”
The team name has been the most discussed topic for months and the Kraken was always a top choice among fans in Seattle and all over the world. Members of the Adidas Hockey group say that they were approached with over 1,200 names submitted by fans regarding the NHL Seattle branding. The fans spoke up through meetings, focus groups and social media and one name kept coming up in some ways Adidas, and the Kraken organization had no other option.
“When I first arrived in Seattle, Kraken was the number one name that fans mentioned to me time and time again,” Seattle GM Ron Francis said in a press release.
“We believe the strength and aggression of the Kraken mirrors the sport of hockey and the tenacity our players will show every time they take to the ice. Our players will no doubt feel a sense of pride and confidence when they pull on the sweater.”
The team colors stand out with their connections to the sea, from the various shades of blue to the fiery red that stands for the eye of the beast of the sea, the Kraken. The “S” in the Seattle logo helps pay tribute to the Puget Sound and to the Seattle Metropolitans, the 1917 Stanley Cup Champions.
As the TNT’s Gregg Bell notes, the Space Needle can be seen on the secondary anchor logo.
On the team website, SeattleKrakenHockey.com you can see what went behind the team branding, team logos and get a look at the jerseys that can be purchased at releasethekrakenstore.com.
Stay tuned for thenewstribune.com for more information on this developing story.
This story was originally published July 23, 2020 at 10:06 AM.
