Kraken Accused Of Trademark Infringement Days Before Winter Classic
The Seattle Kraken are gearing up for the franchise's first-ever outdoor game. They'll take on the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Park for the 2024 NHL Winter Classic.
However, just days before the game, the Kraken are facing a potential off-ice headache. One regarding their sweaters for the occasion.
As is tradition, the Kraken and Golden Knights will wear special retro-style jerseys. The Kraken in particular have a nifty get-up for New Year's Day that pays homage to the Seattle Metropolitans, the first US team to win the Stanley Cup.
And therein lies the problem...
According to The Seattle Times, the Kraken are running into an issue with the jersey's "S" logo which features the same outline as the team's usual logo, but with the word "KRAKEN" spelled out inside. That logo then sits on a barber pole striped jersey in the team's colors.
It's a hell of a look.
The old Metropolitans used a similar logo, the trademark for which has reportedly belonged to entrepreneur Paul Kim since 2014. He has used it to sell Metropolitans merchandise ever since.
Seattle Kraken player Jared McCann sports his team's Winter Classic logo which has led to a trademark infringement lawsuit. (Photo by Christopher Mast/NHLI via Getty Images)
Entrepreneur Is Claiming Trademark Infringement
Kim filed a lawsuit against Kraken ownership this week alleging trademark infringement over a logo he sees as “virtually identical” to the Metropolitans' mark.
The entrepreneur alleges that the Kraken had made "low-ball" offers to license the logo and colors. He also claimed that the team's legal counsel told him last February that the team would be developing an "alternative" look for the Winter Classic.
Kim says he told the team he expected a “completely different design concept.” He was also perturbed by the year "1917" being printed inside the jersey's collar. That's the year the Metropolitans won the Stanley Cup.
"Completely different" is open to interpretation, but there's no denying that the Kraken's uniforms are 100 percent inspired by the Metropolitans. However, it seems odd that the NHL would sign off on something as significant as a team's logo and sweater for the biggest regular season event of the year.
Furthermore, the jerseys were officially unveiled just before Thanksgiving. The jersey and logo leaked even before that (including by the Utah Jazz... for some reason). So, filing the lawsuit alleging trademark infringement less than a week before the game is interesting timing.
The Seattle Kraken Winter Classic sits on top of a dugout at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. (Photo by Christopher Mast/NHLI via Getty Images)
Lawsuit Wasn't Filed In Time To Keep Kraken From Using The Logo For The Winter Classic
Kim alleges that his company — Seattle Metropolitans Hockey LLC. — lost $2.5 million in revenue because of the Kraken's Winter Classic branding. He's seeking at least that much in damages from the team. Additionally, he is trying to block the team from using Metropolitans trademarks. However, this wasn't filed in time to keep them from hitting the Winter Classic rink using the logos.
The Kraken issued a brief response acknowledging the suit.
“We are aware of the filing and are working with our lawyers to respond," a spokesperson said. "We cannot comment further on an active legal matter. Our focus is on delivering an incredible NHL Winter Classic experience for our fans and celebrating outdoor hockey together.”
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