Sweaters and hockey have been synonymous with each other since the infancy of the sport. Teams have been identified by their iconic colours and patterns. Some of them are classic while others are classically awful. This summer our annual series focuses on the best and the worst sweaters in each team’s history. Today we have the best and the worst Seattle Kraken sweaters in team history. (Well.. sort of.)
Seattle Kraken Sweaters: The Best and Worst
How We Did It?
We at Last Word on Hockey used a variety of methods to compile this list. Polling came from social media, our writers, and fans. We wanted to get a variety of opinions when we put out our list. This compilation will likely spur debate. However, we wanted to see who had the most memorable sweaters in each team’s history. Let’s put our best foot forward with the best sweaters.
The Seattle Kraken Sweaters: A History
We know what you’re thinking. How can there be a best and worst of list for a team with only four total uniforms in their history? We understand and appreciate the concern. However, we were prepared for this scenario.
It would be a bit harsh to call something the worst with only four possible choices. Therefore, we’re going to do a chronological look at the Kraken’s brief sweater history.
The Road Whites
Seattle played its first game as a franchise on the road against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Kraken nickname comes from “the mythological gigantic sea creature resembling the giant Pacific octopus, which lurks in the waters of Puget Sound, just off Seattle.” This description is courtesy of the NHL Uniform Database.
Puck drop for the first regular season Seattle Kraken game 🏒 pic.twitter.com/j7LHgbAoBU
— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) October 13, 2021
Seattle’s sweaters have four shades blue and a hint of red in them. The white road ones were the first the Kraken wore in the inaugural contest.
We dig the white base and and the different shades of blue. There’s not a lot of red to overpower the other colours.
The Home Blues
The colour of deep sea blue features in the main sweaters for when the Kraken play at Climate Pledge Arena. We other blue shades like boundless blue, shadow blue, and ice blue.
Seattle debuted these sweater on October 23, 2021 against the Cascadia rival Vancouver Canucks. The Kraken’s Pacific Northwest rivals would get the 4-2 win, but the NHL was well-received in the Emerald City. These are a good first home sweater for the Kraken and we wouldn’t mind seeing these stick for a bit.
The 2022-23 Reverse Retro
This jersey was the first alternate sweater in team history and it debuted on November 13, 2022. Seattle hosted the Winnipeg Jets and lost, but the Kraken honoured a previous Seattle team with these sweaters.
‼️ REVERSE RETROS FINALLY DROPPED ‼️
snag yours today → https://t.co/8I7dd5o6zu pic.twitter.com/y6B7dyncfJ
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) November 15, 2022
Hockey in Washington State wasn’t a new thing with the Kraken expansion team. These sweaters were paying tribute to the 1951 Seattle Ironmen from the Pacific Coast Hockey League. The Ironmen would exist during World War II from 1944-52. This franchise would eventually morph into the now Seattle Totems of the Western Hockey League.
Barber pole sweaters can be a risk, but these ones were pulled off with the light shades of blue getting more love. We hope these jerseys return sooner rather than later because the sharpness and nostalgic feel.
The 2024 Winter Classic
Our recap of the Seattle Kraken sweaters wraps up with the 2024 Winter Classic uniforms. As we mentioned before, hockey in Seattle isn’t a new thing. The city is the first American one to win the Stanley Cup in 1917.
Pacific Northwest hockey fans would get an ode to the past with these Winter Classic jerseys. These are barber pole like sweaters that make use of the club’s current colour palette. The original uniforms had green in them, which was switched out for shades of blue.
It’s nice to see these tributes and these show hockey fans that the sport has been part of the city’s sporting history for over a century.
What’s Our Favourite?
All of them are good-looking sweaters, but the Reverse Retro is the one we think is the best one the franchise has.
If we had to pick a worst, it’s the Winter Classic ones. There’s a little too much red, but it’s the best of the worst so far.
Main photo by: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
