The NHL starts every calendar year with a tradition: playing the Winter Classic. Each year, a different city hosts an outdoor hockey game. This year, the Seattle Kraken hosted Vegas at T-Mobile Park (home of the Mariners).
Forty-seven thousand three hundred thirteen fans witnessed the first-ever outdoor NHL game in the Emerald City’s history. Despite the Seahawks’ failure to clinch a playoff spot just 24 hours earlier, there was still much to celebrate from this game.
There was plenty that went right in this game. To start, Mother Nature felt generous to drop the puck on 2024. With no rain or snow in the forecast, the stadium roof was open, presenting an international audience with a beautiful view of the mountains overlooking Seattle.
The weather also allowed fans an opportunity to head downtown early, taking in a free concert of Seattle’s own The Head and The Heart at The Hatback, located across the street from T-Mobile Park. From there, tens of thousands of fans made their way to the stadium.
The fans were plenty entertained – off the ice, the Seattle Kraken players entered the stadium wearing fisherman gear as if they had just come off the boats in Ballard.
Their entrance onto the ice to start the game was something to behold: local music legend Sir Mix-A-Lot performed a special rendition of “Jump on It” with Seattle-themed text. Meanwhile, Seattle Kraken players walked onto the ice through an archway of fresh salmon flying through the air created by the fish-yeeters of Pike Place Market.
Then there was the music. Between performing the national anthem in the style of Jimmy Hendrix, Seattle rock legends Heart providing the first intermission entertainment, and the post-game entertainment being provided by Fitz The Tantrums, there was no shortage of musical memories created.
On the ice, fans had PLENTY to cheer for. One particular name stands out: Joey Daccord. A sold-out baseball stadium chanting, “JO-EY, JO-EY, JO-EY,” echoed through T-Mobile Park as the Kraken came out with a 3-0 win.
The shutout marked the second of Daccord’s young career – and the first ever in Winter Classic history. The 36-save performance was good enough to make him the MVP of this game. He was rewarded with a one-of-a-kind trophy resembling a cup of coffee.
As is the case with any large-scale production, nothing truly goes off without a hitch. Amid all the excitement of creating Seattle hockey history, some points should be mentioned.
While the game’s flow was fantastic, the Stadium’s flow was less than desired.
“There were lines to get into the merchandise stands, lines inside the merchandise area to purchase, and then lines to show your receipt in order to exit the stores. I stood in line for 30 minutes to enter the store, was inside for 5, and then took another 10 minutes just to leave”, said one fan.
Some fans were a bit disappointed by the fact that stands ran out of certain food and beverage options by the end of the first period:
“Numerous stands ran out of stadium fare midway through the first period. By the second period, I was unable to find any bottled water anywhere”, said another fan who was visiting the stadium for the first time.
Numerous fans commented on the lack of variety of Winter Classic memorabilia available on game day.
“The team store was half full of Mariners’ swag. It would have been nice to see it full of Winter Classic attire. There were lots of items that I could not find unless I shopped online or went to the Kraken Team Store“, said one season ticket holder.
These complaints are definitely warranted. While the city has never hosted this type of event before, 14 other venues have. The respective T-Mobile and Kraken staffs should have done their due diligence and reached out to the other venues to better understand the historical staffing needs, as well as what products sell and which don’t.
No venue should ever run out of water. That is a potential recipe for disaster and can create real headaches for guests and staff.
These issues are enough to make or break the overall experience for fans. Fortunately, the on-ice production was superb (if you are a Seattle Kraken fan).
One particular memory that stood out for me: in the game’s dying moments, Vegas was on a 2-on-1. Jack Eichel received a crisp cross-ice pass and released an almost perfect shot. In most instances, this would almost be a sure goal.
Daccord had other plans. The Seattle Kraken netminder pushed across the crease and made an outstanding glove save, resulting in a standing ovation. Meanwhile, Eichel looked to the sky in disbelief.
All in all, the city experienced a memorable weekend full of hockey history. Regardless of the hiccups, the ups and the downs, the fans and players will all remember this experience forever.
Offensively, Eeli Tolvanen led the Seattle Kraken with a goal and an assist. Yanni Gourde and defenseman Will Borgen also put pucks behind Vegas goalie Logan Thompson.
The Seattle Kraken continued their recent roll, posting an 8-0-2 record in their last 10 games. The entire league should now be aware: Seattle is a hockey town, the fans are rallying around them – and it will only get better from here!
With this win, the Seattle Kraken have 41 points in 2023-24 and are in the hunt for a conference playoff spot.