The expansion Seattle Kraken are shattering NHL jersey sales records.
Sales, in fact, are the highest in league history for a newly released jersey in its first five days of availability, according to the NHL. Which means Seattle jerseys are doing brisker business than the expansion Vegas Golden Knights did when their jerseys were released to the public in 2017.
“Vegas set a pretty high bar. The Kraken are blowing through it, hourly. It’s a hot market right now,” Brian Jennings, NHL chief brand officer, told ESPN on Tuesday.
The NHL did not provide the number of Seattle jerseys sold over the first five days.
The Kraken had a five-day exclusive window that went from Sept. 15-21, having the chance to sell their jerseys in three official team stores and online. Kraken jerseys will now become available in other retail locations.
The NHL said the top-selling inaugural Kraken player jerseys include goaltender Philipp Grubauer, forwards Brandon Tanev and Jordan Eberle, and defenseman Jamie Oleksiak.
This continues a torrid sales trend for the Kraken that started in July 2020 when the team name and logo were first revealed. The Golden Knights set a merchandise sales record on the website of Fanatics, the NHL’s official retail partner, when their gear debuted in 2017. Seattle’s merchandise sales were up four times over the Knights’ record when it was released in 2020.
In the first 24 hours of Kraken gear sales, the expansion franchise was the top-selling team across all major sports leagues.
“Even though we felt strong about the brand and Seattle was excited for it, you’re always so nervous that first day. But the fan response was over the moon,” Jennings said.
The Kraken join the NHL’s Pacific Division this season, playing their first NHL game at the Golden Knights on Oct. 12 on ESPN.