Seattle Kraken New First Fortnight at The Greenhouse [PHOTOS]
Home Opener, Seattle Kraken vs. Canucks – October 23rd
Since this game was announced 94 days earlier at the expansion draft, Seattle Kraken fans clamored for it on social media. Tickets for the event were as high as $800 each up until puck drop.
Team CEO Tod Lieweke shouted “Seattle! We did it!”</em> from the player benches during a pregame ceremony, including the number 32 being retired for the local fans of the NHL’s 32nd team. The Kraken players were introduced to an appreciative building of fans. Ann Wilson from Sammamish High School and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band Heart performed the national anthem. And she killed it.
The crowd had some good energy considering it was full of hockey first-timers. Classic and new ESPN personalities were in the building, including Steve Levy, Kevin Weeks, and Linda Cohn. Kraken alternate captain Yanni Gourde won the opening faceoff, and from there, it was “Game On.”
#29 is #1
Seattle’s high-profile, free agent goalie, signing Philipp Grubauer, heard from the capacity crowd. After each save he made, they enthusiastically yelled GRUUUU! From his bug-eyed Penguins photo to his hyper work ethic even during warm-ups, Brandon Tanev is another early crowd favorite. Defenseman Vince Dunn also put himself in the team’s history books.
With only three seconds left in the first period, Dunn scored the first Kraken goal at Climate Pledge Arena. After a third-period meltdown and losing to rival Vancouver, he was visibly dejected during the first-ever home ice post-game interview.
“I think we were all just very anxious to get here (to the new arena). I think overall, during most of these games, we’ve gotten off to the right start and I thought we did that again tonight. It’s not often where teams can come out flying, but somehow not pull it together for all three periods and not getting the result that we want. So it’s really frustrating for us. We’ll look back on it. We’ll correct it.”
10.23.21 🦑
Relive all the sights and sounds from the #SeaKraken Inaugural Home Opener at @climatearena. pic.twitter.com/PSKDHRdefx
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) October 26, 2021