Kraken, NHL donate $225,000 to refurbish outdoor play space

NEW YORK/SEATTLE -- As a legacy to the 2024 Discover NHL Winter Classic® the Seattle Kraken, National Hockey League, One Roof Foundation and Virginia Mason Franciscan Health donated $225,000 to refurbish an outdoor play space in conjunction with Metro Parks Tacoma.

The Kraken, NHL, One Roof Foundation and Virginia Mason Franciscan Health are committed to inspiring youth and their families to adopt an active and healthy lifestyle in their community and to growing the game through ball hockey spaces across the Puget Sound region. The upgrades to Verlo Playfield in Tacoma, Wash. will include permanent sports equipment to encourage multi-sport play, a new court with newly painted lines, a community-inspired mural created by a local artist and fencing.

“One Roof Foundation is honored to partner with Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and the NHL for this project. The renovation of Verlo Playfield in Tacoma marks a significant step in our commitment to enhance sports access for youth across the Puget Sound,” said Mari Horita, Seattle Kraken Senior Vice President, Social Impact & Government Relations, and Executive Director of One Roof Foundation. “Creating a versatile area for street hockey and other sports expands opportunities for active and healthy lifestyles while ensuring accessibility to hockey for all. This moment captures our shared vision of equitable access and opportunities for everyone to engage in play, leaving a lasting legacy from the 2024 Discover Winter Classic."

The refurbished outdoor play space at Verlo Playfield will begin with NHL STREET™ clinics -- the League’s new era in street and ball hockey programming focused on increasing opportunities for boys and girls to play hockey -- and evolve into informal and formal ball hockey opportunities. Additionally, the League is donating a set of NHL STREET branded portable boards to the Kraken to celebrate the arrival of NHL STREET in Seattle.

“The NHL believes in the power and promise of street hockey, not just because it is an affordable way to play, but because it addresses myriad pressures and expectations of kids and their parents today,” said Kim Davis, NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Social Impact, Growth Initiatives and Legislative Affairs. “Young families are looking for safe, fun, well-organized, values-based recreational sports programs – with the right programming, this court provides a new opportunity to bring the community together.”

“We are excited to partner with the Seattle Kraken, the NHL and One Roof Foundation on this refurbished play space at Verlo Playfield for kids in Tacoma,” said Ketul J. Patel, CEO of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) and President of the Northwest Region of CommonSpirit Health. “VMFH is committed to building healthier communities. We know that regular exercise makes an impact on health over a lifetime, but many people in our communities don’t have equitable access to recreation space or sports facilities. This project gives our neighbors, young and old, an opportunity to get outside and get active.”

Today the Kraken, NHL, One Roof Foundation and Virginia Mason Franciscan Health celebrated the donation by inviting local youth to the ceremonial groundbreaking and a ball hockey clinic with NHL alumni JT Brown and Andrew Ference as well as Kraken mascot Buoy at the future site of the outdoor play space. Today’s youth participants were outfitted with swag bags, an NHL STREET hockey stick and ball kit as well as had a chance to win tickets to the 2024 Discover NHL Winter Classic® at T-Mobile Park, home of the Seattle Mariners (3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT. on TNT, TruTV and Max in the U.S.; Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada).

The Legacy initiative is a continuing philanthropic endeavor through which the NHL and the local Club support community organizations in the host city of an NHL Event. Since having its first Legacy event in 2003, the League, its Clubs and partners have donated more than $7 million to communities across North America. Legacy projects have aided thousands of hospital patients in recovery; helped at-risk youth and families gain better access to educational and vocational training; and provided greater access to people of all ages to learn and play hockey.

For the latest event details, visit NHL.com/WinterClassic and follow @NHL and @PR_NHL. Fans can join the conversation on social media by using the official hashtag #WinterClassic.