Seattle Kraken becoming NHL’s 32nd franchise

The NHL’s announced last week its 32nd franchise will be called Seattle Kraken.

CEO Tod Leiweke revealed Thursday the name, logo and colors in the bowl of Climate Pledge Arena, where the Kraken will play beginning with the 2021-22 season, according to a press release.

The team, led by majority owner David Bonderman, spent 18 months engaged in extensive research and considered more than 215,000 fan votes and 1,200 names.  According to the press release, the Kraken is a sea creature with “natural ties to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest through the region’s deep maritime history.”

“The Kraken is a name born of the fans. It was suggested and championed by the fans,” Leiweke said in the press release. “We embarked on one of the most thorough naming processes in sports to make sure we got it right, to find the name that rings true. We wanted the name to connect to the powerful pull of nature here in the Pacific Northwest and resonate with the fervor for hockey in our city and region. And I promise we are going to deliver the most compelling, entertaining and unifying game experience for every fan who enters Climate Pledge Arena.”

The Seattle Kraken will donate 100 percent of net sale proceeds through Aug. 21 from a bespoke line of merchandise to local nonprofits YouthCare, Community Passageways and the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle to help end youth homelessness and create pathways and opportunities for BIPOC youth in the region. Fans can visit www.releasethekrakenstore.com to purchase merchandise.

Fans can engage with the team via the website at www.nhl.com/kraken and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (@NHLSeattle_), TikTok (@Kraken), and can join in the conversation using the #SeaKraken hashtag.