So here’s a story for you.
I’m settling down to watch Hardboiled because I am the exact kind of person who would watch Hardboiled a week from Thanksgiving. I decide I want to do a tremendous amount of psychic damage to mine own brain by opening twitter dot com on my phone, and suddenly, it happens.
Members of the Utah Jazz are wearing a Kraken sweater!
Moreover…they’re wearing a sweater they haven’t worn before in a year where the Kraken are going to the Winter Classic.
The Sweaters themselves have fairly obvious inspiration, but one they really held back on using until the right time; The Seattle Metropolitans.
The Metros were not just the first American team to win the Stanley Cup, but by far the most successful PCHA (the West Coast analog to the NHL back in the early 1910’s-20’s) team, making the postseason seven seasons out nine played, and played in a barber-pole style uniform of Red, Green and White with the Red Letter “S” having the word “SEATTLE” snaking down it. You may notice this in Climate Pledge Arena when you see the Metro’s 1917 Stanley Cup banner.
This in my opinion is a great update of that style. Attempting to do the barber-pole thing is tricky and can be done really, really, REALLY badly if you don’t modernize the right way. Even modern recreations of the Metros sweater can be kind of chintzy if not done correctly…and they did a really good job! Correct ratio of barber pole stripes.
As for how Walker Kessler and John Collins got it? Well…uh…good question. Maybe they know somebody at Adidas/Fanatics? Either way, sweaters look good on ’em!
We’ll likely get another look at this ensemble when it’s made official but, on two random NBA players? I think the Kraken are probably coming out the better looking team.
Also shoutouts to our Utah-based Kraken fans who got an out-of-nowhere crossover!
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