'Confusion is a real problem' for bar suing Seattle NHL team over Kraken name The exterior of the Kraken Bar & Lounge in Seattle's University District. (Screengrab from KIRO 7 TV) In April, a University District punk rock bar called the Kraken Bar & Lounge announced that it would be suing Seattle’s new NHL franchise, after the team had announced the opening of the similarly-named Kraken Bar & Grill in Northgate. While the team has since agreed to rename its restaurant, the bar is still looking to move forward with its lawsuit. The Kraken Bar & Lounge opened in 2011, priding itself as a neighborhood dive bar and a local destination for punk music. But ever since Seattle’s new NHL team unveiled its team name, the bar has struggled to maintain that identity, even before the Northgate restaurant was announced.