The Seattle Kraken are a professional ice hockey team based in Seattle. The Kraken compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and began play during the league’s 2021–22 season. They play their home games at Climate Pledge Arena.[4]

In December 2018, the NHL approved a proposal by Seattle Hockey Partners to grant an expansion franchise to the city of Seattle. In July 2020, the Kraken’s name and branding were revealed.[5] The Kraken are the first professional ice hockey team to play in Seattle since the Seattle Totems of the Western Hockey League played their last game in 1975. They are also the first Seattle team to compete for the Stanley Cup since the Seattle Metropolitans, who won the Cup in 1917 and folded in 1924. On October 26, 2021, the team raised a banner commemorating the 1917 title team.[6]

The only time the Kraken qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs was in 2023, when the Kraken faced off against the Colorado Avalanche. They upset the Avalanche in seven games, becoming the first team to win their inaugural playoff series against the defending Stanley Cup champion.[7] However, they lost to the Dallas Stars in the second round, ending their sophomore season.[8]
History
Establishment (2017–2021)
Further information: Ice hockey in Seattle

On December 4, 2017, the Seattle City Council voted 7–1 to approve a memorandum of understanding between the city of Seattle and the Los Angeles-based Oak View Group for renovations of KeyArena.[9] Renovations began in 2018 and were completed in 2021.[10] The arena was renamed Climate Pledge Arena after a new naming rights deal was signed with Amazon. On December 7, the NHL’s board of governors agreed to consider an expansion application from Seattle, with an expansion fee set at US$650 million.[11] The Seattle ownership group was represented by David Bonderman and Jerry Bruckheimer, who conducted a preliminary season ticket drive to gauge interest in Seattle.[12]

On February 13, 2018, Oak View Group filed an application with the NHL for an expansion team and paid a US$10 million application fee.[13][14] At the time, the earliest a Seattle NHL expansion team could have begun playing was the 2020–21 season pending the completion of arena renovations.[13]

On March 1, a ticket drive began to gauge interests in season ticket deposits. Oak View Group reported that their initial goal of 10,000 deposits was surpassed in 12 minutes,[15] and that they received 25,000 deposits in 75 minutes.[16] On April 11, 2018, Tod Leiweke was named CEO of Seattle’s NHL expansion team.[17] On June 18, 2018, Dave Tippett was named as a senior advisor.[18] Another step towards an expansion team was taken on October 2, when the NHL Executive Committee unanimously agreed to recommend the expansion bid to a vote of the Board of Governors in December.[19][20]

The NHL Board of Governors voted unanimously to approve Seattle’s expansion team on December 4, to begin play in the 2021–22 season as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference.[21] As a result, the Arizona Coyotes were shifted from the Pacific Division to the Central Division to balance out the four divisions at eight teams each. The organization hired Ron Francis as their general manager to initiate operations for the team.[22]

On July 23, 2020, the franchise announced their team name, the Seattle Kraken, as well as their team colors, branding, and home jersey.[23] The team’s name comes from the mythical kraken of Scandinavian folklore and its resemblance to the native giant Pacific octopus, which is found in the waters of the Puget Sound, near Seattle.[24] The state of Washington is also home to a significant number of people with Scandinavian ancestry.

On April 30, 2021, the franchise paid the final installment of the $650 million expansion fee, officially making the Kraken the 32nd team of the NHL.

Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_Kraken