Shop Til We Drop (the Puck!)

When he snagged one of the 9 a.m. appointments at the Seattle Kraken's new flagship store, Paul Buxton knew he had a guaranteed spot near the front of the line. But the Microsoft software developer couldn't wait any longer, so he masked up with a Seattle Metropolitans face covering and brought coffee and a pastry to stand in line well before 8 a.m. Buxton had his list: "A flag, coffee mug, a license plate holder for my car."
By 8:30, more fans joined Buxton in the socially distanced lines (six feet apart, just like a hockey goal width). Chris Soriano, who just stepped down as the Washington State University hockey coach, was holding his young son, Jack, when he noticed a former WSU player, Daniel Mrozek, in line.

"We are expecting another baby soon, Jack's little brother," said Soriano after greeting Mrozek. "It was time to step down to raise our kids. My favorite part of coaching is to watch the players grow as men. Now I will coach my boys."

In another installment of the franchise's Summer of Major Milestones, the largest assortment of Seattle Kraken merchandise went on sale Friday morning at 9 a.m. when the team opened its first retail store at Chandler's Cove in South Lake Union. The by-appointment shopping continued through 7 p.m. Friday and will follow the same 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. schedule Saturday and Sunday. All told, 2,371 fans were set up for appointment times this weekend.
Regular hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. commence Tuesday (the store will be closed Mondays) Once an appointment is set, fans can head to Chandler's Cove in South Lake Union to shop for all-new apparel and other merchandise amid a spectacular panoramic view of Lake Union. There will be rotating food trucks on site to enjoy before or after checking out Kraken t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, soft-shell jackets, golf shirts, hats, backpacks, baby items and a full roster of novelties. You can even reserve shopping times by visiting
here
.
"We will continue to bring in new lines and styles," said Janeil MacKay, retail director for the Kraken. "Our buyers and analysts are already re-stocking based on today's sales."

More vital details: The store location is 901 Fairview Ave. N in Seattle; the phone number is 888-316-0714. Budget-friendly parking will be available at the store.
A quick note: The official and authentic Seattle Kraken jersey is not available for sale at this time. Updates will be available at NHL.com/Seattle. You can
sign up
for e-mail newsletters to be notified when jerseys are available for purchase.
For everyone's health and safety, all employees are required to wear face coverings, and the store requires all customers do the same. When inside the store, all guests will be asked to practice social distancing by keeping at least a six-foot distance between other guests. The store is equipped with markings and signs to support physical distancing, plus capacity inside the store will be closely monitored to stay within suggested pandemic guidelines. Store team members are trained in promoting social distancing.

All customers will be scanned for body temperature with touchless check stations that will scan the forehead and read temperatures within one minute. There will be increased supply of hand sanitizer and wipes at key touchpoints.
The store staff will follow enhanced cleaning procedures plus changes have been made to ensure a safe and healthy checkout for each customer. Nightly electrostatic spray disinfectant will be applied to touchable surfaces.
For more information, please call the store at (888) 316-0714 or visit
www.nhl.com/kraken/store
. Go Kraken!