Take A Gander At Unofficial Kraken Winter Classic Uniform Renderings
Only once in the history of the NHL Winter Classic has one of the participants been the defending Stanley Cup champion.
And it hasn't happened since January 1, 2009, in just the 2nd edition of the outdoor game (see above photo). The champion Detroit Red Wings beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-4 at Wrigley Field.
That's relevant because unless the Florida Panthers climb out of a 3 games to 1 hole, the 2023 champion will be the Vegas Golden Knights. You remember, the team which the Seattle Kraken will host in the 2024 Winter Classic at T-Mobile Park.
When the NHL decided on Seattle vs. Vegas, it was partly to capitalize on the curiosity of matching the league's 31st and 32nd team. They couldn't have imagined the marquee value of the clubs: Vegas, on the verge of a Cup in its 6th season, and a 2nd-year Kraken team which came within a couple of goals of reaching the conference final.
But enough history; let's discuss art. The recently unveiled logo for the Seattle outdoor game has received largely positive reviews. Below is the league's explanation of the design elements.
The NHL also unveiled logos for two of its other signature events during the 2023-24 season.
The All Star Game logo wasn't quite as well received as its Winter Classic counterpart. Sure, it put many in mind of a dark, flat, round disc - but of a hamburger, not a puck.
Kraken fans have turned their attention to possible Winter Classic uniform designs. On Twitter, Ali Murji, who writes about such things, posted this:
How reliable is this tip? Calgary-based Murji is described by various websites as "a prominent figure in the sports apparel industry," "a fairly reliable source," a "source for Icethetics" (a hockey branding site), "who has several contacts inside the sweater industry."
Three months ago, Murji posted a rendering of a "Reverse Retro" sweater the Kraken supposedly decided not to use.
Like the unused Reverse Retro, several fan concepts call back to the 1915-24 Seattle Metropolitans, who won the Stanley Cup in 1917.
More Kraken uniform renderings for the outdoor game can be found here, here, here, here, and here.