The Seattle Kraken’s off-season is underway, and while the Vegas Golden Knights fell to the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Finals, it felt like a good time to launch a new series: Did you know?
This collection will feature articles about the Seattle Kraken, with facts, stories, and interesting tidbits fans may not know—or remember.
The past five seasons have produced several memorable moments. But the most interesting statistic is that, before the inaugural season even kicked off, the team had retired a jersey number.
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The number that hangs in the rafters at the Climate Pledge Arena is 32.
The story behind the retired number is that Kraken fans made 32,000 ticket deposits on the team’s first day of existence. The team honored its fans by placing the number in the rafters of Climate Pledge Arena before its inaugural game.
At the time, Seattle Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke shared a message with fans before the first game.
“You did it. And we will never, ever forget,” Leiweke said to NHL.com. “And tonight, we will retire the number 32. We will never forget what you’ve done. We will always be reminded that jersey flies from the rafters of this beautiful arena, and we honor you.”
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The Kraken went on to lose 4-2 to the Vancouver Canucks in their home opener, after falling 4-3 to the Vegas Golden Knights in their first NHL game.
The number not only represents the fanbase but also reflects that the Seattle Kraken are the 32nd team in the National Hockey League, added in 2021-22.
In the last five seasons, the team made the playoffs once, in 2022-23.
Number 32 remains in the rafters of Climate Pledge Arena, though it was never worn by a Kraken player.
Leiweke had one more message for Kraken fans on that historic day: “Let’s go, Kraken!”
