Live, Laugh, Larsson: Celebrating Seattle’s Favorite Big Cat
How a bowl cut, social media, and gum chewing continue to build the perfect storm of endearment for Adam Larsson fans in Seattle
By Miracle Lucketti, Edited by Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA - Anyone remotely familiar with Seattle sports teams can attest that Kraken fans are passionate about their players. Perhaps it stems from being there for every step of the team’s formation, or maybe we were all trauma-bonded during that rough inaugural season. Whatever the cause, it’s no secret: our players are ours, and we hold them aggressively and affectionately close to our hearts. Top blueliner Adam Larsson is still discovering this five seasons in.
Seattle Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson pictured throughout the 2024-25 season at Climate Pledge Arena. (Photos by Rio Giancarlo for Circling Seattle Sports)
When we spoke with him outside the locker room after morning skate, Larsson was all smiles as he learned about his popularity among Kraken fans online. “I appreciate it. It’s always fun; I’m not really myself on social media, so I didn’t know. This was news to me.” Cheeks pink, he humbly deflects the praise as we explain the “Adam Larsson” fan movement that overtook Kraken Twitter (or X, as it’s called now) last season.
The movement began with a small group of fans who commented only the words “Adam Larsson” on the official Kraken Twitter account posts. No context was given, yet more and more fans began to join in until the Kraken account itself got in on the fun.
Lillian, a Larsson fan, was a part of the group to start the commenting trend. “I noticed someone on TikTok that had made their page look like they were Lars was commenting on several Lars-focused TikToks with just 'Adam Larsson',” she said. “I thought it was hilarious and posted screenshots on Twitter. Someone suggested we reply to the official account with “Adam Larsson” when they post about him, and the very next morning, they did. It started with a small group of us and just grew from there.”
Grow, it did. The Kraken account kept the bit going, and it wasn’t the first bit they’d shared with Adam. Seasons prior, they’d made it a mission to catch the Swede smiling in photos, something he says he tried to avoid. "When it became a thing, I tried not to smile. It's a lot of fun." It’s easy if you aren’t familiar with him to look at Larsson and come to the conclusion he’s somber and serious, but Kraken faithful know he’s got a playful side. The infamous prank-off with teammate Matty Beniers from two seasons ago, which ended with the team all wearing shirts with Larsson’s face, sporting a fabulous bowl cut haircut, is a perfect example of that playfulness.
Social media antics notwithstanding, there are many reasons fans have fallen for the Adam Larsson charm. Tae, a Larsson fan who created a group chat for fellow fans on Twitter, says, “I was a fan of him on the Oilers first, but it was when he got to Seattle that I started to truly appreciate him. His play style is absolutely why I became a fan. Steady, consistent, but clearly so talented.” And the numbers back that up. Larsson has played in every Kraken game since the team's inception, except for one, which he missed due to the birth of his daughter. He leads the franchise in hits with a total of 671, leads all Kraken defensemen in defensive zone stick checks, is among the top in body checks and blocked shots, and in the ‘24 - ‘25 season, he led the team in plus/minus.
Larsson fans might be some of the more observant fans of the team, and he seemed surprised when we asked him about his gum-chewing habits on the ice; something fans had clocked right away. “I honestly, I don’t know – maybe it’s just me, but I feel sharper. When I feel sleepy, I tend to put one in and then, yeah, keeps me sharper. I don’t use it in games, but. I don’t know if they’ve ever noticed that, but it’s only in warmups and stuff like that.” (They had, in fact, noticed that). When asked if he’s ever dropped gum on the ice, he grins, “For sure.” But does he pick it back up? “No, no – I leave it,” he laughs. Larsson continues to humor us and answers that he doesn’t really have a flavor preference, “Dubble Bubble and spearmint, or whatever we have is usually what I go to. I’ll take whatever.”
The pairing of Adam Larsson and Vince Dunn have become quite the pairing for the Seattle Kraken since the inaugural season. (Photo by Liz Wolter for Circling Seattle Sports)
Kraken fans aren’t the only ones drawn to Larsson. His teammates also praise the defenseman, and his partner, Vince Dunn, is quick to emphasize it. “From day one I’ve had him to rely on,” Dunn says, “he’s such a good friend of mine, someone I can rely on and talk to – It’s been something that’s very comforting for me as well. It’s been fun to watch him become such a staple in this organization.” It’s easy to see why the pair work together so well when you get them talking about the other; their chemistry on and off the ice is readily apparent. Larsson told us that he’s enjoyed seeing a more mature side of Dunn this year, “I think he’s establishing himself, like, one of the best in the league, in my mind. I don’t really think he gets the recognition he deserves. It’s been fun to be a part of his journey.”
As much as the city and its fans love Larsson, he and his family love them right back. “Both me and my wife, we love the city, and now when you’re familiar with it, it tends to grow on you even more. It’s almost endless, I feel like, with the nature, restaurants, different areas, and stuff like that. I have nothing bad to say. Obviously, it could tend to rain a bit too much, but. You get through those parts.” He also mentions loving that it’s an easy, if a bit long, commute for friends and family to visit, and that Seattle has a “lot of Scandinavians and Scandinavian stores. And around Christmas, you can always fall back to Ikea and get some stuff.” He jokes. “It’s a great spot.”
As we wrap up our unorthodox chat, Larsson remains bemused by our questions. We save the best for last: Will he debut any bold looks now that the NHL has dropped its dress code? He considers, then replies, "I won’t go crazy." I point out that Kraken Twitter would love it if he did. Larsson laughs and clarifies, "I’m not Joey. I’ll probably go suits, you know, something when you put that suit on, it’s game time. Once in a while, I might go casual, but mostly suits for home games, at least.”
Finally, I ask if he has a message to share with the fans still ‘Adam Larsson’-ing online now that he knows about them. Larsson smiles, “Thank you, I appreciate it.” As his grin widens and his cheeks darken again, he adds, “Keep it going.”
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