Seattle will soon be home to a new NHL team. Photo by CommunistSquared (Wikimedia Commons) [ CC License ].

Oddsmakers are listing Sockeyes as the favorite to be the nickname of Seattle’s NHL expansion franchise

Totems and Emeralds are other top contenders

Seattle is slated to join the NHL for the 2021-22 season

A century ago, the Seattle Metropolitans played in the Stanley Cup final.

100-years ago today: 1919 Stanley Cup Final was called off when the Spanish Flu pandemic ravaging the globe strikes Seattle. @S_Metros poised to win second Cup outscoring @CanadiensMTL 20-10 & deciding game by western rules but instead declared co-champions, only time in history. pic.twitter.com/2hFymRYxvW — Kevin Ticen (@kticen) April 3, 2019

Seattle is two years away from getting its NHL expansion franchise. Sooner than that, we should know what the team will be called.

Oddsmakers have updated the prop wager on the team’s nickname. Sockeyes is now the odds-on favorite.

What Will the Team Name of Seattle’s NHL Franchise Be?

Team Name of Seattle NHL Franchise Odds Sockeyes -200 Totems +450 Emeralds +550 Rainiers +900 Renegades +2000 Kraken +2500 Seals +2500 Sea Lions +2500 Evergreens +3500 Firebirds +3500 Cougars +3500 Eagles +3500 Whales +3500

*Odds taken 04/08/19.

Ownership of the Seattle NHL franchise have also yet to reveal the team’s logo or color scheme.

The Seattle Sockeyes?

A little over a year ago, the Seattle NHL ownership group registered 38 domain names.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman visited Seattle in January. He dropped hints that Sockeyes and Steelheads were the frontrunners under consideration for the team nickname.

Chief Executive Officer and Team President Tod Leiweke also seemed to be hinting that the club was leaning toward Sockeyes.

Key statement re: NHL Seattle Nicknames— Gary Bettman spoke at length today about trademarks & the importance of them. Tod Leiweke keeps referencing Times poll – won by Sockeyes Trending UP:

Sockeyes, Steelheads

Trending DOWN

Metropolitans, Totems, Kraken@KING5Seattle #NHL — Chris Daniels (@ChrisDaniels5) January 10, 2019

Leiweke persistently has pointed out that Sockeyes was the most popular choice suggested by readers in a newspaper poll conducted by the Seattle Times. That chosen handle garnered 37,543 out of over 140,000 votes.

NHL Seattle is handing out swag at UW. Red and black beanies…should we read into the color scheme?!! #komonews ?⚫️?⚫️?⚫️ pic.twitter.com/Ev7ZypEGOr — Patrick Quinn (@PatrickQuinnTV) December 4, 2018

People also took note that all of the club’s handouts bore a red-and-black color scheme and wondered whether that was an indication of to what to look for in the team’s future uniform design.

Metropolitans Wouldn’t Work

In 1916-17, the Seattle Metropolitans of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association became the first American-based team to win the Stanley Cup, defeating the Montreal Canadiens in the final series.

The Seattle Metropolitans (Pacific Coast Hockey Association) won the Stanley Cup in 1917, becoming the first American hockey team to do so. pic.twitter.com/ppCQ7Y1nIX — SportsPaper (@SportsPaperInfo) December 4, 2018

The Mets, as they were also known, played in further Stanley Cup finals in 1918-19 and 1919-20. The team ceased to exist in 1924.

It might be romantic to connect to Seattle’s hockey heritage in much the same manner that the Ottawa Senators did when they entered as an expansion franchise in 1992. But it would be problematic. The NHL already has a Metropolitan Division.

I hope they go with the Seattle Metropolitans. Seattle beat the Montreal Canadiens to win the 1917 Stanley Cup, almost won the 1919 Stanley Cup before the series was cancelled after the fifth game because of the flu epidemic, and lost the 1920 Stanley Cup to the Ottawa Senators. pic.twitter.com/HidA83gAvp — Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) December 4, 2018

On a positive note, this guarantees the 1962 New York Mets, who went 42-120, will maintain their status as the worst expansion team known as the Mets.

Totems Would Be Traditional

From 1958-75, Seattle’s minor-pro franchise in the Western and Central Leagues was known as the Totems. Americans, Eskimos, Bombers, and Indians are other nicknames utilized by Seattle pro teams.

Totems was the early favorite, but trademark issues, combined with the potential for it being considered a handle offensive to First Nations groups, make it an unlikely winner.

The Verdict

There’s so much that Sockeyes has to offer. The sockeye salmon is native to the area. It presents the opportunity to come up with a catchy logo and creates an obvious mascot costume.

Commissioner Bettman can’t wait to drop the puck in Seattle! ? How about you? #ReturnToHockey #NHLSeattle pic.twitter.com/6PrKDc3Df5 — NHL Seattle (@NHLSeattle_) January 17, 2019

It’s a marketing dream, and that’s why it will be the winner.

Pick: Sockeyes (-200)