Seattle officially set date for team name unveiling

We’re still two years away from Seattle taking the ice in the NHL, but we’re FINALLY nearing a decision on the name of the league’s 32nd team. When the team’s management group named Ron Francis as their first general manager in history, they also announced that a team name would be chosen and made public in “early 2019.” Well... I'm no calendar expert but it seems to me like they've missed that deadline.

This past weekend though, NHL insider Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reported that Seattle will formally unveil their team name before January's NHL All-Star Game.

“It sounds as though they’re very, very close behind the scenes on finalizing that name and they intend to release that name to the public before the all-star break,” Johnston said during Hockey Night in Canada’s Headlines segment. “So we’ll start to get a little bit of personality to go with that team.”

While several ideas have been pitched from fans and media alike, the Seattle group has never formally endorsed or denied any options. They did, however, register 38 different Internet domain names representing 13 different team names. 

They are:

* 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

Now, the team has evidently narrowed that list down to just five names. Earlier today at Seattle’s historic Space Needle, the Seattle NHL franchise contributed a sealed envelope with their “final five names” to a time capsule to be opened in 2062.

Check it out:

Come on, Kraken!

In all honesty, my money’s on the Seattle Sockeyes or the Seattle Totems.

“When we realized [starting to play in] 2020 wasn’t in the cards, it bought us additional time, not only to research the name but to better understand who we are and what we stand for,” Seattle CEO Tod Leiweke said earlier this year. “We have become better listeners. A great name not only speaks of who you are but also speaks to what you’re not.”