By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
On Monday, the Seattle Kraken celebrated Black Hockey History by unveiling a special jersey to honor the rich history of African Americans in hockey.
The jerseys, auctioned off at the Kraken’s game against the Boston Bruins, were designed by local artist Barry Johnson.
Each season, the Kraken hosts a game and auction dedicated to the diverse history of our region and the inclusivity of the NHL. From Black Hockey History, Indigenous Peoples Nite, the Lunar New Year Nite, Women In Hockey, to Pride Nite and Green Nite, hockey plays its role in promoting equity and inclusion.
“There is a tradition in the NHL across many clubs, not all the clubs, but some clubs create these specialty jerseys to celebrate different communities and we thought about putting a Seattle spin on this and working with local artists,” says Kyle Boyd, Director of Fan Development for the Kraken and son of one of the first Black team doctors for an NHL hockey team.
“So, we worked closely with them on a design for our primary logo, which is the ‘S’, and our secondary logo, which is an anchor. Then we create a jersey, the players wear those jerseys as they walk into the arena, sign them, and then we auction them off,” adds Boyd.
As an organization, the Kraken regularly celebrates communities and builds an inclusive environment, showcased through their specialty jerseys. According to the Kraken, “these ongoing community efforts are highlighted during theme and celebration nights where we feature a reimagined ‘S’ logo that celebrates communities across our region. We are excited to showcase the specialty jersey designs, created by local artists who represent the communities of each of the featured game nights.”
“This is important for the organization because we want to be an inclusive hockey fan base, we want to create an inclusive hockey community here in Seattle,” says Boyd. “We are a new team, and we want everybody to feel like they can be a part of our team. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from, what your background is, we want everyone to feel like they can be a member of the Seattle Kraken family.”
“These jerseys are a great visual representation of our inclusion efforts,” Boyd continued.
Barry Johnson, a visual artist originally from Kansas who now resides in Seattle, was chosen this year to produce the artwork for the Black Hockey Night jersey. Inspired by the Colored Hockey League and its core founding tenants, Johnson’s artwork emphasizes “providing space for Black men to share, worship and build together, leading to the fight for identity and inclusion in hockey.”
Barry adapted the “S” logo to include the Pan African Flag colors. The secondary logo connects the anchor with a peace sign to represent love, equality for all, and non-violence in the face of inequality and civil rights issues. Johnson’s choice of colors and symbolism tied together the story of African Americans’ fight against racism and oppression.
“I was super excited to have the opportunity to create this work,” says Johnson. “One to create work for the National Hockey League and the Kraken here in Seattle, but more importantly, something that is representational of Black and Brown folks.
“There is no real statistic that exists as to how many Black and Brown players are in the NHL,” says Johnson. “But I’ve researched that there are around 26, and the majority of them being in Canada. But think about the historic Black hockey league and what that was designed for, bringing players together to help them celebrate and have union with one another, and to think about that, it was really great to create something representational.”
Regarding the final design, Johnson aimed to create something that not only looked good but also had meaning beyond the appearance of someone wearing a specialized Kraken jersey. He wanted to create a conversation piece, a keepsake, and something that people could cherish and pass along from generation to generation.
“My thoughts on this work, I believed the logo was already super iconic, so I didn’t want to necessarily reinvent the wheel, as much as alter the ride and that was kind of my design philosophy,” says Johnson. “So, I wanted to create something that was expressionist but also embodying the colors of the Pan African flag, so I got those really deep greens, those reds, brought some yellows in, and that iconic black and created a work that also had these additional lines. These lines make us think about intersectionality and interconnectivity. They also have us thinking about the natural movements and hard curves of skating within hockey.”
Inclusivity is a vital part of the work and the jersey program, as well as other programs the Kraken organization has embarked on. The Kraken makes it a high priority to engage with and ensure that the community is a part of the Kraken and hockey family.
“We’ve done a number of programs and a lot of work across diverse communities,” says Boyd. “But the jerseys help to highlight and celebrate the local art as well as the work we are doing in the community.”