“Thar she blows” or something like that. I guess the Kraken doesn’t have a blowhole like a whale. Doesn’t matter. After months of speculation, the NHL’s 32nd member, an expansion team located in Pacific Northwest, will be called the Seattle Kraken.

https://twitter.com/NHLSeattle_/status/1286334190439395330?s=20

The History

There’s so much to dive into here. Let’s start with the origin of the name came from and when it was first referenced in Seattle:

I will avoid the urge to eviscerate Darren Rovell -whose pompous musings on Twitter make me cringe more than realizing Disney did in fact make a Lion King 2 and Lion King 1 1/2- for his woeful comparison between the Kraken and Loch Ness Monster. I could, I arguably should, but I won’t.

For the purposes of today’s lesson on Nordic folklore, I’ll merely note that the Kraken was said to roam the icy waters from Norway, past Iceland, all the way to Greenland. The Kraken would haunt the seas, striking fear into the hearts of the unsuspecting crews of ships who may or may not at any moment see their ships enveloped by the beast’s tentacles and pulled to their death in the deepest depths of the sea.


The Sweaters

The sweaters that Kraken players will wear are pretty freaking awesome:

It’s an excellent, unique color scheme and the sweaters look really clean and crisp.

The Logos

You will have undoubtedly noticed the primary and secondary logos by this point, both of which are deserving of some attention.

Primary Logo

The anatomy of the logo was a collaboration between the Seattle organization and Adidas. The red eye strikes fear in the heart of the weak, while the dark tentacle slipping its way up the center of the logo is a nice way to pay homage to the hidden, sneaky nature of the Kraken.

Secondary Logo

The coolest part about the secondary logo, an anchor, is the Seattle Space Needle being beautifully adapted.

To be honest, I get real Seattle Mariners vibes from a color scheme and nautical standpoint, but the designs are unique enough to avoid a direct comparison or accusations of ripping off a fellow city team.

The Kraken certainly beats another rumored name: the Sockeyes.