Dropping the Puck-- and Skating Fun

Less than 15 minutes after Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer was making a spectacular wrap-around save during a "captain's skate" informal workout Thursday morning, the team and founding partner Starbucks were staging a grand opening of the Kraken Community Iceplex to the general public.
Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke stood at a center-ice podium admitting to a crowd of local dignitaries, media, team partners and staff admitting he was trying not to cry from joy.

"I'm here to tell you dreams do come true," said Leiweke. "We're standing in the NHL's best training facility and one of the best in the world. It will be home to hockey, figure skating and, yes, curling. We will be programming 15,000 hours [on three rinks plus community events in Iceplex open spaces] and welcoming 700,000 guests a year here."
"We know this is more than coffee and hockey," said Camille Hymes, vice president of community impact at Starbucks. "It's about advancing equity and inclusion. Together I know we'll make an incredible difference in our community."
Hymes followed up by telling the crowd about one example: As part of a "local heroes" program honoring "educators, community champions and first responders" among others, Starbucks and the Iceplex will be giving away 100 tickets to those heroes and their families every home game.

When introducing Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol to the gathering, team play-by-play announcer John Forslund noted the Iceplex will be open long hours for maximum ice access, but "the light on the longest" is likely to be the coaches' offices.
"One thing that excites me about [the Kraken Community Iceplex] is so many kids will be learning to love the game and play the game here," said Hakstol, whose daughter and son play the sport too. "Our team is thrilled to call this place home. It is one of the finest training facilities in the world and I think the best in the NHL."
Soon after, 11:23 a.m. to exact for historical archiving, Hakstol handled the Iceplex's first puck-drop with Leiweke and Hymes "facing off" with sticks in hand.
In the crowd, sitting to a far side on the Kraken practice rink's wood-plank bleachers, team executive vice president and general counsel Lance Lopes was smiling. He led the project's creation and development with construction executive Tom Chiado overseeing the daily build effort.
Standing in team's brand-new Kraken gear store later in the morning, Lopes said he was especially pleased to get this three-rink community wonder built in three years from conception to that ceremonial puck drop.

"We threaded the needle to get open to the team on time," said Lance. "A second thing I would say is our owners and investors were there for us. Every we had a reason to upgrade for functional or cosmetic reasons, such as having wood benches [in the practice rink bleachers], they didn't hesitate to spend more money to make it the best."
Those of us privileged to work in the combined offices of hockey and business operations at the Iceplex were privy to an intimate moment with Lopes during a recent Monday morning all-staff meeting. On the Friday before, the staff were among the first skaters at the Iceplex and the full group of employees had moved into their new spaces.
After the usual rounds of the weekly meeting, Lopes jumped in to say how thrilled and touched he was to see so many colleagues in the new offices and that "I got teary-eyed about the Friday team skate."
"That might have been even more satisfying than today," said Lopes. "It really brought home we are all-in on this together."

Opening to the public!
The Kraken Community Iceplex opens to the public this weekend with a flurry of icy activities:
- Come out with your family and friends Friday, Saturday and Sunday to check out Kraken Community Iceplex as we open our doors to the public for the first time. - Sign up for one of several public skate sessions. - Join in stick-and-puck or try- hockey sessions or come watch local figure skaters showcase their performances. - Shop at the Kraken Team Store for the latest Kraken merchandise. - Be part of the fun in our off-ice family fun zone with games, prizes, info booths, ball hockey and cool photo opportunities! - Following the guidance of WA State COVID-19 Mandates, all guests to KCI during this week are required to wear a mask at all times. Read our full COVID protocols here. - Check out the details at krakencommunityiceplex.com