Seattle Kraken is the NHL expansion franchise name we deserve

A new report has the upcoming NHL expansion team settling on the Seattle Kraken as the name for their franchise.

The NHL’s newest expansion franchise in Seattle is set to play their inaugural year of hockey during the upcoming 2021-22 season. However, we’ve yet to learn anything about their franchise, from their name to their color scheme and logo.

Fans were reportedly set to hear the name of Seattle’s upcoming franchise by this year’s All-Star weekend, but the weekend in St. Louis came without much of a peep from the NHL on the name. On Wednesday, however, John Hoven of Mayor’s Manor joined NHL Network Radio, and possibly gave fans their first look at the team’s name.

First reported by Russian Machine Never Breaks, Hoven reported that the NHL’s newest expansion team is set to be called the Seattle Kraken.

"From everything that I’ve heard, it looks like Seattle Kraken is going to be the name. Which is quite surprising, actually, when I was given that information just a couple of days ago. I was a little bit in shock personally, just because we had been told several times previously that that was not the name that they were going for. It looked like they were leaning toward Sockeyes."

Hoven’s report states that the NHL is seemingly reluctant to use the name Sockeyes because it’s been used by an author for a book series, giving the league pause about the possible legal ramifications of using the name. During the NHL’s lead up to the Vegas Golden Knights’ first season in the league, the NHL ran into a trademark snafu with the branding of the “Golden Knights” logo and moniker, something the league clearly does not want to run afoul of again.

The name, if the report from Hoven is accurate, is a major surprise, given that the Kraken seemed like a long-shot as a nickname for Seattle. Other names reportedly in the mix for Seattle are the Totems, Emeralds, Rainiers, Renegades, Sea Lions, Seals, Evergreens, Whales, Cougars, Eagles and Firebirds.

The Golden Knights is not a bad name for an NHL team by any stretch, but the Kraken would automatically surpass the other 31 teams in the league in terms of cool factor. There should be more mythological and cryptic representation in sports in general outside of your Titans and Giants. The Shanghai Dragons of the Overwatch League boast one of the coolest logos in all of sports, and should Seattle go down the mythological route, they too could end up in that unique pantheon if they play their cards right.

The Kraken has been a fan-favorite name for Seattle hockey fans and NHL fans alike. Since Seattle was officially approved as the league’s 32nd team, the fan mockups of logos and jerseys for the fictional Kraken were an exercise in creativity that surpassed many fan’s dreams.

If this report does ring true when the NHL’s official announcement comes sometime this year, the Seattle Kraken will be a fantasy no longer.

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