Seattle is getting an NHL team, so I'm going to rank 13 team name possibilities

"Earlier in the year, counsel at the Oak View Group (which is interlinked with the Seattle ownership group and is overseeing the KeyArena renovations) applied for 38 domains representing 13 potential team names:

Seattle Cougars
Seattle Eagles
Seattle Emeralds
Seattle Evergreens
Seattle Firebirds
Seattle Kraken
Seattle Rainiers
Seattle Renegades
Seattle Sea Lions
Seattle Seals
Seattle Sockeyes
Seattle Totems
Seattle Whales"

Alright some of these are great and some of these are terrible. Let's go through them.

13. Seattle Cougars

The Washington State Cougars have a complete monopoly on this name everywhere in the entire state, and any team copying its name would be completely unable to escape its shadow, and that's just not an association you want to begin with. Plus it's a terrible name for a hockey team anyway. This is completely unacceptable.

12. Seattle Renegades

What is this, an arena football team? Fuck off.

11. Seattle Eagles

There's already hundreds of high school and college teams, as well as an NFL team, named the Eagles all over the country. This name is boring and has no identity and no connection to the city.

10. Seattle Rainiers

This would be a lovely name if not for the fact that the Tacoma Rainiers, a PCL (AAA) baseball team, already exist and are quite well known to sports fans in the region. Completely unviable and that it ranks this high is a testament to how bad the names below this are.

9. Seattle Totems

I don't want to do this. I don't think this name is racist, but it seems like really not the right time to introduce this name back into the conversation. I don't want this to be a point of discussion so let's just avoid it. There used to be a Seattle Totems that played in this city for a few decades from the 40's to 70's and let's just leave them to be of that era and not resurrect the name. Bonus reason I don't like the name - while we do have totem poles here in Washington I actually associate them more with British Columbia, which is a problem because they also have a hockey team.

8. Seattle Whales

Speaking of association with British Columbia, not only do the Canucks have an orca theme going on already, but this would also be unable to escape association with the Hartford Whalers, even though a whaler and a whale are kind of opposite things. I love me some whales but this name fails to establish itself.

7. Seattle Evergreens

Well at least it's not completely unfeasible like everything ranked below it on this list but it's painfully boring. It would probably just get shortened to "Greens" which I guess is okay. I don't think you could really make a fir tree into a really awesome logo and it would only make me think of Stanford anyway. I'll pass.

6. Seattle Kraken

Bonus points for creativity here, and this also potentially ranks #1 for cool logo opportunities, but otherwise this doesn't really fit. This also sounds a bit too arena football for me and it just seems beneath an NHL team. I think we're a few years too late for "RELEASE THE KRAKEN" to be a really funny thing you could do, it would just be an outdated meme now.

5. Seattle Sea Lions

It's fine, but it's just a worse version of the Seals. Sorry sea lions, you're cool, but you're just worse seals.

4. Seattle Firebirds

Given that we already have a WHL team named the Thunderbirds, I really kind of like the whole rhyming thing going on here. Would not be lacking for cool logos, although it would end up being... well, a phoenix, and there's already a team that would be more well suited for - the Coyotes, because they just won't fucking die. Still maybe workable but I don't really get what it has to do with Seattle.

3. Seattle Emeralds

Getting into the names that would actually genuinely work here. Emeralds is classy and professional and of the choices, most sounds like the name of a team that has just always been here and fits right in with the classic names of other old NHL franchises, and fitting in is something I want to do. It's a little boring and a bit dry on the logos front, but it could work. I'm just an animal-name guy I guess. If this is what we wind up with I will not be sad about it - I like team names that have a good connection to the city's identity.

2. Seattle Sockeyes

Love it. Really punchy name and salmon is a big part of Seattle's culture. It's only a little out of place and I think it would end up catching on. My most minor of quibbles here is that Sockeyes aren't the salmon I think of most when I think of Seattle. I have to go Chinook #1, then Coho #2, and then Sockeye is like #3 at best. It's a minor complaint though, the other two wouldn't make good team names.

1. Seattle Seals

I love this name to death. It has such a great ring to it and seals are a super cute and underrated animal that are drastically underused in sports. I feel like this name probably won't catch on and that makes me sad because it's just so perfect. I want an entire arena of people barking like a seal. I *need* it. I need the Seattle Seals in my life.

Wait, they didn't already have one?

Seattle Baristas imo

How does literally Las Vegas have a hockey team before Seattle?

I know some Seattle cougars.

mnkboy907 posted...

Wait, they didn't already have one?

Nope. Never had an NHL team. We're closing in on 100 years since the Seattle Metropolitans folded in 1924, the first ever US team to win the Stanley Cup (in 1917), and they were a PCHA team (which would later merge with the WHL) back during the era that they would contest with the NHA (now the NHL) for the Stanley cup. We've had junior league hockey teams all throughout the area since, but never one at the highest level.

BTW I've heard talk of reviving the Seattle Metropolitans name and I also hate that, because the Mets already exist

mnkboy907 posted...

How does literally Las Vegas have a hockey team before Seattle?

Vegas is a huge market and gets an upcharge on the fact the tickets are more valuable because its a big tourist location.

I remember being in vegas earlier in the year and I was like "oh hey theres a hockey game lets check stubhub".

I noped out of that so fast.

I'm on the Seals/Sea Lions train here.

More importantly, Vegas had an arena ready. That's still a really big problem in Seattle. We need to renovate KeyArena to make this happen and the reason this is being pushed back to 2021 is so that we can really make sure that this is done right. Getting through the red tape to make this happen could never have happened more quickly than this, whereas in Vegas it was easy to do.

Paratroopa1 posted...

I want an entire arena of people barking like a seal. I *need* it.

Same.

Seattle Sea Cattle tbh

Manny the Manatee as the mascot.

Seattle Grinders.

What works for coffe works for hockey. Free Starbucks at every game.

"Seattle Seals" was what I thought of before entering the topic, so that one.

Emerald, reporting in

But theres already been a Seals in the NHL

Paratroopa1 posted...

1. Seattle Seals

182 - 401 - 115
Do it.

I like "Seattle Sea Lions", it works well with the Seahawks

At first I thought, seals are too cute and cuddly, it's great mascot material but not so much a team.

But then:

swirIdude posted...

Paratroopa1 posted...

I want an entire arena of people barking like a seal. I *need* it.

Same.

m_bison_yes_yes.wmv

seattle dipshits

I also voted Seals, seems promising.

Will this be a new team, or is it getting stolen from somewhere (hopefully the South)?

As a fan of schlocky fantasy I naturally gravitate towards Kraken but well... I think MartinFF7 summed up it best.

MartinFF7 posted...

At first I thought, seals are too cute and cuddly, it's great mascot material but not so much a team.

But then:

swirIdude posted...

Paratroopa1 posted...

I want an entire arena of people barking like a seal. I *need* it.

Same.

m_bison_yes_yes.wmv

Ngamer64 posted...

I also voted Seals, seems promising.

Will this be a new team, or is it getting stolen from somewhere (hopefully the South)?

New team. The expansion bid passed unanimously.

Lockes Ragnarok posted...

But theres already been a Seals in the NHL

Yeah, I forgot about the golden seals, but I don't care

Just call them the SuperSonics and be done with it.

--

Seattle boom is the only correct option so what the Sonics come back they are besties

Behind boom I like the Seattle Pikes

Paratroopa1 posted...

More importantly, Vegas had an arena ready. That's still a really big problem in Seattle. We need to renovate KeyArena to make this happen and the reason this is being pushed back to 2021 is so that we can really make sure that this is done right. Getting through the red tape to make this happen could never have happened more quickly than this, whereas in Vegas it was easy to do.

It's a very good thing from what I understand that they are fixing it for hockey first. exause it's a shoe in to get a basketball team again now. Its very difficult to convert nba arena to handle hockey due to the the things needed for ice but if they do the hockey first it's very easy to adapt for. basketball

Seattle Chinook does sound better than Sockeye.

And both sound better than the Seattle Salmon.

I'm in on Seals tho.

I like both Seals and Whales as names, but the problems there are the NHL already had the California Seals/Oakland Seals/California Golden Seals and the Hartford Whalers.

I think Kraken is cool too, but yeah, it does sound a bit minor league/arena league/etc. in nature.

As someone who has never heard of a Sockeye before, the first thing I picture with that name is something like a sock puppet with googly eyes on it.

Maybe Emerald is the best overall choice.

I personally like Evergreens and Emeralds. I like seeing choices that stray from the animal and intimidating noun mold.

How about the Seattle Rain

I feel like so many things could be done with the name and it also fits Seattle in more then one way.

Paratroopa1 posted...

I think we're a few years too late for "RELEASE THE KRAKEN" to be a really funny thing you could do, it would just be an outdated meme now.

Seattle Stonerz

TheKnightOfNee posted...

I like both Seals and Whales as names, but the problems there are the NHL already had the California Seals/Oakland Seals/California Golden Seals and the Hartford Whalers.

I think Kraken is cool too, but yeah, it does sound a bit minor league/arena league/etc. in nature.

As someone who has never heard of a Sockeye before, the first thing I picture with that name is something like a sock puppet with googly eyes on it.

Maybe Emerald is the best overall choice.

This is almost spot on with my thinking as well, except I think sockeye would be a pretty cool and unique name. I dont see that happening though. Emerald it is

ScareChan posted...

Behind boom I like the Seattle Pikes

Seattle Pikes is a cool name

LOLIAmAnAlt posted...

How about the Seattle Rain

I feel like so many things could be done with the name and it also fits Seattle in more then one way.

There is actually already a team called the Seattle Reign, women's soccer

It seems like just yesterday we were doing this with Vegas. Im glad the Coyotes (or future relocation to Houston?) are moving to the Central.

What should the hypothetical Houston team be called?

Houston Oilers

Paratroopa1 posted...

ScareChan posted...

Behind boom I like the Seattle Pikes

Seattle Pikes is a cool name

Yeah my one trip to Seattle what I remember most fondly was going to pikes market or pike place whatever its called. they had the thing where they throw the fish and I caught It one handed. And all my friend said was we were at pikes and I caught the fish.

Pike sounds tough, unique, and regional. The pikes hit the ice writes itself

Anyone recommending coffee related names doesn't understand our sports fans' relation with starbucks.

Im a Sacramento fan

that should tell you all I care about Seattle sports

but we also went through the heartbreak of almost losing a team when you guys did, so we definitely support you getting an expansion team, just not our team

Shaduln posted...

Anyone recommending coffee related names doesn't understand our sports fans' relation with starbucks.

Okay what about the Seattle Grunge

I want them to be the sockeyes so that we can bring sock puppets to the game

Supersonics

Seattle Kraken is too badass to not vote for, but Seattle Seals would be my 2nd choice

Paratroopa1 posted...

LOLIAmAnAlt posted...

How about the Seattle Rain

I feel like so many things could be done with the name and it also fits Seattle in more then one way.

There is actually already a team called the Seattle Reign, women's soccer

But that has a total different meaning that has nothing to do with Seattle.
Darn the stupid womens soccer ruining everything good.

Lockes Ragnarok posted...

Shaduln posted...

Anyone recommending coffee related names doesn't understand our sports fans' relation with starbucks.

Okay what about the Seattle Grunge

Seattle grunge is a perfect hockkey name imo. Just have a dude coming out like Jason and put a plaid shirt around his wasit

SwiftyDC posted...

Supersonics

they own the rights to that for an nba team already even though they currently do not have an active team

http://imgur.com/a/lbEF6