Alive and Well in the PNW

When Kraken ownership set out to build what would be the only dedicated indoor rink within Seattle city limits, there was a grander mission than even the lofty one of serving as the training base of a brand-new National Hockey League franchise. The idea was to grow hockey at all levels, especially youth participation, in the Seattle area, the state of Washington, and the entire Pacific Northwest.

Such an undertaking required more than one rink. Accordingly, the always-bustling Kraken Community Iceplex in the city’s Northgate neighborhood features three NHL-regulation-size ice rinks. Consider it a hat trick of sorts that fortifies a Pacific Northwest hockey community and history that provided a strong foundation of supporters of the sport, whether they lace up skates, fill stands, billet junior players, or follow a childhood favorite team at popular hockey bars and restaurants across Washington, Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. Hockey in the PNW is alive and, well, soaring to new heights on the shoulders and shoulder pads of generations loving the game long before Yanni Gourde won the team’s first Fan Favorite award during the inaugural season.

There are too many examples to cite in one story or conversation. Here are a few touchpoints to prove out that hockey is alive and well in the Pacific Northwest, growing every year and ready for the wonders of the 2024 NHL Winter Classic as the first of what is hoped to be other NHL tentpole events in seasons ahead.

We’re All Adults Here

When Andy Cole moved to Seattle from the East Coast 31 years ago, he brought his love for hockey along with the suitcases. The sport turned out to be an incredible way to make new friends in a new city and, in his case, carve out an influential role in Pacific Northwest hockey. It helped that Cole’s quest uncovered all sorts of hockey fans who had moved to the PNW for jobs and pursued a mutual love of the game on local rinks and sports bars across Washington. Cole founded the Greater Seattle Hockey League in 2001 because he wanted to help others find ice time to play and teams to join. The GSHL became the largest adult ice hockey league in the region with 2,000 adult female and male players.

In 2021, Cole accepted a role with the Kraken organization to lead a plan for the GSHL to join forces with the Kraken. Its leagues, teams, and members still play at the various rinks stretching from Tacoma to Everett that have been part of the network since Cole started things. The rec league still invites new players of all levels to join leagues and teams that match their skill sets. As part of the renamed Kraken Hockey League, now approaching 3,000 members, all players and teams have the opportunity to experience playing at the Kraken's training facility.

“This franchise is more than a hockey team, it's a movement that has swept the people of this region,” says Cole. “Our CEO, Tod Leiweke has been a long-time player in the Greater Seattle Hockey League. He has said from the start, “It's the fans and hockey players throughout the region that have put the wind in the sails of this franchise. We are all Kraken.”

Getting Into the Gruuuuuu-ve

Anyone who surmised the Seattle area and PNW as a “new” hockey market had discovered differently from the very first Kraken preseason games, which were hosted by the home arenas of Western Hockey League juniors teams, the Spokane Chiefs, Everett Silvertips, and Seattle Thunderbirds. The first game was in Spokane and when Philipp Grubauer made the very first save, the familiar and popular “Gruuuuu” cheer was loud and instant.

When the Kraken killed their first-ever penalty at Climate Pledge Arena, there were plenty of fans cheering the end of the shorthanded two minutes even as play continued. Newbie fans in nearby seats learned on the fly, sort of like changing lines or defensive pairs on the ice. Those knowing fans teaching others might be hockey players and surely many followed WHL teams for many seasons before. New York Islanders star Mathew Barzal will always be a hockey hero for his role with a WHL championship Thunderbirds team, same for defenseman Kevin Korchinski, now playing top-pair minutes with the Chicago Blackhawks as a teen after leading the WHL Seattle to the league title last season.

Philadelphia Flyers goalie Carter Hart still regularly communicates with kids who were big fans of his during Everett days and no Portland Winterhawks fans in that thriving youth hockey market are surprised by the successes of former standout players such as Oliver Bjorkstrand and Carolina Hurricanes’ forward Seth Jarvis among many others. The same can be said about players with the Tri-City Americans and Spokane across the state, plus Wenatchee will be the newest PNW franchise next season. The WHL teams in the PNW have long fueled interest in hockey and inspired girls and boys.

Grassroots on Ice

Back in 2021 when Kraken Community Iceplex was still under construction, the team’s learn-to-play-hockey instructors traveled state-wide to introduce the sport to kids of all ages. Fast-forward to this fall with hundreds of youth skating and stickhandling and smiling every week at the Iceplex, and the NHL squad coming off a two-rounds-of-playoffs season training on the same rinks where the kids take to the ice.

Those same instructors took to the road again on a try-hockey-for-free mission to keep the momentum going for youth hockey associations across the state. The stops included Sno-King Ice Arena and the rinks around the state, including Spokane, Tri-Cities, Wenatchee, and Vancouver, WA.

“The aim is to have beginners that have never tried hockey, or are in the very early stages, to get a free opportunity, receive coaching, and have a good experience,” said Martin Hlinka, director of youth hockey for the Kraken Youth Hockey Association. “We hope the next step is they sign up [with their local associations] and become hockey players.”

“Growth is positive in every age group right now in this sport,” said David Min, a Kraken Community Iceplex player development coach who organized the roadshow. “Kids that are 10 to 16 years old represent a non-traditional entry, but throughout our experience, we consistently see kids in this age window hungry to join and play.

Min pointed out that clubs such as Sno-King, like the long-time beacon of youth hockey based in Kirkland and named after Snohomish and King counties, recognized these trends and have created a pathway for their later start participants called Teens and Tweens. The Kraken Youth Hockey Association has a similar program called Sea League for kids from 9-16 years old who are at the beginner stages in their hockey career.

“It’s great to see associations expand the grassroots pathways” as this will help introduce more players in the area. The popularity of the Kraken and especially certain players [Matty Beniers and Philipp Grubauer among others] was evident at all stops. Lots of jerseys with favorite players’ numbers and Kraken gear of all varieties.

One charter of the “Try Hockey for Free” program was to provide a significant boost for girls’ hockey around the state by both staging clinics and fans engaging with the NHL team. The recent co-rec clinics at all locations revealed an encouraging trend.

“There were definitely more girls [this fall] at the four cities [Spokane, Wenatchee, Tri-Cities, and Vancouver] we visited, including among the older ages,” said Hlinka. “It was great to see a larger amount of girls experience skating and scoring goals on the ice.”

Min offered insight: “One way I would describe it is, let's say you have no idea anything about hockey and you walk into the ice rink and you saw one of our [“Try Hockey for Free”] events, you would have never thought for a split second, whether hockey is only for boys; there were just as many girls as boys at some events and I think that shows a level of progress in growing the girls’ game.”