No Need to Blink: Kraken are Real

Since a teaser video posted Wednesday night, really the last 18 to 20 months, the Seattle metropolitan area and NHL fans everywhere have waited for the 32nd franchise to release its name and logo.
That day was Thursday. In a day-long virtual event, NHL Seattle-now, ta da, the Seattle Kraken-unveiled the team name, logo and jersey inside Climate Pledge Arena with its construction crew as the live audience. It was a difficult secret to keep, especially as Kraken began to rise as a contender.

"The best was when I was doing a Twitter chat and at the bottom [of the screen], the tweets were coming in and somebody tweeted to me at the time, 'Blink twice if it's Kraken,' recalled Kraken GM Ron Francis during a five-hour livestream Thursday to digitally engage fans during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Now I was almost in panic mode like, do I blink? Do I not blink? Am I giving a signal?' I thought that one was absolutely hilarious somebody thought that up.".
From a stage a few skate strides from what will become center ice at -to-be-completed-in-2021 Climate Pledge Arena, Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke graciously and intentionally handed the microphone over to Washington Wild girls youth player Jaina Goscinski, who released the Kraken for the first time in franchise history with a prompt to run an audio in the arena and video to livestream viewers that revealed the name.

Hundreds of hardworking construction women and men, on a break from building the team's future home, applauded and cheered as the world was introduced to the Seattle Kraken for the very first time.
"During the most challenging of times, bringing in skill and passion to the job every single day, take pride, because together we're building the most beautiful arena in the world, said Leiweke in opening remarks. "Climate Pledge Arena will be the world's first sustainable arena and a symbol of hope for better days to come for our city and community."
Like many other major cities in the United States and the world, Seattle has suffered through the coronavirus pandemic and the civil unrest in wake of the killing of George Floyd. It's been a time of social distancing and grappling with the long-lasting impacts of COVID-19. It has also been a time where the fundamental belief that Black Lives Matter has unearthed the best and worst of humanity.
It's been an important time for the NHL Seattle franchise, the Kraken, to listen to the community. Since March 1, 2018, the Seattle franchise has listened. One survey resulted in more than 210,000 fans offering over 1,000 suggested names. At the same time, the Kraken staff has built ties in the community through Pride Month activations, hosted Hall of Famer Willie O'Ree, "Soul on Ice" producer Kwame Mason and the NHL mobile museum for Black History Month. The team has been widely praised for prioritizing inclusion and diversity in hiring ahead of the inaugural season.
Thursday's announcement marks a commitment to the promise of tomorrow while also embracing the culture and history of the past.
"Seattle is a city built by the sea," said Heidi Dettmer, vice president of marketing for the Kraken during the announcement proceedings. The Seattle native spoke about honoring the literal and figurative deep waters of Puget Sound, and the legend of a mystical sea creature under the Tacoma Bridge. Those varied blues are represented in the logo and the mysterious sea creatures of the area are represented in the tentacle of the "S", a bold reminder of the first U.S Stanley Cup champions, the 1917 Seattle Metropolitans.
"Our logo was built in close partnership with Adidas to honor our city, our beast and the incredible game of hockey," said Dettmer. "Our team will take the ice and play each and every game like it's the Stanley Cup Final."
Deep-sea blue and ice blue are the primary colors of the logo. Boundless and shadow blue accent the tentacle details, and red alert serves as the color of the eye of the Kraken. The bold "S" represents authenticity to hockey in Seattle, the shades of blue represent the nobility of a city by the sea and the red represents the mystery and beast of the Kraken.
"What's scarier than the threats of the mind?" asked Matty Merrill, Adidas design director for hockey during a digital "breakout" session on the livestream. "That killer in the Hitchcock movies that you don't actually see."
The Kraken seek to bring an exciting element of surprise that will equally stun their opponents and wow fans on the ice. Off the ice, the Seattle Kraken look to as its namesake. The Kraken is "a mysterious beast and will continue to reveal itself over time," said Dettmer. Will we ever see the full beast? Only time will tell.
For now, fans can buy commemorative "Release the Kraken' merchandise with 100 percent of net proceeds benefitting local nonprofits YouthCare, Community Passageways and the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle through Aug. 21
Fans can visit ReleaseTheKrakenStore.com to grab the first run of gear. The franchise will eventually open a storefront along the waterfront where fans can browse for the latest merchandise.