This Hockey Sweater got the Seattle Kraken Sued

A controversy is brewing around the Seattle Kraken and their newest sweater design.

Seattle Kraken in the NHL Winter Classic

The Kraken's Winter Classic outdoor National Hockey League (NHL) game is heralded colossal success. Forty-seven thousand plus fans packed into T-Mobile Park (home of the Seattle Mariners) to see the Kraken top the Las Vegas Golden Knights. (You can read a full recap of the game on our website, 610kona.com)

The Seattle Kraken and the Las Vegas Golden Knights donned unique "throwback sweaters for the event (See those sweaters here). However, Kraken's throwback sweater is at the center of some controversy.

The Hockey Sweater in Question

The controversy stems from legal action taken by Paul Kim, a local Seattle entrepreneur, as he filed a lawsuit against the Seattle Kraken for trademark infringement surrounding their Winter Classic Sweater.

Kim says The Kraken's sweater bears a big red "S" with lettering running through it, which he thinks is identical to the Metropolitans' primary logo. Kim purchased the trademark rights to the Metropolitans' name, logo, and colors in 2014, and he has used the rights to the logo and name to make merchandise, including jerseys. Kim says he has lost around $2.5 million due to the Kraken using a design similar to the Metropolitans for their Winter Classic jersey. He will seek at least that amount in damages from the Kraken ownership group.

So what do you think? Does Kim have a case, or is the Kraken in the clear? Both the Kraken and the Metropolitan Jerseys are below.

Seattle Kraken

Seattle Metropolitans