Did the Utah Jazz Leak the Seattle Kraken Winter Classic Jerseys?

Hands up, who had NHL Winter Classic jerseys leaked by the Utah Jazz on their 2023 uniform bingo card?

In a classic head-scratcher, the social media accounts of the NBA’s Utah Jazz tonight apparently leaked the 2024 Winter Classic jerseys of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken.

The accounts posted a series of photos of Jazz players on their way into the arena. In two of those photos, the players were wearing what looks to be the new (and yet-to-be-released) Seattle Kraken jerseys for the upcoming outdoor Winter Classic game. The logo on the chest matches what we saw on some leaked Winter Classic merchandise earlier this year.

Now… I haven’t seen the uniforms the Kraken are planning on wearing for the Winter Classic. I cannot confirm that these are the real deal, but it looks legit.

The design is a clear homage to the uniforms worn by the Seattle Metropolitans, a successful member of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association in the 1910s and 1920s. The “Mets” competed for and won the Stanley Cup, becoming the first non-Canadian-based team to win the championship back in 1916, doing so in their red, green, and white barberpole jerseys.

If legit, it’s a winner of a design for the Kraken. It is a tribute to the city’s hockey roots, a mashup with the modern team’s design, and tied together in a visually appealing package. It’s a seemingly easy recipe for uniform success that has proved to be tricky for many teams to pull off… of course, we have yet to see the helmets, pants, or gloves which can quickly make or break the total uniform package.

what’s kraken??? #VivintCam | @VivintHome pic.twitter.com/sLbPClNGqA
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) November 18, 2023

Many questions remain unanswered here. If these are the real deal… why do the Utah Jazz have unreleased Kraken jerseys? Was this a planned leak between the leagues and/or teams? If they aren’t legit… there’s a similar question to be asked, slightly adjusted… why do Utah Jazz players have knockoff Kraken jerseys?

We’ll keep an eye on this and provide any updates that may come in.