Seattle NHL Brand Discussion

[Fitzy0220]

Again, people thought the name PENGUINS was awful. A Penguin  "Non Threatening Non Intimidating Flightless Bird", not to mention the Wife of the Owner The nickname seemed like a natural choice to the owner’s wife, Carol McGregor (at left in photo below). Since the team would play in the arena that locals called “The Igloo.”

Yet here we are, 51 Seasons later and 5 Stanley Cups Championships. People around here no longer view the Penguins name as awful

[B-Rich]

23 minutes ago, Fitzy0220 said:

Again, people thought the name PENGUINS was awful. A Penguin  "Non Threatening Non Intimidating Flightless Bird", not to mention the Wife of the Owner The nickname seemed like a natural choice to the owner’s wife, Carol McGregor (at left in photo below). Since the team would play in the arena that locals called “The Igloo.”

Yet here we are, 51 Seasons later and 5 Stanley Cups Championships. People around here no longer view the Penguins name as awful

 

Am I missing something, or did you?

[Skycast]

While not as evocative as Kraken, Seattle Sockeyes certainly rolls off the tongue wonderfully.

[gosioux76]

48 minutes ago, Fitzy0220 said:

Again, people thought the name PENGUINS was awful. A Penguin  "Non Threatening Non Intimidating Flightless Bird", not to mention the Wife of the Owner The nickname seemed like a natural choice to the owner’s wife, Carol McGregor (at left in photo below). Since the team would play in the arena that locals called “The Igloo.”

Yet here we are, 51 Seasons later and 5 Stanley Cups Championships. People around here no longer view the Penguins name as awful

 

Mighty Ducks was silly, too. I get it. Some names, perhaps like Kraken, can grow on people. Maybe I'm just speaking from the benefit of hindsight, but I think it matters here that Ducks and Penguins are actual things and had some rationale behind their use locally. (The Ducks, being Disney-owned at the time, Pittsburgh's apparent fondness for alliteration.) 

 

I know there's been some effort on here to explain how Kraken has some deep mythological meaning or that it isn't just a chance for a fanbase to scream "Release the Kraken," but none of it makes it feel any less gimmicky. 

 

There's also just something about the word that bothers me. Maybe it's the doubling down on the hard "k" -- Kraken, instead of Cracken or Crackin'. The absence of a "c" in there makes it look as if it should be pronounced "krayken." I know that's how it's spelled; i'm not trying to suggest otherwise, or that it should be changed. But there's just something unpleasant about it -- it's abrasive and awkward.

[Fitzy0220]

52 minutes ago, B-Rich said:

 

Am I missing something, or did you?

No you're not missing anything. For some reason I was having issues this morning with my computer. Swear today should be a Monday but apparently when I copied the quote from Pittsburghhockey.net  it didn't copy the picture that accommodated the quote. IDK  LOL

[Fitzy0220]

11 minutes ago, gosioux76 said:

 

Mighty Ducks was silly, too. I get it. Some names, perhaps like Kraken, can grow on people. Maybe I'm just speaking from the benefit of hindsight, but I think it matters here that Ducks and Penguins are actual things and had some rationale behind their use locally. (The Ducks, being Disney-owned at the time, Pittsburgh's apparent fondness for alliteration.) 

 

I know there's been some effort on here to explain how Kraken has some deep mythological meaning or that it isn't just a chance for a fanbase to scream "Release the Kraken," but none of it makes it feel any less gimmicky. 

 

There's also just something about the word that bothers me. Maybe it's the doubling down on the hard "k" -- Kraken, instead of Cracken or Crackin'. The absence of a "c" in there makes it look as if it should be pronounced "krayken." I know that's how it's spelled; i'm not trying to suggest otherwise, or that it should be changed. But there's just something unpleasant about it -- it's abrasive and awkward.

See, I've been fascinated by stuff like Moby Dick, the Kraken, Ghost Ships, Ghosts. etc for a long time. Part of the reason I joined the Worlds Finest Navy was because of the lore Pirates and the Tales that were told. Sounds dumb but 

[1908_Cubs]

45 minutes ago, gosioux76 said:

 

Mighty Ducks was silly, too. I get it. Some names, perhaps like Kraken, can grow on people. Maybe I'm just speaking from the benefit of hindsight, but I think it matters here that Ducks and Penguins are actual things and had some rationale behind their use locally. (The Ducks, being Disney-owned at the time, Pittsburgh's apparent fondness for alliteration.) 

 

I know there's been some effort on here to explain how Kraken has some deep mythological meaning or that it isn't just a chance for a fanbase to scream "Release the Kraken," but none of it makes it feel any less gimmicky. 

 

There's also just something about the word that bothers me. Maybe it's the doubling down on the hard "k" -- Kraken, instead of Cracken or Crackin'. The absence of a "c" in there makes it look as if it should be pronounced "krayken." I know that's how it's spelled; i'm not trying to suggest otherwise, or that it should be changed. But there's just something unpleasant about it -- it's abrasive and awkward.

I think part of it as well is that "Ducks" and "Penguins" just feel...old school-ish, before all mascots had to be tough, or mean.  While the term or lore of a Kraken have been around a while, and I don't mean to make it seem "new" (it's certainly not), it doesn't have that "traditional" vibe to it.  It seems to lend itself more to the MiLB Brandoise naming system of style and form, loud and brash.  I've got a tough time imagining a team in the 20's calling themselves Kraken.  I could, however, see a team called the Ducks (this is not to say anything about the Ducks uniforms...they could use a change).  Which is one of the reasons why I think they can be a little funky but feel like they belong (as an avid Cubs fan, I can say I would have a hard time seeing any professional team now naming themselves after a baby bear, for example.  It has that "traditionally" weird mascot type of a name).

 

I know some have an affinity for Kraken.  But I just don't feel it's a name that's going to feel anything less than dated.  Maybe it'll ingrain itself and in 20 years the Seattle Kraken will just feel like they belong in the NHL like the Montreal Canadiens, the New York Rangers, or the Philadelphia Flyers.  But my first inclination is that in 20 years it'll feel just...a wee bit silly.

 

I also fear a team name like Kraken will lead to...well...some uniforms that don't necessarily fit the aesthetic the NHL seems to be going in right now which has been more of a hearkening back to traditional looks.  You don't have to have an entire league that keeps that look, but I'm afraid a Kraken team would maybe...go a little too wild and really stick out like a sore thumb (stripes, for example, that are tentacles, or something perhaps a bit...too far out there).

[tBBP]

I been saying it from jump, I know few people actually care, but imma continue to keep yelling it (and i don't care about the current division names, either):

 

All this could have been avoided had they simply chosen to resurrect the moniker "Metros". 

 

That was by far the best option out of all of the proposed nicknames... 

[IceCap]

2 hours ago, Fitzy0220 said:

Again, people thought the name PENGUINS was awful. A Penguin  "Non Threatening Non Intimidating Flightless Bird", not to mention the Wife of the Owner The nickname seemed like a natural choice to the owner’s wife, Carol McGregor (at left in photo below). Since the team would play in the arena that locals called “The Igloo.”

Yet here we are, 51 Seasons later and 5 Stanley Cups Championships. People around here no longer view the Penguins name as awful

Not everything has to involve Pittsburgh.

[Ridleylash]

1 minute ago, IceCap said:

Not everything has to involve Pittsburgh.

But didn't you know? Pittsburgh's the new Center of the Universe!  

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Seattle's got other stuff on its mind right now. Delaying the Kraken release, or whatever, is fine and, more than that, good.

[goalieboy82]

if its a copyright issue with the name (the owner to the copyright holder)

 

 

[ColeJ]

I honestly think Kraken is cool and unique name that would be the best choice of anything I've heard.

The leaps some of ya'll are taking in this thread baffle me.

[The_Admiral]

I thought Thoroughblades was a pretty clever AHL/IHL name, myself.

[jacobrgroman]

13 minutes ago, the admiral said:

I thought Thoroughblades was a pretty clever AHL/IHL name, myself.

especially being from kentucky.

 

and I am in the "I hope it isn't kraken" camp.

[Ridleylash]

On 6/18/2020 at 6:06 PM, ColeJ said:

I honestly think Kraken is cool and unique name that would be the best choice of anything I've heard.

The leaps some of ya'll are taking in this thread baffle me.

When's the last time anybody thought about Seattle and thought "giant mythical Atlantic sea beast"? The only connection there is that Seattle's on the water and it has large sea animals; but even then, the actual kraken of mythology has nothing to do with Seattle. Plus it's encroaching on Detroit's territory with the whole cephalopod thing anyways.

 

"Kraken" is propped up primarily by people who only want it A.) because of the memes, B.) because they think it's "the most badass" or C.) because they're not native to the region and don't realize why "Sockeyes" is the much more culturally-appropriate choice for the marine animal identity.

 

If Kraken were the best choice of them, why did it get Tampa Bay'd by the Steelheads in the Seattle Times poll? Seems like the market isn't that enthused by "Kraken" and would much rather a name like "Sockeyes" or "Totems". Which is fair, because "Kraken" is a silly, silly name.

[O.C.D]

Can they call the team the Seattle Super-Duper Sonics?

[TenaciousG]

Given how hard they pursued Firebirds for the Palm Springs AHL affiliate, I am holding out hope for Thunderbirds. It really is the most logical option. The WHL team can be the Kent Thunderbirds or Kent Kraken or whatever. I don’t think it will drive Everett WHL fans away.

 

If not, I prefer Sockeyes. If it’s Kraken, I’ll be okay with it as long as the branding and uniforms are on point.

[dont care]

I don’t think they would want any references to the NBA team that abandoned them for OKC

[ebod39]

40 minutes ago, Ridleylash said:

Plus it's encroaching on Detroit's territory with the whole cephalopod thing anyways.