Yes, we know. The new Seattle NHL team won’t start playing until the 2021-22 season. And the ownership group probably won’t reveal the name of that team until at least 2020. But we still can’t help but think what nickname the new team will use. Will the ownership group go retro and pick the name of a prior pro hockey team that played in Seattle, such as the Totems? Or will it go with something original? And if so, what? Members of the Puck Junk Team gave their suggestions on what they think would be a great name for the new Seattle NHL team.
David Schauer, Assistant Editor
Kyle Scully, Staff Writer
Seattle’s newest hockey team might have several options for its name but only one that really matters: the Seattle Kraken. A name like that conjures up the awesome and terrifying monster from the “Clash of the Titans” movie, originally released in 1981 and remade in 2010.
Like the Las Vegas Golden Knights before them, this name allows countless opportunities. For instance, a Kraken mascot could skate on the ice and defeat that night’s opponent with all the absurdity and circumstance required to get the crowd excited.
The team could then show the clip from the 2010 “Clash of the Titans” movie with Liam Neeson, playing Zeus and proclaiming “Release the Kraken,” then said Kraken being released from the abyss. Well, that would depend on if the public’s opinion on Neeson softens by 2021.
When the Kraken make the Stanley Cup Finals, perhaps Harry Hamlin or Sam Worthington, who played Perseus in the 1981 and 2010 films respectively, could be there in person to amp up the crowd and drop the puck in the ceremonial face-off. And while Red Wings fans throw octopus, Predators fans throw catfish, and Panthers fans throw plastic rats, Seattle fans could “release” plush Krakens — available from the team store for the low price of $29.99 — onto the ice after a home victory.
Travis Shaw, Staff Writer
As soon as word got out that Seattle was getting an NHL team, my wife said “they should call them the Seattle Starbucks.” Would this ever happen? If Howard Schultz of the Starbucks Coffee empire was the team owner, then there might be a chance. But beyond that, I don’t see the team being cleared to use the name. That being said, if they were allowed to use the name and maybe put a spin on the iconic Starbucks siren logo for the team logo, then you are talking about a merchandising gold mine. People who have zero clue how the game is played or even who is playing on the team would buy Seattle Starbucks merchandise just because it ties to the coffee brand.
Jim Howard, Senior Writer
The Seattle Sockeyes have the best ring to my ears. While there is no wrong answer on this list, the SOCKEYES is the rightest answer! It’s got a rough and tumble feel that the old guard hockey fans can dig, but rolls off the tongue easily for the average local sports reporter who doesn’t actually follow hockey and will maul names like Jonathan “TOES” or Drew “DOUGHY.”
There’s just one little problem: that name is owned by a lady named Jami Davenport. WHO? Go ask your mom. Jami writes a series of romance novels based around the fictitious hockey team called the Seattle Sockeye. Books with titles like “Crashing the BOARDS” and “Crashing the NET” and “Bodychecking” and “Crashing the SHOWERS” and … “Penalty Play.” Um, what?
Anyway, the covers feature guys who are built like beefier versions of Jaromír Jagr, with GQ faces like Henrik Lundqvist, and are occasionally with some puck bunny. Ms. Davenport has copyrighted the Seattle Sockeyes name to protect her material. That’s certainly fair since she’s been writing these books since 2014, so it would be an uphill battle should the NHL really want the name. But everyone has a price.
That being said, I don’t think that this will be picked and is a bit of a dark horse in the race. But THAT being said, I’ll make you, the Puck Junk avid reader, a deal. If the Sockeyes land in the top three names, I’ll review one of these books for the site. Should it actually become the name of the team, I’ll review the whole damn series. And on top of that, if the team invites Jami Davenport to sound the Salmon Call (sure, that’s a thing), I will make Sal and his beer league team pose for variant coves of all these books to go with the article! GAME ON!!!!!
Blake Isaacs, Columnist
Before I get started, I’ll preface this by saying two things:
1. I love when teams honor their heritage or culture when choosing a team name, such as the Avalanche or Coyotes.
2. I hate when teams recycle old names that were used for a now defunct-franchise in the city.
2 thoughts on “Possible Names for Seattle’s NHL Team”