SEATTLE — Art tells a story and for the Seattle Kraken their story is being told through the fabric of one-of-a-kind hockey jerseys.
Stories about the unique and diverse Seattle community are woven into the Kraken “S” logo with designs created by local artists.
“We believe that it's important that every one of our Kraken fans feel like they're a part of our community,” said Kyle Boyd, the Kraken’s senior director of fan development.
The jerseys are part of Kraken Common Thread, which aims to create inclusivity and unity within the hockey community.
“What's amazing is that the jerseys similar to our fans are all different,” Boyd said. “They're all unique. But they all kind of come together and kind of form our Kraken identity, our Kraken ‘S.’”
Since the beginning of the franchise, specialty theme nights have been a huge part of game days at Climate Pledge Arena.
This year Hispanic heritage night was a new addition bringing the total number of artists designed jerseys to nine. Boyd said Kraken Common Thread is a way to highlight local artists, small businesses and community organizations that could help new fans feel welcome and included in the sport.
“With hockey not being as inclusive as some other sports at the youth level or at the collegiate level and at the professional level, we wanted to make sure that there are a lot of entry points and onramps for many of our new fans,” Boyd said.
The jerseys intertwine artistry with hockey to showcase the community's rich stories. The artists come from across the Pacific Northwest, and many of them live and work in Seattle.
“It's definitely a process for a lot of our artists,” Boyd said. “This is one of their first forays into sports, working with a professional team, working with a jersey as a medium of sorts. Many of them are drawing, painting, muralists, et cetera, so it's a little bit of a different, a little bit of a different scale.”
In order to find the artists, Kraken Common Thread works with community partners, previous artists and a number of other small community organizations. It’s a group effort and a labor of love.
“For me personally, growing up in Minnesota playing hockey my whole life, I always wanted to see myself and see more people who look like me represented in the game,” Boyd said. “Increasingly the NHL is becoming more and more diverse, which is a sign of where we are and where we're going.”
Jerseys are auctioned off at each of the specialty themed nights and the money goes to One Roof Foundation, an additional nonprofit that's tied the theme of the night.
Fans can now see the jerseys in person at the Museum of Pop Culture. The jerseys are on display at MoPOP’s Culture Kitchen until the end of the year.