The Seattle Kraken are set to face off against the Las Vegas Golden Knights on New Year's Day in the NHL Winter Classic. However, the franchise is facing a legal battle due to the jerseys they'll be wearing on Monday's game.
A lawsuit was filed, as the Kraken are allegedly violating a trademark over their jersey design, according to Tyler Kuehl of the Daily Face Off. The lawsuit claims Seattle's “S” logo and color scheme violate the trademark.
“On Wednesday, a 24-page trademark infringement lawsuit was filed against the Seattle Kraken's ownership group, in regard to the team’s jersey design that they are going to be wearing on New Year’s Day when they face off against the Vegas Golden Knights. Paul Kim, a longtime youth hockey player and fan, acquired trademark rights to the name of the defunct Seattle Metropolitans, including the ‘S' logo and colors in 2014.”
It's kind of bizarre that the Kraken of all teams have a lawsuit regarding their NHL Winger Classic jerseys. Especially considering this franchise is only three years old. Regardless, it's a situation the organization must sort out. A spokesperson for the team acknowledged the lawsuit on Thursday.
“We are aware of the filing and are working with our lawyers to respond. We cannot comment further on an active legal matter. Our focus is on delivering an incredible NHL Winter Classic experience for our fans and celebrating outdoor hockey together.”
It's not clear when this situation will be dissolved. The Kraken allegedly offered to buy the rights to the Metropolitans trademarks. But Paul Kim denied the offer because “the team offered a one-time payment that was allegedly worth less than a year of revenue from sales of branded Metropolitans products.”
We'll see how it plays out, but this could be a long legal battle for the Kraken.
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