Watching the Kracken

Spectator sport I didn't know I enjoyed...

Seattle Kraken Ice Hockey game

The Kraken game ended with a brawl: a big, messy slow-motion fist fight. The tension had been slowly building during the game. The home team was losing; the shouting and insults towards the refs and the opposing team were loud and frequent from the watching crowd. Just as the clock wound toward the final seconds, the fists started flying.

But—and here is the amusing part—because the game is on ice, the fists could fly, and an opponent could try to duck, but there was little to brace against, or stand firm on the slippery ice. So it was all in verrry sloooow motiooon. Bodies slowly slid into each other embracing in angry hugs and held onto each other while trying to lob fists or sticks or legs but also trying not to fall over. The crowd roared with delight!

Image from Kraken website

My last in-person professional sports game was also in Seattle last summer when we attended a Seattle Mariners baseball game. I enjoy baseball and have attended many, many games over the years. But ice-hockey? I’ve not been to an ice hockey game since I was 12 and attended a few of my friend’s older brother’s games. Back then I was going along with her family to ‘support the boys’; but really, it was more about checking out all the cute boys, unfortunately mostly hidden under thick padding and masks.

Back at the Kraken game, the entertainment started a few hours before, with dinner near the stadium. While we ate, we watched a procession of fans arriving for the game in full fan gear: navy blue and teal hockey jerseys with the team logo of course, but also a wide variety of caps and wooly hats, mittens, scarves, and even hand-knitted or crocheted kraken-inspired head gear.

Example of Kraken head-gear, image from Etsy

The fans were all ages and groupings, but what impressed me the most were the number of families with their young children coming to the game. It was the night before Thanksgiving, so maybe like us, this was a fun activity to do as a group. But since most families were fully outfitted in Kraken gear, I’m pretty sure this is a regular activity.

After entering the stadium, we headed—like everyone else it seemed—to the team store to see if we wanted to add any Kraken gear to our participation that evening. And no big surprise, we did! I got a knit hat just like my daughter’s and, surprisingly, Pete found a baseball-style jacket that he had to have. He does not like baseball, but the jacket, well, it is obviously very cool. 😉

The event started with a spectacular sound and light show to introduce the legendary Kraken¹. Just before starting, we were told to get our kraken apps ready as we would be able to participate in the show. Two of our group immediately downloaded the Kraken app and sure enough the flashlight on their phones started throbbing in time to the music.

Kraken stadium during the pre-game light show

The crowd watched in awe as the giant kraken descended from the ceiling into a light show that created the sense of the underwater world where the kraken lives. As the local team players streamed out onto the ice, the crowd screamed and cheered; we were all swept along with the excitement. (Credit to Srujani for the video introducing the Kraken, below)

And the game began: the puck flew around the ice, while the players zoomed and gracefully dodged each other, sweeping their sticks across the ice. It is fluid magic the way the skaters move forwards and backwards, swooping around the ice keeping the other players, the referees, the puck and the goals within their sights, all while rarely falling down. I found it mesmerising and fascinating. Such skill!

For most of the game I was completely engrossed in the action on the ice. When I managed to be conscious of where I was, I was grateful for my warm clothes and wooly new kraken hat in the ice arena. Although it wasn’t quite as cool as the near freezing temperatures outside, it was still pretty chilly, and my long underwear was proving to be just the right layer for sitting still during the game.

The aromas of french fries, mustard, barbecued meats, beer and various other stadium foods wafted through as the chaps behind us ate, drank and shouted their way through the game. Kids and adults alike loved seeing themselves on the big screen as the roving cameras zoomed in on individuals in the crowd who had funny signs, were cheering wildly, or were wearing great outfits. During breaks in the game there were funny games played on the ice or on the big screens for the crowd to watch or participate along.

I suppose, like curling, ice hockey is a game that I may watch every four years or so, and enjoy the spectacle. I’m not certain I will ever be a regular season-ticket holder, but the event itself is enjoyable now and then. Certainly, professional sports can be enjoyed as much for the entertainment value as for the skill in the sport itself. But then, I also love theatre, going to art museums and a good long hike. I am not the most discerning in my sources of entertainment, and I am happy to watch or try most things at least once. Even if they end in a brawl.

---

Let me know: Do you like attending professional sports events? What do you like or dislike about them? Have you ever played ice hockey? How do you skate backwards? Is there always a fight during an ice hockey game? These are questions I have!

Hope you are enjoying December, wherever you are, whatever the temperature!

Our free bobble-head Kraken mascot, named “Buoy’

xoxo Sabrina

Clicking the little ❤️ button helps other people find this, and triggers a little happy dance! 💃

If you know anyone who might like to read these posts, feel free to send this one their way. Just click this button here:

And if you aren’t subscribing already, here’s the button for doing that (it’s free!):

1. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kraken: The kraken (/ˈkrɑːkən/) is a legendary sea monster of enormous size, per its etymology something akin to a cephalopod, said to appear in the sea between Norway and Iceland. It is believed that the legend of the Kraken may have originated from sightings of giant squid, which may grow to 12–15 m (40–50 feet) in length.