Nov 13, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; Winnipeg Jets defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) blocks a shot by Seattle Kraken forward Yanni Gourde (37) during the second period at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports
Kraken Debut Reverse Retro Jersey in OT Loss to Jets
The Seattle Kraken debuted their first ever alternate jersey as part of the NHL and Adidas’ “Reverse Retro” program.
As the Kraken reached the midway point of their current homestand, they took on the Winnipeg Jets looking to bounce back from their loss to the Wild. The team faced off in style as they wore their Reverse Retro jersey for the first time.
The Game
After a tough shutout loss to Minnesota that snapped a five game win streak, the Kraken looked to bounce back and appeared to be on the right track until late in the third. The game started with an early 5-on-3 powerplay for the Kraken which resulted in a goal from Jordan Eberle.
Eventually the Jets would tie it on their own powerplay in the second. Later in the third period Brandon Tanev would charge up the ice and score off the rush. However after a late roughing call on Carson Soucy, the Jets surged back to tie the game. With five seconds left in the game, Blake Wheeler of the Jets would tie it up with his 300th career goal. All the late game momentum for the Jets carried into overtime as they wasted no time, scoring within the first minute off a full ice rush that saw Mark Scheifele sealing the game on a two on one opportunity.
That being said, netminder Martin Jones had a fantastic game stopping 27 shots and fighting off six of the eight penalties levied against his squad. He had multiple saves that kept his team in the game. Eberle also continued his strong play with a goal, six shots, and what could have been a highlight reel assist to Matty Beniers. There are certainly things the Kraken can take from the game and run with however the abundance of penalties is one thing they’d love to change. During their past three games, they’ve been handed out 26 total penalty minutes. And while this game may be the first of the three games where the Kraken allowed a powerplay goal, giving up that many penalties a game is unsustainable.
The Threads
Last night marked the first time the Kraken wore a jersey other than their main home and away jerseys during a game. This uniform comes as a part of the league’s “Reverse Retro” jersey program that started in the shortened COVID year and made its triumphant return after a season off. While having the word “retro” being used for a two year old team is a bit confusing, it actually makes sense when looking into the inspiration for the uniform. While other teams like the Rangers or Penguins have decades of team history to go off of, both Vegas and Seattle are too new to have had rebrands or have been a part of the infamous “sublimation project” the NHL tried in the 90s which inspired a lot of this years Reverse Retro jerseys.
For the Kraken, the team designing the jersey looked back to the days of the Pacific Coastal Hockey League and the first professional hockey team to play in Seattle. The Seattle Ironmen (later renamed to the Metropolitans) also wore a sweater featuring an “s” on the chest much like the modern day NHL franchise. However the PCHL team had more striping on their uniforms which the Kraken took and used for the Reverse Retro jersey. The team features two main colors, “Ice Blue” covers the majority of the jersey while “Deep Blue” is used for the striping. The jerseys look striking out on the Climate Pledge Arena ice and will be worn three more times this season on Dec. 3rd and 30th as well as February 23. The jersey is currently available for pre-order.
