Seattle Kraken fall in home opener despite electric atmosphere at Climate Pledge Arena
Seattle Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol could surely relate to the fans lingering outside the glass wall at Climate Pledge Arena.
They arrived hours before puck drop, climbing over bushes and dirt for the chance to press against the windows and peer down at the ice. Some of those fans eventually made their way inside. Others remained on the other side of the glass, determined to watch until the final horn. Without tickets to the Kraken’s inaugural home opener — a 4-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks — the view from the sidewalk was the next best thing.
Hours earlier, Hakstol was the one sneaking a glimpse. Black curtains blocked the view of the ice before morning skate, but Hakstol couldn’t resist poking his head through for a quick look before his team arrived. The arena had just been switched over from a concert the night before.
“I can’t imagine this getting old,” Hakstol said after morning skate. “The building has an unbelievable feel.”
Who could blame any of them? It’s been a long wait — for the $1.15 billion arena renovation, for an NHL team to officially arrive in Seattle, for this night. Even after the season started, the Kraken had to play five straight road games before finally coming home.
It was no surprise the area was buzzing by mid-afternoon. Statues across the city were decorated with Kraken jerseys and signs. Bars and restaurants had lines out the door and snaking down the sidewalk. Some fans made their way to Climate Pledge early, queuing up to be among the first to step inside at 5 p.m.
The atmosphere matched the moment, even if the sell-out crowd — plus a few extra, if you count the fans outside — left disappointed. Instead of a victory, the Kraken dropped their fourth straight game.
“It was electric in here all night,” Seattle captain Mark Giordano said afterward. “That’s right up there with anyone. There wasn’t too many moments where it was silent. Actually, there wasn’t any, to be honest. It was electric in there. Then we got the lead in the third and it stings. There’s no other way to put it right now. It stings to lose the way we did.”
The arena was quiet in the final moments before the doors opened to the public. As Zambonis smoothed the ice, workers performed last-minute tests of sound, graphics and lights. Team staff prepared the benches. Kraken rally towels adorned all 17,100 seats, waiting to be waved. It was — as Seattle forward Yanni Gourde said earlier that day — the calm before the storm.
The anticipation grew with each landmark moment. The debut of the pre-game hype video. Ann Wilson’s rendition of the national anthem. Seattle Storm legend Sue Bird on the dual video boards, smiling in a Kraken sweater.
Seattle fans officially announced their arrival to the league by heartily booing NHL commissioner Gary Bettman when he delivered a welcome message. The crowd matched that intensity moments later with a cheer for Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke, who shouted a simple message: “Seattle, we did it!”
And then it was time.
The crowd sat poised, rewarding every Philipp Grubauer save by chanting his name and preparing to explode for the first Kraken goal. It took nearly an entire period, but the moment finally arrived. With 3.2 seconds left in the first, Vince Dunn scored the first goal in Climate Pledge Arena history.
The fans, who half-stood in anticipation with each previous shot, jumped to their feet at once and shook the upper levels of the arena. The ear-splitting eruption nearly drowned out the sound of the goal horn — which, in true Seattle fashion, was the recording of a ferry horn.
“It was definitely louder than most (NHL arenas),” said Canucks forward Bo Horvat. “I think, obviously, everyone was excited about tonight. It was exciting playing in the first game here. The fans were obviously loud tonight, which made it that much more easy to get up for this game. ...
“It was such a raucous (environment). There’s nothing better. The atmosphere like that, that’s why you play hockey. That’s why you play in the NHL.”
The Canucks tied the game, 1-1, with 8:51 left in the second period, but Giordano put the Kraken back ahead on a goal with 14:40 remaining in the third period. The crowd celebrated like the game was won, but Vancouver had other plans.
“You could feel the buzz in the air and the crowd,” Giordano said. “Everyone was excited for that (goal), to be honest. I think this is going to be a tough building to play in. If we play with that type of energy, if the crowd gives us that type of energy, it’s going to be a tough place to come in and take points.
“That’s something we have to take pride in and look forward to. It’s not the start we wanted to the season, but there’s 76 games left. There’s time to really go on a roll here. It starts with the little stuff, like tonight I thought we were a lot better in a lot of areas.”
Horvat scored his second goal of the game on the power-play to tie the score, 2-2. Conor Garland then added the unassisted go-ahead goal with 4 minutes left to give Vancouver its first lead. An empty-net goal produced the final score — and a disappointing end to an otherwise magical night for the NHL’s newest fan base.
“It was an amazing atmosphere,” Hakstol said. “Bottom line, we wanted to reward the group in the stands with a win tonight. It’s a sour taste waking off the rink and walking out of the rink tonight. That’s part of it because (the fans) were awesome tonight.”
This story was originally published October 23, 2021 at 10:48 PM.
