We know since 2018 that Seattle would be the 32nd NHL franchise. But until Thursday, we didn’t know the name of the team, nor the logo, nor the colors, although speculation went crazy about what all that would be.
Now we know: it is the Seattle Kraken, and on the launching (Sorry) for the official name, logo, colors and uniforms there was a wave of reaction across the sports-loving world, particularly in Seattle, a city whose residents have been clamoring for that information for almost two years. No wonder the team needed to be so diligent in keeping everything under a cloak of secrecy.
So how did it go? Our panelists assess the ratings on each aspect of Thursday’s reveal, from 1 to 10 (with 10 being the highest):
LAUNCH THE KRAKEN … on your phone, desktop or Background Zoom with these 🔥 wallpapers. pic.twitter.com/EYIJ4Nc9I0
– Seattle Kraken (@NHLSeattle_) July 23, 2020
Seattle Kraken. I love the Space Needle anchor. Jerseys through @icethetics. pic.twitter.com/TT84styfkd
– Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 23, 2020
Name: 4 4. I’ll say it, I don’t like it. This lifelong Seattleite waited for a name that evoked pride in the Pacific Northwest, one that has meaning here. Kraken only has part of the way for me. The marine aspect is great: Seattle is surrounded by water, some of which harbor squid and octopus, but it is difficult to say that there is much regional relevance with a mythical creature from the Scandinavian tradition. It feels like a less generic but more ingenious version of the Seattle Dragons of the XFL in that regard. Seattle Sockeyes would have been perfect. It comes off the tongue. Sounds like hockey. It is regional. And look at a spawning sockeye salmon and tell me it wouldn’t lend itself easily to a stunning color scheme. It would have been duplicated as a tribute to the old Seattle metropolitans, who wore similar colors. But, Kraken is bold, I will give you that.
Logo: 5 5. I like the understated approach to a cartoonish depiction of a Kraken, and it gives me the sense of mystery that the design team was looking for, but the main logo is too quiet for me. They could have included some subtle shoots to make the tentacle more identifiable than it is only in profile view. Without further distinction, the S looks Old English (open the Seattle Times Twitter page and you’ll see what I mean). The Space Needle at anchor is very slippery – there is a lot of tattoo potential there.
Colors: 7 7. If a sea creature like Kraken is the name, then dark blue is the obvious choice for the primary color. Green or gray could have looked good as complementary colors, but could have made the whole scheme look less distinguishable from those of the Seahawks or Mariners. The other shades of blue work well together, and red gives it enough accent without looking out of place.
Uniform set: 8. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts here. Put it all together and these are sharp, especially the road jerseys. My favorite aspect is how, in my opinion, the lightest blue takes on a turquoise hue when contrasted with white. Looking at the letters on the back of the road jersey, I think the front would appear more dark blue. But overall, well done here.
Emily Kaplan, NHL National Reporter
Name: 9. Kraken is unique. Is rare. I mean, it’s a mythical sea monster: Many people probably have no idea what it is, and it’s unclear whether the fictional creature from the original myth even lives in Pacific waters. But Kraken is identified as a franchise that caters to fans, and feels authentic to the community. Either you are involved or you are not one of us.
Logo: 8. The smart decision to pay tribute to the metropolitans with the S and not opt for something cartoonish, but it’s the use of negative space that sold me. I love how Adidas Design Director Matty Merrill describes it: “As you look at the ‘S’ and think about the Metropolitans, you think about the colors, that negative space tentacle is hiding there, wrapping your ankles, ready to pull you over. down.”
Colors: 6 6. Colors stand out, especially that icy blue in the deep navy. Of the 31 existing teams in the NHL, 16 have shades of blue, but Seattle feels distinctive. That being said, I would have loved a green element. And while they added red accents to differentiate themselves from other blue teams in the league, the last time I verified that the Winnipeg Jets have that, too. Poor Winnipeg.
Uniform set: 8. Something about them just feels sharp. I like the secondary anchor logo on the sleeves, which features the Space Needle. But I especially like that there is no white on the home shirts, which gives them a unique look.
Arda Ocal, editor and esports expert
Name: 10. FREE THE KRAKEN … are you kidding me? This is the name we all wanted, and we got it. Well, when I say “we”, I mean the Internet, and we should always listen to the Internet. In all seriousness, this is the perfect name for this generation of hockey fans. He’s silly, lends himself to some puns and humor, and can still be intimidating and taken seriously when necessary. I love it. Plus, there’s a great continuity story for Ron Francis here, who now becomes the general manager of a nautical-themed team after being drafted into the NHL by one (the Hartford Whalers). And on a side note: I guess the number of people who Google “Kraken” skyrocketed by about 7,000%.
Logo: 9. I love the details and complexities included. Like how the shoulder patch anchor logo includes the Space Needle. How the S is a tribute to the (Stanley Cup Metropolitans) Seattle Metropolitans. Not to mention the tentacle inside the S’s body, and the menacing red eye. I know it’s a nautical themed font, but the only thing I really don’t like is the actual script for “Seattle Kraken” (seen at the end of the developer video) … I needed a little more red for my liking. But overall, it’s still a big fat W here.
For any e-sports fan, the logo definitely has a “If the Florida Mutineers and Seattle Surge of the Call of Duty League had a baby.”
Colors: 7 7. Blue for the theme of water, consult. Red alert: that fits the theme of terror. Without the red accent, it’s a bit lacking (as I said earlier, the fully written “Seattle Kraken” seems to be missing red as that exclamation point). And the team now has a natural “colorway rivalry” with the Jets to go with “who rules the open water?” rivalry with the San Jose sharks … and now that I think about it, hurricanes must use Whalers’ threads at least once against the Kraken.
Uniform set: 8. They look good together. I also love the “Kraken” inside the necklace, where we’ve seen plenty of Easter eggs in sweaters from many different NHL teams (the Nashville Predators’ piano keys are still my favorites). No matter their loyalty, hockey fans will want to buy at least one piece of Kraken merchandise. Plus, you know we’ll eventually get an alternate t-shirt with a real Kraken … or Liam Neeson’s face from the 2010 version of “Clash of the Titans” … or it’ll be fine.
Greg Wyshynski, NHL Senior Writer
Name: 7 7. It’s a tremendously cool pet – a seemingly indestructible multi-tentacled beast that emerges from the depths to destroy everything in its path. It is the closest we are to having an NHL team named after a kaiju. It is instantly memorable, extremely original compared to other professional teams, and the dream of a lead writer. But I’m robbing him three points from perfection. A point for the massive name / non-plural name (ie Wild and Heat), which is a favorite motif for sports and was frankly avoidable here since Webster defines the plural of Kraken as “Kraken or Krakens”. A second point follows for not being a name that locals have endorsed throughout the process: Sockeyes and Metropolitan won more fan polls in Seattle. And a third point to encourage a lot of adjacent “krak” nicknames like “krakheads”; While many of us find them humorous, it must be recognized that many feel that “crack addicts” have racial overtones. So maybe we lightly tread there.
Logo: 10. Actually a lot is happening here. The S itself is both a small Kraken and evokes the hull of a ship, in two pleasant maritime winks. The negative space tentacle is instantly iconic. The ripple makes him feel alive. Sure, it looks like the “S” for the Seagrams beverage company logo, only with a bright eye of San Jose Sharks. But greatness borrows while genius steals. What brings this up to 10 is the secondary logo, with the Space Needle on that hook. It is better than a good portion of the current primary NHL logos.
Colors: 7 7. Do you know how sometimes you’re watching a movie and say, “I wish this was as good as the trailer?” Well, Seattle had been wearing a salmon blue and light blue motif in its branding before this week’s reveal, so it was a bit of a disappointment not to see that the amazing and unique color scheme makes the final cut. Also, I’ve always been in favor of Seattle teams leaning toward that Emerald City vibe with green like Sounders FC did, rather than heading more in the direction of Mariners like Kraken. But hey, at least it’s not red and black, which is what the group of owners was considering at first.
Uniform set: 9. These are some sharp looking sweaters. Blue is dark enough to evoke black without being, like, the 800th shirt in recent NHL history to shake a solid black base. Red accent stripes appear. Like when the Golden Knights revealed theirs, the targets of the road look especially sharp. But what I liked about the Las Vegas sweaters were their weird little patterns and textures, and at first glance these Seattle shirts don’t have them. But the potential is enormous for alternative jerseys that are already in the planning stages, especially ones that put that awesome Space Needle secondary logo front and center.
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