The NHL's forthcoming team in Seattle teased a team name reveal Oct. 21 when it announced a sealed envelope containing the final five potential names would be placed in a time capsule.
The capsule, locked in the city's iconic Space Needle, will be opened on April 21, 2062, for the observation deck's 100th anniversary. The final five NHL Seattle team names were added alongside baseballs signed by legendary Mariners players Ichiro Suzuki, Felix Hernandez and Edgar Martinez and more than 100 items total.
But just what are those potential names for the city's new hockey team, scheduled to begin play in the 2021-22 season? Let's take a look at everything we know about Seattle's future team names.
13 potential Seattle NHL team names were made public in Jan. 2018.
It was widely reported that the new franchise's ownership group had registered 13 website domain names in Jan. 2018.
These names included the following, in alphabetical order: Cougars, Eagles, Emeralds, Evergreens, Firebirds, Kraken, Rainiers, Renegades, Sea Lions, Seals, Sockeyes, Totems and Whales.
MORE: Seattle's future NHL franchise name possibilities, ranked from Cougars to Kraken
The 13 potential names sparked plenty of discussions and even betting odds. According to Sports Betting Dime, Sockeyes — named after the sockeye salmon — was the odds-on favorite as of last April. Fans of this option noted that the team's website donned a salmon pink color scheme when it launched in June.
It's possible all five of the final contending names were pulled directly from this list. However, the remaining titles could still be unknown to the public — ownership group member David Bonderman confirmed to Sports Illustrated in Feb. 2018 that the group had registered trademarks for over three dozen names. New ideas and team names may have been floated in the time since then, too.
When will the franchise announce its name?
Team CEO and president Tod Leiweke originally claimed the team's name would be announced in the spring of 2019. In May, the announcement was pushed back to the end of the calendar year.
Most recently, Leiweke said in August that the franchise is now targeting an announcement during the 2020 All-Star weekend (Jan. 24-26 in St. Louis) and emphasized that the name had not yet been finalized.
Cammi Granato: Joins Seattle as pro scout"Those who think we are sitting on a predetermined name, nope," he told NHL.com. "We work on this every day. We are right on time with the naming process. We are still on a journey of self-identity but also on a journey to understand not just what we are but what we aren't. Names that might have made sense a year ago, today don't make as much sense."
Guessing the five final Seattle NHL team name
Based on everything we've read and seen, it seems most likely that Seattle's team will be named the Sockeyes — or some variation on the salmon theme.
As for the other four remaining possibilities?
The Kraken could still remain given the mythical creature's intimidating size and similar colors to those of the team website. Seattle has a propensity for green colors in its other pro sports teams, and the Emeralds would play right into that even if it runs against the website's colors. The Eagles would be a derivative of Philadelphia's NFL team name but provide a safe and easy option for Seattle's ownership group to sell to the public. Of course, that 'safety' could be provided by the Seals — a name not currently used by a major franchise that has a past association with pro hockey through the defunct California Golden Seals franchise.
Regardless of the name, puck drop inches closer for Seattle as they're set to hit the ice in 2021.