How the Kraken kept their new mascot Buoy a secret

SEATTLE — A presentation was going down inside a convention room on the Seattle Kraken’s apply facility when one of many doorways started to slowly open.

Panic started taking form at that second.

This compelled a 6-foot-tall, furry, blue troll with an anchor hoop earring dangling on his left facet and a blue tentacle hanging from his proper ear to discover a hiding spot. It made everybody else contained in the room burst into laughter, proper after the one who tried going into the room was instructed it was not time.

Now the lengths the Kraken are prepared to go to maintain a secret.

At the moment, lower than 50 folks on the planet had even seen Buoy. That modified Saturday when the Kraken launched their mascot to the remainder of the world by having him rappel from the Local weather Pledge Enviornment rafters earlier than a preseason recreation in opposition to the Vancouver Canucks.

It was no secret the Kraken have been going to have a mascot. All the pieces else, nevertheless, was a thriller. No one knew what identify they might select or what the mascot would even appear like, till now.

Lots of of concepts and names have been submitted within the Kraken’s quest for a mascot. From all of it got here Buoy. His backstory is that he’s the nephew of the Fremont Troll, the enduring Seattle sculpture that impressed his creation. The identify was chosen as a result of the Kraken saved coming again to the way it sounded for a mascot.

“We checked out all of the characters on this space and we wished to ensure that what we introduced was going to be distinctive. We did not wish to be like anyone else,” Kraken vp of leisure expertise and manufacturing Lamont Buford stated. “Whenever you take a look at a number of mascots in sports activities, you possibly can inform which mascots that have been generated from taking a look at one other mascot. We wished to ensure we prevented that.”

Making a mascot comes with obstacles — particularly within the post-Gritty period wherein already-high expectations are even increased for what is commonly a subjective activity. The purpose for the Kraken was to discover a mascot that felt native. However that request additionally got here with limitations. They didn’t wish to have an octopus for a mascot as a result of that already belongs to the Detroit Pink Wings.

Additionally they didn’t wish to use a kraken. The argument is that no one is aware of what a kraken seems to be like. And due to that, they wished to maintain that thriller going however nonetheless have a mascot that would strike the suitable tone.

“We speak concerning the kraken as residing within the theater of the thoughts. It is a mysterious beast. We do not wish to be a cartoon model which is why we now have not revealed the complete kraken,” Kraken senior vp of selling and communications Katie Townsend stated. “It was a reasonably apparent alternative that we might not go together with a kraken, however would do a deep dive led by Lamont and staff to look at what’s the proper mascot for the town, for the followers and for the model.”

Buford stated Buoy’s blue fur matches the shade of the staff’s shade scheme. His hair is a nod to hockey hair, whereas additionally paying homage to the lengthy hair famously related to Squatch, the longtime mascot of the Seattle SuperSonics. The tentacle dangling from the ear is a approach to let followers know Buoy “had an encounter with a kraken,” whereas his earring is identical anchor used because the staff’s shoulder patch.

To Buford’s data, the one staff that has a troll for a mascot is Trinity Christian Faculty, an NAIA faculty in Illinois.

Going with one thing that was distinctive meant the Kraken wished to check Buoy with completely different focus teams to ensure his look was each family- and adult-friendly. That approach, the staff might ship an inviting presence out into the neighborhood for occasions like birthday events or festivals.

One of many methods to do this was to make Buoy have a squeaky nostril. He additionally has a detachable tooth so he can appear like a hockey participant, and a dance referred to as the “Buoy Boogie” that he’ll do at numerous instances.

It even extends to how Buoy indicators his identify. The B is designed to appear like a buoy with flashing lights, whereas the tail from the Y continues to go beneath his identify in a wavelike sample.

The method started in 2020, with the group asking in the event that they wanted a mascot. Buford and Townsend stated the Kraken saved listening to from followers that they wished one. In order that they took on the problem, spoke with completely different stakeholders throughout the group and started brainstorming.

Ultimately, the staff narrowed it to 9 concepts, with Buoy being the eventual winner.

“A few of them are issues you may have imagined what they might have been,” Townsend stated. “There have been some that have been summary like a Squatch. We checked out marine life. We checked out issues related to a kraken. It could by no means be Squatch. We hope the Sonics will come again sometime, and that’s the Sonics’ mascot.”

After all, as all this was being mentioned, Buford and Townsend additionally saved an eye fixed on the door to ensure no one else knew concerning the mascot. Secrecy has turn into a big a part of the Kraken’s operation. It was like that when it got here to their brand and uniform design, and no one knew for sure they have been hiring coach Dave Hakstol till they issued a launch saying they’d employed the previous Philadelphia Flyers coach to be the primary in staff historical past.

Buford’s staff designed Buoy, in order that they have been in fixed contact. Townsend’s staff didn’t see it till Might. The Kraken’s govt possession staff noticed Buoy in September, whereas the Kraken’s gamers met the mascot a couple of week earlier than the discharge.

There have been a number of questions the Kraken needed to reply previous to Buoy’s introduction. Maybe one of the essential was how he could be acquired by followers and the hockey world at giant?

Mascots can typically be a polarizing matter. Some folks love them. Others might go with out them for quite a lot of causes. All the pieces from the identify to how they appear, together with different nuances, can turn into social media fodder for a minimum of just a few days.

How does a staff that spends years engaged on a mascot put together for the potential criticism that would come its approach?

“I believe with a mascot, I virtually count on it to be 50-50,” Townsend stated. “It’s totally divisive. Individuals really feel very passionate. Not everyone seems to be a mascot particular person, and that is additionally high-quality. I believe what we do is our due diligence with our focus teams … and we really feel we have created a mascot that’s enjoyable and matches our model, then we will go ahead with the launch.”