Growing the Game in Seattle

The first-ever youth hockey tournament held at Kraken Community Iceplex featured girls' teams at the 12-and-under, 14U and 16U levels. The early October "Seattle Fall Classic" was a rousing success by all measures.
For instance, the 16U and 14U Sno-King Jr Thunderbirds team won gold in their divisions, beating teams from Oregon and Idaho in championship games. The 12U Lady Admirals of the Seattle Junior Hockey Association earned silver in their division, taking a strong San Jose Jr Sharks to overtime.

Along with parents, family members and friends, the three-day tournament attracted all sorts of additional fans, from learn-to-skate participants of both genders to adult hockey league players to Kraken staff, including executive chef Brandon Cathey. This fan flow is one of the central concepts to building the three-rink Iceplex within Seattle city limits: encourage newcomers to take an interest in skating and hockey, discover role models, expand their perspective about who participates, provide more access to girls and BIPOC players.
Cathey, the NHL team's chef said he and his culinary colleagues were taking their breaks rink-side to watch the girls' teams play and found time to watch parts of the gold-medal games while still making sure Kraken players were getting the nutrition they needed in preparation for a historic road opener just days later.

The tournament and festivities went next-level when Kraken Community Iceplex player development coach Katelyn Parker brainstormed and executed the inaugural Girls' & Women's Hockey Forum presented by Starbucks.
The event featured hockey instructional sessions on the ice for experienced girls and try-hockey-for-free new players, plus a separate panel discussion for coaches and youth hockey leaders. Parker assembled an all-female staff to instruct and encourage the girls on the ice.
"It is meaningful for them to learn and see someone like them," says Parker, a Bellingham native who was an assistant coach for the University of Connecticut women's hockey team before accepting her new role back in her home state. "There are so many different women in hockey with different journeys. There's not one linear path."
Parker, who captained the Colgate women's hockey team for two seasons and won the program's Sportsmanship Award all four years she played for the NCAA Division I school, was lead instructor for the weekend. She proved her point about "different journeys" with the "Player Pathway Panel" staff she assembled for the Girls' and Women's Forum:

"I'm grateful for all of the volunteer time and help," says Parker. "It can be effective for young players to get on the ice with other coaches and hear new voices."
The Saturday on-ice session for players 10 to 16 years of age covered new techniques, fine-tuning existing skills and fresh approaches to all facets of hockey. Parker says she wants "to make sure players are having fun" each time they step on the ice and the Forum was no exception.
"We want players to feel supported and get positive feedback," says Parker. "It's about having fun and loving it. It allows for learning life lessons, being a good teammate and developing a strong work ethic."
Anyone who observes Parker on the ice with players knows she is having fun and boosting spirits. She is thrilled to be back in Washington state growing the sport she loves-and it shows in her skating bursts and many smiles.

"This sport has taken me around the world," says Parker. "I want to help give each of these girls the hope that she can be next person to get so much out of playing hockey, to be from Washington state playing at the college level or with Team USA at the Olympics."
Cue Cammi Granato, the NHL groundbreaker and 1998 Winter Games hero who captivated coaches and youth hockey leaders attending the Forum's small-group discussion with the panel. Parker says the weekend generated a lot of favorite moments, but working alongside Granato tops the experience.
"It was unique to skate and coach with her," says Parker. "The smaller session with Cammi and our whole panel was a real highlight. Hearing her story and the answers she gave to the questions from leaders and coaches in the room provided a new perspective for all of us.
"The panel was an impressive group of women who love the sport and want to see it grow here at the grass roots level here in Washington," said Parker, noting girls' participation nationwide is up 34 percent over the past decade and that new NHL teams can super-boost growth of youth hockey in those regions. "The forum was an opportunity for all of us, coaches and players, to get even better."