The Seattle Kraken is the newest ice hockey expansion team in the NHL – it is based in Seattle. The Kraken will start to play in the 2021-22 season and it will be joined league’s Pacific Division in the Western Conference.
Team History
On 12.6.1974, Seattle based group headed by Vince Abbey had been awarded tentative NHL expansion team to begin to play in the 1976-77 season. Team has been played in WHL before and it was named Seattle Totems, but this plan never worked out. Next attempt to get NHL expansion team in Seattle happened 1990, but it failed again over the financial terms. 2017 Seattle City Council approved decision for renovations of KeyArena – those renovations are intended for acquiring an NHL franchise to the Seattle.
On 13.2.2018 business group called “Oak View Group” officially filed an application to the NHL for an expansion team. The NHL Board of Governors approved application 4.12.2018 unanimously. On 23.7.2020 the franchise officially announced team name and uniform colors – team’s name honored maritime culture of Seattle and it became the largest species of octopus in the world – Kraken. The Seattle Kraken will be joining the NHL with their debut season in 2021-22.
Seattle Kraken’s Owners and Staff
The first General Manager of Seattle Kraken is former NHL-legend Ron Francis. The team is owned by group called Seattle Hockey Partners (David Bonderman, Jerry Bruckheimer and Tod Leiweke). Head coach of the team is not named yet. Seattle Kraken has one minor league affiliate, Palm Springs in AHL league.