Why is the Kraken mascot a troll?

Seattle Kraken is a professional ice hockey team that competes in the National Hockey League as a part of the Pacific Division Western Conference. The team joined the NHL for the 2021-2022 season and plays their home games at Climate Pledge Arena.

The team was approved by the NHL as an expansion franchise of Seattle Hockey Partners in December 2018. They revealed their name in July 2020, paying tribute to the mythical sea creature, the Kraken.

The Kraken is the first professional team to play in Seattle since the Seattle Totems of the Western Hockey League in 1975. Moreover, it is the first Seattle team to compete for the Stanley Cup after the Seattle Metropolitans, the 1917 Stanley Cup winner.

Seattle Kraken celebrated the Seattle Metropolitans by raising a banner in their honour. The Seattle Kraken have their affiliate team in the AHL called Coachella Valley Firebirds. They have their official mascot, representing the team named Buoy, a sea troll.

The Seattle Kraken mascot Buoy is a 6-foot-tall blue sea troll and a playful figure known as the nephew of the Fremont Troll. Bouy has special features like hair inspired by hockey flow and a removable front tooth, a squeaky aqua blue nose, and a tattoo representing Kraken's logo.

Why is the Kraken mascot a troll?

Buoy, the sea troll of the Seattle Kraken, is inspired by the Fremont Troll, a renowned public sculpture under the Aurora Bridge in Seattle, United States. The team even refers to Buoy, the nephew of the Fremont Troll. The iconic Sculpture originated from a 1990 art contest hosted by the Fremont Arts Council, aiming to build a Sculpture to discourage people from gathering or residing under the bridge.

The creation of Fremont Troll not just served the purpose but it became a distinctive piece of art and attraction of the city. Seattle Kraken created Buoy to reflect his connection with the Fremont Troll, adding a touch of the local history and embracing it.

Creation of Buoy, the Sea Troll

Finding a perfect mascot for the Seattle Kraken was a two-year-long process that started in 2020, the time when the team revealed its name. Since, the mascot's mythical looks, they decided not to use him as their mascot.

During the 2021-2022 season, they came without any official mascot rather they introduced a "team dog" on January 17, 2022, named Davy Jones, a four-month-old husky. Davy Jones socialised with fans at Seattle Karen's home games as he trained to be a therapy dog.

The mascot Buoy was introduced on October 1, 2022, at their Climate Pledge Arena. Buoy, the sea troll is called the Fremont Troll's nephew. He debuted in the preseason games against the Canucks, originally, scheduled for Christmas during the 2021-2022 season.

His debut was delayed due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant and because of this games were postponed. After his debut, Buoy received mixed reactions from the public. Some call it "the ugliest mascot of all time." While some people like his looks and playful nature.

ESPN's Greg Wyshynski called Buoy the worst creation of the Seattle Kraken, comparing him to a land-based troll doll with a hairstyle similar to Brian Burke's. However, soon Buoy started gaining popularity among the young Kraken fans.