Hakstol gathered his team around him at center ice a couple different times before players dispersed for more drills. ESPN analyst Kevin Weekes was watching the Kraken, fully suited for his night broadcast duties and loving that daylight pouring in. He stood behind the south goal in the second row of the stands.
"I love this view out the windows," Weekes said. "Iconic."
Weekes said it reminded him of playing for the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland, an annual invitational tournament where he was victorious with the American Hockey League Rochester Americans in 1996 and in fact named MVP.
"That arena has windows [and a striking arched wood under-roof]," Weekes said. "It was beautiful. We played some afternoon games. Loved it."
Weekes confided he was standing behind the goal to see the goalie's point of view. Seattle goaltender Joey Daccord was in goal for extra shooting practice, which fans will be hoping might prompt some goals from forwards or defenseman later in the night. Weekes said he liked the sightlines and bright lighting.
After the morning skate, Kraken captain Mark Giordano agreed on the illumination.
"It was nice and bright," said the teammate called 'Gio.' "That's the best-case scenario."
When asked about first impressions, Giordano said he noticed and liked the two video boards hanging over each goal rather than a middle jumbo board: "That looks great and a little different with the two score-clocks ... it's going to be awesome."
Vince Dunn said he anticipated lots of noise Saturday night. Lots.
"I attended my first Seahawks game and it was life-changing," he said. "I didn't know it could be that loud."
Dunn added that he expected Kraken fans to be "blow the roof off" loud inside the new arena later Saturday.
Giordano said he would urge his teammates to use opening-night energy for "moving their feet and moving the puck."
Hakstol finished his morning by meeting the media in an interview room just steps from the team's state-of-the-art locker room, which both he and GM Ron Francis wanted to be intimate enough so that players all see each other (feeling part of the team and being accountable are two desired outcomes, Hakstol said in a recent interview for the Kraken app).
When the coach walked into the room, he noticed a large box of doughnuts and smiled.
"I see we are buttering up everybody this morning with doughnuts," said Hakstol, taking a seat at a table on a riser, then waited a beat. "Gary Roberts [the Kraken's sports science and performance consultant] would not approve."
Hakstol was happy to talk about the promise of home-ice advantage at Climate Pledge Arena.
"Use the word, 'unique,' that's the feel of it in every way," Hakstol said. "It's unique in its construction, in the fact that it's carbon-neutral and extremely unique in the feel both for fans in the stands and players on the ice.
"The configuration of the building at just over 17,000, that's 17,000 people right on top of you. It brings a real tight, great atmosphere for players."
