The Story Behind the Seattle Kraken's Fisherman-Inspired NHL Winter Classic Outfits

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It’s become a New Year’s Day tradition, up there with polar bear plunges and decluttering: Every NHL Winter Classic, teams arrive dressed for the occasion in clever, coordinated outfits. Last year, the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins pulled up to Fenway Park in throwback baseball uniforms honoring their respective MLB counterparts. The year before that, the St. Louis Blues showed up in Minnesota for the coldest outdoor game in league history—at a gnarly minus-5.7 degrees—rocking Ken-worthy beach gear.

On Monday, the Seattle Kraken kept the ritual alive ahead of their Winter Classic showdown against the Vegas Golden Knights with some extremely Pacific Northwest attire. The players rolled into T-Mobile Park decked out in orange mackinaw wool bibs and matching orange caps by Seattle’s own Filson, along with some sturdy boots by Alaska’s XTRATUF. It’s a nod to the Emerald City’s maritime elements.

“We wanted to do something that showcased the outdoors of Seattle, something fun, something vibrant,” says Kraken winger Brandon Tanev (a.k.a. viral stunned headshot guy). “We decided on doing something with fishing vibes. Pike Place is a staple place for tourists that people to go down to visit. You always see the individuals there out at the market, chucking fish. It's a famous thing. So we wanted an outfit that represented that, along with being on the water. Fishermen on vessels, that’s what they’re wearing.”

The outfits were a collaboration between the Kraken and Filson, with players voting on several options. The runner-up was a fit consisting of cargo pants and a jacket, but the team decided it was “too traditional for us,” says Tanev. “We wanted something outside the box. With hockey, it's pretty traditional. You always wear a suit and tie to games, and this is an opportunity for us to go outside our boundaries. A bunch of us have been out on the water fishing and on boats, and that's the look.”

The result is a nautical workwear fit that’s more in line with the Steve Zissou energy of the Kraken’s Winter Classic jersey, which was inspired by the Seattle Metropolitans, who played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association from 1915 to 1924 and were the first American team to win the Stanley Cup in 1917.

It’s also a way of showing the world that there’s more to Seattle than Nirvana and Microsoft, and that Pike Place is more than just a Starbucks order.

“As a kid, when I grew up thinking about Seattle, it was always Starbucks and grunge music,” admits Filson president Neil Morgan. “But when you really go back into it, Seattle was the last stop along the way for people going up to Alaska, seeking their fortunes in the great frontier of that part of the world.”

Clinton C. Filson saw a big opportunity back then, setting up an outpost in the Washington port in 1897 to provide prospective miners of the Klondike Gold Rush with clothing for the blistering Alaskan environment. “Then in the ‘20s and ‘30s, all of a sudden, there's this whole forestry boom out here that really picked up and drove a lot of the industry in the Pacific Northwest and continued from there on out. So it really is a city that’s had a lot of evolutions.”

The Kraken’s bibs, made from 24-oz. wool, are derived from the utilitarian clothing workers wore during those early-1900s booms. “They were made right here and are really part of our history and heritage,” says Morgan. “We wanted to represent that part of old Seattle in a way.”

Tanev relishes the opportunity to shake things up sartorially, which is something he’d love to see more of in the NHL. “I think it's another avenue for individuals to be themselves and showcase their thoughts and feelings on fashion. There's some guys around the league that have some some great outfits, some great suits. I know that Arizona does a relaxed, casual look to games. I think the rest of the league is more traditional in that sense. That's just their view on things, but I think it’s great for guys to show what they love when it comes to dressing up for games.”

Of course, what everyone really wants to know is: Will we get another viral Tanev headshot, this time in the Winter Classic fit?

“I mean, if the camera happens to be there, you may as well keep tradition of the headshot going,” he laughs, adding that he’s been recreating the infamous photo every media day since the original lit up the internet back in 2020. “Like I mentioned, hockey players are always traditional and do the same thing. This happened to be one of those things where it was funny and different. So now you just roll with the punches.”

Originally Appeared on GQ

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