Joining the Goalie Union

Seattle is a hockey town and Washington is a hockey state. This is a fact proven even before the Kraken officially joined the NHL for the 2021-22 season.
Look no farther than Richland, WA, where Hudson Koegler, 6, and his brothers, Noah, 11, and Bentley, 4, "live and breathe hockey," says their grandfather and fellow Kraken fan, Bob Burrier.

The three boys play for teams in the Tri-Cities Amateur Hockey Association. Hudson is particularly infatuated with the goalie position and lacks no confidence in manning the net.
"Hudson isn't shy to tell ya that he is the best to play the position," says Burrier, chuckling. Hudson received a Kraken goalie mask for his [recent] birthday and it's his prize possession. He even sleeps with it.
"If Hudson isn't playing hockey, he is talking hockey. If he isn't talking hockey, he is dreaming of hockey."
Santa Claus, who lives in year-round ice hockey weather, no doubt notices such dedication to the sport. Hudson's parents, Sheyanne and Stephen Koegler, surmised Hudson and his siblings were "so good this past year" that they put Kraken tickets on the Ho-Ho-Ho delivery list.
The Christmas day celebration turned all-out, scored-a-goal joyous when the Koegler boys discovered tickets under the tree for the Dec. 30 home game here in Seattle against the Calgary Flames. Fitting, since the youngest of four family dogs is a nine-month-old Bernese Mountain female named "Celly" (for newbies, it's the hockey term for celebrating a score).
Unfortunately, Hudson didn't make it to the game. Hudson's bladder was inadvertently perforated during a medical procedure Dec. 29, resulting in the body transporting fluid and air to the six-year-old's abdomen. Emergency surgery was performed overnight in the early morning hours of Dec. 30 at Seattle Children's Hospital. Hudson finally reached his admission-room bed after 4 a.m.
Hudson faced a challenging 2021. He made several trips to his local ER, plus Seattle Children's Hospital and even boarded one air ambulance in August to get treated for his kidneys shutting down.
His medical issues involve the bladder and kidneys-and require a catheter port to clear the bladder (it can be removed to play hockey or engage in other physical activities). The Koeglers drive from Richland to Seattle Children's monthly to switch out the catheter port to avoid infection. The Dec. 29 trip was planned to train Sheyanne and Stephen how to swap the port themselves and save the long (and sometimes snowy) drive, then stay overnight to enjoy Santa's gift.

"What broke my mom-heart is we couldn't tell Hudson ahead of [surgery] this would prevent him from going to the Kraken game," says Sheyanne Koegler by phone Tuesday, back home with a mending son. "He was devastated, super upset when he woke up after surgery."
"Hudson was devastated he couldn't see his first NHL game and, more importantly, to watch the Kraken," says Grandpa Burrier.
"Hudson said, 'I can still go,' but we had to say, 'No, bud, you're gonna have to stay in the hospital,' " says Koegler.
Not that Hudson didn't use all resources to convince his parents otherwise. At one point, he said, "I'm ready to go, give me a wheelchair."
Sheyanne and Stephen Koegler countered with all sorts of "bribes" to convince Hudson to consume food and fluids necessary to restore his health, but his goalie mentality apparently kicked in. Nothing was getting past him if going to the night's game wasn't part of the plan.
"We tried everything," said Sheyanne Koegler. "Toys, all the foods he loves, cupcakes, macaroni and cheese, Starbucks cake pops and Frappuccinos ... oh, and video games [Stephen's addition hearing the phone conversation]."
Burrier, a police officer in Canton, OH, checked by phone, trying to talk his grandson into eating and drinking. He said to Hudson, "you get better and Nema [grandmother] and I will take you to any Kraken game you want."
Hudson wasn't budging or eating or drinking or accepting postponement (we fans all know that latter feeling]. Clenched teeth represented his version of leg pads, blocker and goalie stick.
"That really got to me," said Burrier from Canton, talking tenderly about his grandson. "Most men are prideful, we let our pride get in the way. But I will do anything for my children [Sheyanne is his daughter] and grandchildren."
"Anything" included reaching out to the Kraken communications email address to tell Hudson's story and asked open-endedly for any support that could be beamed toward his grandson to offset some of the six-year-old disappointment that breaks all of mom-dad-grandparent hearts out there.

Moved to act, members of the Kraken communications staff, including senior vice-president Katie Townsend and director Ben Guerrero, worked quickly to brighten Hudson's mood-and maybe break the food-and-fluids strike. Guerrero reached out to Seattle goaltenders Philipp Grubauer and Joey Daccord to see if they could record get-well videos for Hudson.
Both players responded in timely manner to make the videos accompanying this article. Daccord informed Hudson that all of his Kraken teammates were rooting for Hudson's recovery-and that he heard the Richland goalie was a high performer and that he and fellow Kraken goalies better keep working hard so Hudson wouldn't take their spots.
Sheyanne Koegler showed the video to Hudson, producing a "little bit of a smirk" that looked like he was trying to suppress a smile.
That motivated Hudson to take in some fluids. Then Philipp Grubauer's video arrived and "there was little more of a smirk on that one." Quickly, Hudson was "eating all his food, drinking more," plus Hudson was more willing to take his medications.
"He said, 'I have to get better to show them I might take one of their spots,' " said Koegler.
Older brother Noah and other family members attended the Calgary game at Climate Pledge Arena. Noah took lots of photos when he was down at ice-level for warmups, sending the photos for his younger brother's viewing.
Noah made a sign noting his six-old-brother couldn't make the game and suggested "Swag Please" in 11-year-old big brother long hand. The Kraken game-presentation control room crew noticed the sign via in-arena cameras and swiftly messengered a $100 gift card to Noah to spend on his brother.
Mom reports Noah did an outstanding job, picking up a Kraken backpack, some knee-hockey sticks and other items for Hudson.
The Kraken goaltenders' video messages and the game-night swag all added up to Hudson getting discharged within the next 24 hours.
Hockey coaches and players know that all goaltenders forever consider themselves part of "the goalie union," whatever level of play one might reach playing in the crease (myself included). We stick together in a sister/brother-hood sort of way.
Hudson Koegler is in the union with Grubauer and Daccord, from goalie mask to backpack to an indelible positive attitude that will serve him well in net.
"The Kraken community really pulled through for Hudson," said Sheyanne Koegler, who like
Nadia Popovici
's mom, Yukyung Nelson, is a member of the Ladies of the Kraken Facebook page where there were many supportive postings for Hudson. "It truly made all the difference in his recovery and discharge from the hospital."