Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken is a professional ice hockey team based in Seattle, Washington, that plays in the National Hockey League (NHL). Established as the league's 32nd franchise, the Kraken began their inaugural season in 2021-2022, following the approval of their expansion in 2018. The team is named after a legendary sea creature from Nordic folklore, which reflects Seattle's maritime culture. Their home games are played at Climate Pledge Arena, a venue designed with sustainability in mind and equipped to celebrate the city’s rich hockey history.
The Kraken's formation marked the return of professional hockey to Seattle after a lengthy absence, with the last NHL team, the Seattle Metropolitans, disbanding in 1924. The team's initial roster was built through an expansion draft, selecting players from other NHL teams to create a competitive lineup. Despite finishing last in their division during their first season, the Kraken showed improvement in their second season, making it to the playoffs and earning recognition for standout players, such as Matty Beniers, who received the Rookie of the Year award. As a new and beloved addition to the Seattle sports landscape, the Kraken has generated significant enthusiasm among fans, evidenced by high season ticket sales and community support.
Seattle Kraken
Team information
- Inaugural season: 2021–2022
- Home arena: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, Washington
- Owner: Seattle Hockey Partners
- Team colors: Deep sea blue, ice blue, boundless blue, shadow blue, red alert
Overview
Seattle Kraken is a National Hockey League (NHL) franchise based in Seattle, Washington. The league approved the franchise in 2018, bringing its complement of teams to thirty-two. The team was staffed through an expansion draft and became active during the 2021–2022 season. The Kraken was assigned to the Western Conference and a new arena, Climate Pledge Arena, was built as its home facility. The team is named for a gigantic, deadly, mysterious sea creature that has been part of sailor’s lore for centuries. Marine biologists think the creature may have been based on the giant squid. The Kraken became the first pro hockey franchise in Seattle since the Seattle Totems of the Western Hockey League folded in 1975 and the first NHL franchise in the city since the Seattle Metropolitans, who played their last game in 1924.
History
The awarding of an NHL franchise to Seattle in 2018 started the latest chapter in a long history of professional hockey in the city. Between 1915 and 1924, the Seattle Metropolitans played as part of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and were the league’s winningest franchise. In 1917, they were the first American team to win the NHL championship Stanley Cup when they beat the favored Montreal Canadiens in a four-game series. The team was forced to fold in 1924 when its rink was turned into a parking lot and no other arena was available.
The Metropolitans were followed by the Seattle Eskimos, who played for just three seasons between 1928 and 1931. Then in 1933, a team called the Sea Hawks began playing in Seattle as part of the Northwest Hockey League. After being sold in 1940, the team became the Olympics but played only one year before the league folded.
For the three decades between 1944 and 1974, Seattle was home to a team with a succession of names playing as part of the Pacific Coast Hockey League. The league also changed its name, becoming the Western Hockey League in 1952. Between 1944 and 1952, Seattle’s team was called the Ironmen, followed by the Seattle Bombers from 1952 through 1954. In 1955, they became the Seattle Americans before becoming known as the Seattle Totems. As the Totems, the team won the Western Hockey League championship three times in ten years, beginning with 1959 and including back-to-back wins in 1967 and 1968.
The city is also home to a junior hockey league franchise, the Seattle Thunderbirds. That team is part of the Western Hockey League. Another Western Hockey League franchise was awarded to the Everett Silvertips for the 2021 season.
In 1974, Seattle was awarded an NHL expansion franchise set to begin play during the 1976–1977 season. However, the group in charge was unable to meet several key deadlines, and the franchise award was revoked. Another attempt in 1990 also failed, reportedly because the principal partners in the group making the request had insufficient financial support.
In December 2018, the NHL’s board of governors unanimously approved a request from the Seattle Hockey Partners to put an NHL franchise in the city again. The Partners include billionaire David Bonderman, movie producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and Seattle businessperson and sports executive Tod Leiweke. Leiweke, who serves as the team’s chief executive officer (CEO), has significant sports experience and was once a minority owner and CEO of another NHL franchise, the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Seattle fans reportedly greeted the franchise news with great excitement. 35,000 season tickets were reserved with a deposit within hours with a waiting list of nearly double that amount. The team’s home rink, the Climate Pledge Arena, was built beneath a structure constructed for the 1962 World’s Fair. The organization also utilized a monorail built for the fair to provide subsidized transportation to games for the team’s fans. A practice facility, Kraken Community Iceplex, was built by the city of Seattle.
The team’s name was the subject of much anticipation after the franchise was awarded. Some fans wanted to stick with traditional names from teams of the past, such as Metropolitans or Totems, but Kraken had huge support. Kraken was the name given to a mystical sea beast by Nordic mariners as far back as the twelfth century. Scientists think the elusive giant squid might have been what sailors saw and dubbed kraken. The team’s uniform is designed in shades of blue and features a large gothic-style “S” with a red eye in the center of the letter's top loop. Other design features include an anchor with the landmark Seattle Space Needle as its top.
Notable Players
The Kraken’s initial roster was chosen through an expansion draft. In an expansion draft, each existing team in the league protects a set number of players on their roster and leaves the rest open to selection by the new team. For the Kraken’s expansion draft held on July 21, 2021, the Vegas Golden Knights were exempt because they had just joined the league as an expansion team in 2017. The Seattle team chose players from the remaining thirty teams to fill their first roster.
Several choices were made because it was expected that they could make significant and immediate impact for the new team. Center Yanni Gourde was selected from the 2020–2021 Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning. Forward Jared McCann was chosen from the Toronto Maple Leafs, who acquired him just days before from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jordan Eberle, a strong offensive player, was chosen from the New York Islanders, while Vince Dunn from the St. Louis Blues was selected for defense. The team chose three goalies—Chris Driedger, Vitek Vanecek and Joey Daccord—none of whom had significant net-minding experience.
These players formed the basis of the team’s initial roster, as chosen by general manager Ron Francis. Expansion teams also round out their rosters with trades and acquisitions. The team’s first game was at Vegas on the 2021–2022 season opening day of October 12. Their first home game was October 23 against the Vancouver Canucks.
Although the Seattle Kraken finished in last place in the Pacific Division during their inaugural season, they experienced more success in their second season, 2022-2023. The team made it through the second round of the playoffs, and player Matty Beniers earned recognition as league rookie of the year. The Seattle Kraken did not make the playoffs in the 2023-2024 season and announced in May 2024 they would be looking for a new head coach. The Seattle Kraken, however, continued to be a much-loved addition to the Seattle area.
Bibliography
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