What is Yeeting? Exploring the favorite tradition of the Seattle Kraken

The Seattle Kraken has already made waves in the NHL since joining the league as an expansion team in 2021. But it’s not just their impressive on-ice performances that have caught people’s attention. The Seattle Kraken has also introduced a new tradition that has quickly become a fan favorite: the “yeeting” of a fish into the crowd by the three stars of the game after a win.

The Seattle Kraken’s “Yeeting” of the fish

Last year, the Seattle Kraken used a sockeye fish as a tradition, but this season they’ve upgraded to a larger and more iconic Pacific Northwest fish: salmon. The three stars of the game each take turns grabbing the fish and launching it into the cheering crowd at the Climate Pledge Arena.

This tradition is not entirely new to sports, as it has been a staple of Seattle sports culture for decades. The NFL’s Seattle Seahawks have a similar tradition with their fans, known as the “12th Man,” raising the flag of the “12th Man” before every home game. The flag represents the fans as the team’s twelfth player on the field.

"When it comes to naming three stars, you're normally handing a player a t-shirt, or there's some type of souvenir stick (to toss to a fan)," Seattle Kraken VP of Entertainment and Production Lamont Buford said. "We were in a meeting throwing out ideas and one Shabz tossed out was 'wouldn't it be fun if we had players throw out fish at the end of the game?' We laughed, but at the same time, we started to really like it."

However, the Seattle Kraken’s fish-yeeting tradition has a unique and entertaining twist. Fans can often be seen excitedly waving their arms and hoping to catch the fish as it sails towards them. Unfortunately, for fans, the fish are not real. Fortunately, Kraken players make up for that fact by signing the fish before throwing them.

This isn’t the first fishy tradition to hit the NHL. Fans will be quick to remember the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs when Predators fans threw catfish onto the ice.

Many Kraken players have also embraced this tradition, and it has become a fun way for them to celebrate their victories with their fans. The tradition also serves as a reminder of Seattle’s maritime heritage, as fishing has been a significant industry in the Pacific Northwest for generations.

The Seattle Kraken’s fish-yeeting tradition has quickly become a hit with fans, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a unique and fun way to celebrate a win, and it connects the team with its fans in a special way. While the tradition may seem odd to outsiders, it has quickly become a beloved part of Seattle’s sports culture.