Kraken went to great lengths to keep Buoy mascot under wraps

Buoy was 18 months in planning and designed by the Kraken, the Chicago Mascot Company and 3PT productionsGetty Images

The Kraken unveiled their new mascot, Buoy, to fans over the weekend, but until that point, most everything about its creation was "a mystery," according to Ryan Clark of ESPN.com. Nobody "knew what name they would choose or what the mascot would even look like." Hundreds of ideas and names "were submitted in the Kraken's quest for a mascot." Kraken VP/Entertainment Experience & Production Lamont Buford said, "We looked at all the characters in this area and we wanted to make sure that what we brought was going to be unique. We didn't want to be like anybody else. When you look at a lot of mascots in sports, you can tell which mascots that were generated from looking at another mascot. We wanted to make sure we avoided that." The team "did not want to use a kraken." The argument is that "nobody knows what a kraken looks like." And "because of that, they wanted to keep that mystery going but still have a mascot that could strike the right tone" (ESPN.com, 10/1).

UNDER THE SEA: In Washington, Molly Shen noted all fans "were on board" with Buoy, but the team was "ready for fans to troll their sea troll." Kraken CMO Katie Townsend said, "You look at probably the most successful mascot launch to date in the NHL is Gritty in Philadelphia. Very polarizing response when Gritty launched. So we're prepared" (KOMONEWS.com, 10/3). USA TODAY's Mary Clarke notes the Kraken's unveiling of their official mascot "came as a surprise to many, not just because the Kraken are only in their second year as a franchise, but also because the team’s mascot isn’t a sea creature of some kind." Instead of an "octopus-type creature or some other seafaring animal or myth," the Kraken went with a "blue haired troll ... straight out of the Trolls doll collection from the 1990s." Clarke: "It does feel really disappointing the Kraken couldn’t keep up their run of excellent branding to create a mascot more unique than this" (USA TODAY, 10/2).