On January 1, the two teams will play at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park.
The Seattle Kraken and Vegas Golden Knights have revealed their respective game jerseys for the 2024 Winter Classic at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.
clubs like the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, and New York Rangers created Winter Classic jerseys in the past that drew inspiration from legendary clubs. Since a vintage tribute wasn’t precisely an option, the NHL and Adidas, according to ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, chose a new approach when designing the jerseys. After all, the Kraken had their first season in 2021–22, whilst the Golden Knights started play in 2017–18.
Rather, Adidas and the league tried to imagine what the Golden Knights and Kraken’s sweaters may have looked like if the teams had survived into the early 1900s.
The @NHL and @adidas unveil uniforms for 2024 Discover NHL #WinterClassic. https://t.co/wxg2UUYF51 pic.twitter.com/AR4lQRtGBb
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) November 22, 2023
The Seattle Metropolitans were an NHL team from 1915 until 1924, although the Kraken were not an NHL team in the early 1900s. In the end, the Kraken drew inspiration for their Winter Classic jerseys from the 1917 sweaters worn by the Metropolitans. Since the Metropolitans went on to become the first American team to win the Stanley Cup in 1917, it’s a significant aspect of Seattle hockey history.
The jersey has offset white that pays homage to 1920s textiles, along with “Kraken Midnight Blue, Ice Blue, and Red Alert” striping.
Instead of the customary tentacle that is positioned within the “S” on their regular jerseys, the word “KRAKEN” is spelled out within the “S” emblem on the front of the shirt. In fact, the word “SEATTLE” appeared in the 1910s and 1920s emblem of the Metropolitans.
Unlike the Kraken, however, the Golden Knights had no past from which to draw. Inspired by the “V” in the team’s primary logo, Vegas put a grey “V” on the front of the shirt.
The Winter Classic sweaters are a little less striking than the Golden Knights’ customary gold jerseys, despite the latter being extremely shiny. According to ESPN, Nic Corbett, director of sports marketing and hockey at Adidas, the reason the gold tone is termed “Gold Dust” is because it’s not as “shimmery” as the team’s typical gold jerseys.
A cursive version of “Vegas” may be found on the back of the Golden Knights jerseys, as well as on the players’ pants. The squad will also don gloves that pay homage to the early days of the sport with an old-fashioned brown leather appearance.
In addition, Vegas will display seven stars on the nape of its neck to commemorate the franchise’s seventh year of existence.
