On Wednesday, the founding owner of the Seattle Kraken, David Bonderman, passed away at the age of 82.
That evening, the Kraken put “Bondo” decals on their practice helmets.
To the visionary behind the Kraken red eye pic.twitter.com/VyEo32ZxsQ
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) December 11, 2024
Bonderman wasn’t just the team owner. Read the above tweet’s caption once again: “To the visionary behind the Kraken red eye.”
That’s right, besides being an owner, he was also responsible for suggesting the uniform element that would create one of the more memorable logos in NHL history. The team had more to say about his contribution on their website.
Those who were in the room still talk about the day David Bonderman literally defined the vision of what the Kraken could be.
More specifically, how he gave the team its “eye” to channel that vision through.
It was in final logo design meetings in 2019 that Kraken founding owner Bonderman, looked at the “S” shaped figure being presented and felt something was missing. Having stayed silent through most of the meeting, he stood up and quietly suggested adding a red dot to the logo – symbolizing the creature’s eye — and the rest is now history.
So when Bonderman died, the team created a logo that features the word “BONDO” (his nickname) and featuring the red eye from the Kraken logo as part of the memorial.
The memorial helmet decal has now become a sweater patch, rendered in black, with a circular white outline and “BONDO” in white letters.
The team continued its praise:
Bonderman’s judgement calls and willingness to take risks is now memorialized locally with a legacy of impacts, big and small, from the arena to the team’s Kraken Community Iceplex headquarters and the red “eye” idea he’d come up with at the logo design meeting.
Even with the “eye” addition helping the Kraken brand come together, success still wasn’t a given. OVG CEO Tim Leiweke remembers Bonderman being unwavering throughout the difficult years where the arena and team went from vision to reality.
And last evening, the team played its first game with the new memorial patch.
For Bondo pic.twitter.com/P8A2OxkVfd
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) December 13, 2024
The patch is located on the players left side of the jersey. For players with “A” or “C” on their chest, the patch is located just to the right of the designation.
Memorial decals and patches can sometimes feel impersonal or overwrought, but this one feels just right. It’s not only a fitting memorial, but the team found a way to incorporate a signature uniform element — the red eye — into the memorial patch itself. Bonderman was clearly important not just in bringing hockey to Seattle, but was instrumental in creating their final look. RIP
Your thoughts?
More excellent design work from the Kraken; the only drawback is that it’s for such a sad occasion.
Being a Kraken Fan this is sad. At the game yesterday they had a nice tribute for David. Hope the team keeps winning for Bondo
I have come to the belief feel that patches that memorialize are celebrations. This one is a great one.
Classy and meaningful. Well done.