The Roaming Photographer: 2024-07-14

Friday, July 19, 2024

The Seattle Kraken

Photo Credit:

https://logolook.net/seattle-kraken-logo/

Establishment 2018-2021

The NHL Board of Governors voted unanimously to approve Seattle’s expansion team on December 4th, 2018, to begin play in the 2020-2021 season as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference. As a result, the Phoenix Coyotes were shifted from the Pacific Division to the Central Division to balance out the four divisions at eight teams each. The organization hired Ron Francis as their general manager to initiate operations for the team(1).

On July 23rd, 2020, the franchise announced their team name, the Seattle Kraken, as well as their team colors, branding, and home jersey. The team’s name comes from the mythical Kraken of Scandinavian folklore and its resemblance to the native giant Pacific octopus, which is found in the waters of Puget Sound, near Seattle(2). On April 30th, 2021, the franchise paid the final installment of the $650 million expansion fee, making the Kraken the 32nd team of the NHL(3)(4).

First seasons 2021-Present

The Kraken made their first-ever signing, Luke Henman, on May 12, 2021(5). On June 24th, the organization hired Dave Hakstol as their inaugural head coach(6). On June 28th, the Kraken announced the Charlotte Checkers as their inaugural farm team, sharing the team with the Florida Panthers(7).

An expansion draft was held on July 21st, in a similar manner to a previous expansion draft held in 2017 for the Vegas Golden Knights, who were themselves exempt from the expansion draft(8)(9). The Kraken would then select their first draft pick, Matty Beniers, as the second overall selection of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft(10). The Kraken would also sign many players. Notable signings would include goaltender Philipp Grubauer and forwards Jaden Schwartz and Alexander Wennberg(11). On October 11th, the Kraken named Mark Giordano selected in the expansion draft from the Calgary Flames, as the team’s inaugural captain(12). The captaincy would become vacant after Giordano was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 20th, 2022(13).

The Kraken played their first regular season game on October 12th, a 4-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, where Ryan Donato, would score the team’s first goal(14). The Kraken’s first win came in their second game on October 14th, when they defeated the Nashville Predators 4-3(15). Following a 6-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, goaltender Joey Daccord would be named the starter instead of the usual Philipp Grubauer in what would be a 4-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils(16). The Kraken would play their first home game at the Climate Pledge Arena on October 23rd, a 4-2 loss to the Vancouver Canuks(17). Before the game, the Kraken would retire jersey number 32, in recognition of the franchise being the 32nd to join the NHL and in honor of the 32,000 fans who placed deposits for tickets on the first possible day(18). The Kraken would pick up their first-ever home win on October 26th, against the Montreal Canadiens(19). Goaltender Chris Driedger would make his first start with the Kraken on November 9th, in a 4-2 loss to the Golden Knights(20). The Kraken would face several losing streaks throughout the season. However, Philipp Grubauer would record the franchise’s first-ever shutout, making 19 saves in a 3-0 victory against the New York Islanders(21). The Kraken would be eliminated from playoff contention on March 30th after a 3-0 loss to the Golden Knights(22). The Kraken would finish their inaugural season in last place in the Pacific Division with a 27-49-6 record and 60 points.

The Kraken’s second season would be far better in terms of winning. On July 13th, 2022, the Kraken would sign Martin Jones to a one-year contract(23). He would make his debut with the Kraken on October 13th, notching a 4-1 victory(24). In early January, Jones would lead the Kraken through an 8-game win streak. In doing so, the Kraken became the first team to will all seven games of a road trip(25). On April 6th, the Kraken clinched their first-ever playoff berth, qualifying for the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs as the first wild card from the Western Conference with a record of 46-28-8 and 100 points(26). On April 13th, it was announced that forward Andre Burakovsky would miss the first round of the playoffs after missing the last 33 games of the season, due to an undisclosed lower-body injury(27). On April 30th, they defeated the Colorado Avalanche, in the opening round, becoming the first expansion team in NHL history to win their first playoff series against the defending Stanley Cup champions(28). The Kraken would lose to the Dallas Stars in the second round(29). Both series lasted the full seven games. On June 26th, Matty Beniers was named the champion of the Calder Memorial Trophy for being the NHL Rookie of the Year (30)

Seattle Kraken resources:

Tuesday, July 16, 2024

The Cleveland Cavs

Photo Credit:

https://logos-world.net/cleveland-
cavaliers -logo/#google_vignette

The Cavaliers began play in the 1970-71 season as an expansion team(1). They set losing records in each of their first five seasons before winning their first division title in 1976(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8). The 1976 team was led by Austin Carr, Bobby “Bingo” Smith, Jim Chones, Dick Snyder, Nate Thurmond, and head coach Bill Fitch(9). It was remembered for the “Miracle at Richfield”, in which the Cavaliers defeated the Washington Bullets, 4-3, in the Eastern Conference Semifinals(10). They won Game 7, 87-85m on a shot by Snyder with four seconds to go(10). The Cavaliers moved on to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time(10), but were without Chones after he broke his toe before the series opener(11). As a result, the Cavaliers went on to lose, 4-2, to the Boston Celtics(12). They made playoff appearances in the following two seasons before a six-year playoff drought(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20).

The early 1980’s was marked by Ted Stepien’s ownership. During Stepien’s tenure, the Cavaliers made a practice of trading future draft picks for marginal veteran players(21). His most notable deal sent a 1982 first-round pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Don Ford and the 22nd overall pick in 1980(22). As a result of Stepien’s dealings, the NBA introduced the “Stepien Rule”, which prohibits teams from trading first-round draft picks in successive seasons(21)(23). The Cavaliers went 66-180, dropped to the bottom of the league in attendance, and lost $15 million during Stepien’s three years as the owner(21). The Cavs went through six coaches during this span, including four during the 1981-82 season(21). The team finished 15-67, and between March and November 1982, the team had a 24-game losing streak, which, at the time, was the NBA’s longest losing streak(18)(18)(19)(24)(25) George and Gordon Gund purchased the Cavaliers from Stepien in 1983(23)(26).

The Cavaliers made the playoffs 10 times between 1985 and 1998(28). The 1988-89 season was the Cavaliers’ best season to date, finishing the regular season 57-25 with a team that included Brad Daugherty. Mark Price, Ron Harper, and Larry Nance, and head coach Lenny Wilkens(27)(28). They had their second 57-win season in 1991-92 and reached the Eastern Conference Finals that year(28)(29). However, between 1999 and 2005, the Cavaliers failed to make a playoff appearance(27). The Cavaliers finished the 2002-03 season 17-65, tied for the worst record in the NBA(30).

The Cavaliers had the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NBA draft, and selected future NBA MVP LeBron James, a native of nearby Akron(31). On January 3rd, 2005, the team was sold to businessman Dan Gilbert for $375 million(32)(33)(34), and the deal was finalized on March 1, 2005(35). That year, the team also hired head coach Mike Brown and general manager Danny Ferry(36). The Cavaliers built a new team around James and Zydrunas Ilgauskas by adding players such as Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes, and Anderson Varajao(37)(38). Under this new leadership, the Cavaliers made five straight playoffs from 2006 to 2010, advancing to at least the second round each time(27). 2006-07 Cavaliers advanced to the franchise’s first NBA Finals, but were swept by the San Antonio Spurs(39)(40). The 2008-09 Cavaliers won a franchise-record 66 games, including a franchise-best 39-2 record at home, but lost the Eastern Conference Finals to the Orlando Magic(27). Despite the addition of four-time NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal(42). The 2009-2010 Cavaliers were unable to return to the Eastern Conference Finals after losing to the Boston Celtics in the second round(27).

With the Cavaliers out of the playoffs, the focus turned to James’ impending free agency(42). On July 8, 2010, James announced in a nationally televised one-hour special titled The Decision that he would be signing with the Miami Heat(43). The repercussions of this announcement left many in the city of Cleveland infuriated and feeling betrayed(44). After a 19-win season in 2010-11, the Cavaliers began a rebuild around Kyrie Irving, whom they selected first overall in the 2011 NBA draft(27)(45).

In 2014, James returned to the Cavaliers after four seasons in Miami. While the Heat had a 224-88 record during James’ four-year tenure and won NBA titles in 2012 and 2013, the Cavaliers went 97-215 and missed the playoffs each season(46). The Cavaliers made several moves to build a championship-contending team around James, most notably acquiring power forward Kevin Love from the Minnesota Timberwolves, which created what many fans and media referred to as a “Big Three” with James, Love, and Irving(47). The Lebron-led Cavaliers made four consecutive Finals appearances from 2015 to 2018 – all against the Golden State Warriors – winning in 2016(27)48). The 2016 NBA Championship marked the Cavaliers’ first title in franchise history, as they became the first team to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the Finals(48) It was also Cleveland’s first championship in major professional sports since the 1964 Browns, signaling the end of the so-called Cleveland sports curse(49).

The Cavaliers’ roster went through many changes in the 2017-18 season, most notably the trade of Irving to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Isaiah Thomas and other assets(50)(51). Thomas was later traded to the Los Angeles Lakers as part of a trade deadline overhaul that saw the Cavaliers add Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr. (son of Cavs legend Larry Nance), and others(52). The following offseason, James declined his player option to rejoin the team, instead signing with the Lakers(53). In the following two seasons, the team recorded only 19 wins and failed to make the playoffs. (27).

In the first three seasons since James left the second time, the Cavaliers won a total of 60 games, missed the playoffs each season, and have had four different head coaches: Tyronn Lue, Larry Drew, John Beilein, and current head coach J.B. Bickerstaff(27)(53)(54).

In the 2021-22 season, the Cavs finished 44-38 and eighth in the Eastern Conference, and qualified for the NBA play-in tournament, marking the first time the team played in the event. This also marks the team’s first postseason basketball since 2017-18 and the first time a non-LeBron-led team qualified for postseason play since 1997-98. The team, however, did not make it out of the play-in tournament, losing the game to the Brooklyn Nets and then to the Atlanta Hawks, ending their season.

On March 26, 2023, the Cavaliers clinched a spot in the NBA playoffs, making this the first time since 2018 that the team entered the playoffs, with a 108-91 win over the Houston Rockets. This was also the first time since 1998 that the team entered the playoffs without LeBron James(56). They wound up losing their first-round playoff series to the New York Knicks four games to one(57).

On October 25, 2023, it was announced that defensive end Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns had purchased a minority ownership stake in the Cavaliers. Along with his ownership stake, Garrett would serve as an ambassador for the team(58).

The Cleveland Cavaliers headed into the 2024 NBA Playoffs with the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference, facing the Orlando Magic.

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Friday, July 19, 2024

The Seattle Kraken

Tuesday, July 16, 2024

The Cleveland Cavs

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