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109-571: In early April 2021, the Seattle City Council passed a resolution that officially recognized changing the name of the area previously known as Lower Queen Anne to Uptown. While "Lower Queen Anne" and "Uptown" are rarely used to refer to the grounds of Seattle Center itself, most of Seattle Center is in the neighborhood; these include Climate Pledge Arena (home of the Seattle Storm of the WNBA and

218-539: A 30-year lease for the Sonics and to build an 1,800-stall parking garage. Ackerley appeased the Seahawks' concerns, noting the arena would be empty during any NFL games. The Mariners unsuccessfully continued to object, even enlisting then-Major League Baseball commissioner Fay Vincent and then-American League president Bobby Brown to speak before the council ahead of their final vote. During negotiations, Ackerley had asked for

327-637: A 3–0 loss to the Golden Knights. The Kraken finished their inaugural season in last place of the Pacific Division with a record of 27–49–6. The Kraken's second season was far superior to their first in terms of winning. On July 13, 2022, the team signed goaltender Martin Jones to a one-year contract. In January 2023, Jones backstopped the Kraken through seven games of an eight-game win streak. While doing, so

436-452: A center from the University of Michigan . The previous season, Beniers had scored 24 points throughout 24 games, and his 10 goals ranked first among goals for first-time draft-eligible NCAA players. On July 28, 2021, the Kraken started their inaugural free agency strongly, signing forwards Alexander Wennberg and Jaden Schwartz , and goaltender Philipp Grubauer . On October 11,

545-417: A lawsuit in an attempt to keep the Sonics from leaving before the end of their lease in 2010. In the midst of the lawsuit, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer offered to pay half of a $ 300 million renovation of KeyArena; the rest to be provided by the city and county. However, when the state legislature did not give approval for the county to provide funds by an April 10 deadline, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels said that

654-436: A month later, the organization hired Dave Hakstol to be their inaugural head coach . On July 19, a three-day period began where the Kraken could talk to unrestricted free agents before any other team could. The Kraken used this period to sign Adam Larsson , Jamie Oleksiak , and Chris Driedger . An expansion draft was held three days later at Gas Works Park in front of more than 4,000 spectators and fans. The draft

763-652: A nephew of the Fremont Troll , a sculpture in Fremont . Buoy was introduced prior to a preseason home game against the Vancouver Canucks on October 1, 2022. The Kraken had intended to introduce Buoy around Christmas during the 2021–22 season, but due to game postponements related to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant , the team decided to wait until prior to the 2022–23 season instead. Reaction to Buoy's debut

872-632: A newer, more modern arena. After failing to reach an agreement with the city of Seattle over a publicly funded $ 220 million expansion of KeyArena, the Basketball Club of Seattle, led by Schultz, put the SuperSonics and its sister team, the WNBA's Seattle Storm up for sale. After failing to find a local ownership group to sell the team to, Schultz talked to ownership groups from Kansas City , St. Louis , Las Vegas , San Jose and Anaheim before agreeing to sell

981-417: A parking garage on 1st Avenue N, a new team store, and a tunnel connecting the store to the arena brought the total cost to nearly $ 127.3 million. New amenities would include 22 concession stands, 8 portable stands with vending in the seating, three private sports clubs, and a public sports bar and restaurant. Club-level seating with 1,100 seats would also offer exclusive club, concession, and lounge areas, and

1090-477: A private concourse with 58 luxury suites would also be added. A mandate of the project was that no taxpayer funds could be used to pay for it. This brought concern from the Ackerleys, but after nearly a year of negotiations a revenue sharing plan was developed. The city and the team would split revenues from suites, concessions, and other items all within the arena to service the debt for the city and provide income to

1199-463: A provision to reduce the seating at the Coliseum by 9,000 seats so the older arena could not compete with the new building, but the city would not agree. Another selling point of the new arena were luxury suites, a means to attract corporate money and sponsorship that was then an emerging new revenue stream for sports team owners. Ackerley's financing and agreement with the city hinged on the ability to sell

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1308-463: A secured $ 5 million line of credit in case the league had to take over ownership of the team at any point. Ackerley would not sacrifice Sonics revenues for a hockey team in which he would be a minority investor. In June 1991, nearly a year after the city agreed to the arena deal, Ackerley announced that the project would not move forward. Increasing project costs, legal disputes, and inability to secure construction financing were cited as reasons to drop

1417-489: A stance that the Sonics were expected to stay in Seattle until their lease expired in 2010 and said the city did not intend to make it easy for Bennett to move the team early. Over concerns the city would accept a buyout of the lease, a grassroots group filed a citywide initiative that sought to prevent the city from accepting such an offer from Bennett's group. Seattle City Council later unanimously passed an ordinance modeled after

1526-639: A two-year term ending December 31, 2010, at an annual fee of $ 300,000. In 2009, the Seattle University Redhawks men's basketball team began playing their home games at KeyArena for the first time since 1980. In February 2009, the Seattle City Council approved a new 10-year lease that would keep the WNBA's Storm at KeyArena. In 2009, the arena hosted the WWE No Way Out pay-per-view event. The WWE returned on March 9, 2010, to tape

1635-568: Is a Seattle community asset." In 1990, the Ackerleys talked about building an arena east of Lake Washington near Bellevue Square . They would eventually purchase land in the SoDo district near the Kingdome, some of which includes the site that would later become the Mariners' home, T-Mobile Park . Ackerley approached the city about a public contribution to the new arena, but the city was reluctant over fears

1744-453: Is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Seattle, Washington , United States. It is located north of Downtown Seattle in the 74-acre (30 ha) entertainment complex known as Seattle Center , the site of the 1962 World's Fair , for which it was originally developed. After opening in 1962, it was subsequently bought and converted by the city of Seattle for entertainment purposes. From 2018 to 2021,

1853-729: Is located at Northgate Station (formerly Northgate Mall) and was opened in September 2021. The facility has three rinks and is open to the public. In 2024, a second community ice rink was proposed for a former park-and-ride lot in Kirkland on the Eastside . The Kraken's three home preseason games prior to the 2021–22 season were held at Spokane Arena in Spokane , Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett , and

1962-613: Is the studio host for all radio broadcasts, serving pre-game, intermission, and post-game coverage. The Coachella Valley Firebirds , the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Kraken, are based in Thousand Palms, California . After the Kraken were approved into the NHL by the Board of Governors, the team's ownership group began making plans for acquiring a minor league affiliate in

2071-680: The Seattle Post-Intelligencer was located in Lower Queen Anne. Local radio station KEXP-FM moved its headquarters to Lower Queen Anne in a building adjacent to the Climate Pledge Arena in December 2015. The neighborhood is also home to numerous high-tech companies. The corporate headquarters of F5 Networks was located in Lower Queen Anne until it was moved to F5 Tower . It is the home of business texting startup Zipwhip. It

2180-500: The 1987 game had included NBA All-Star Saturday festivities on February 7, where former Sonics star "Downtown Freddie" Brown was the MVP of the legends game , Boston Celtics star Larry Bird won the three-point contest , and Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan won the slam-dunk competition . The NBA All-Star Game itself for 1987 in Seattle was held at the Kingdome . The arena hosted

2289-623: The 2021–22 season . Delays associated with the construction of an arena in the Palm Springs area caused the team's debut to be pushed back to the 2022–23 season. On November 5, 2021, the new team revealed its name, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, as well as its logos and colors, at a ceremony held on the construction site of their new arena. The Firebirds have reached the Calder Cup Finals in each of their first two seasons. As

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2398-557: The Central Hockey League from 1964 to 1975, followed by the Seattle Thunderbirds of the current Western Hockey League from 1989 to 2008. The arena was the first publicly financed one in the area that was fully supported by earned income from the building. Arena finances were bolstered for several years by a payment following the settlement with the SuperSonics in 2008, but the lower level of activity and revenue during

2507-691: The Dallas Stars in the second round, ending their sophomore season. On December 4, 2017, the Seattle City Council voted 7–1 in favor of a memorandum of understanding between the city of Seattle and the Oak View Group , a sports company co-founded by Tim Leiweke , for renovations of KeyArena . Three days later, the National Hockey League (NHL) Board of Governors agreed to consider an expansion application from Seattle , with an expansion fee set at US$ 650 million. The Seattle ownership group

2616-590: The Kansas City Mavericks in that capacity for the 2022–23 season . This is a list of the seasons completed by the Kraken. Key: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against As of November 28, 2024. The Kraken are owned by Seattle Hockey Partners, an organization consisting of David Bonderman , Jerry Bruckheimer and Tod Leiweke . In 2022, former Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch and rapper Macklemore joined

2725-465: The Nashville Predators 4–3. The Kraken played their first home game at Climate Pledge Arena (formerly KeyArena) on October 23 in what would be a 4–2 loss to the fellow Pacific Northwest team Vancouver Canucks . Prior to the game, the team retired jersey number 32, in recognition of the franchise being the 32nd to join the NHL and in honor of the 32,000 fans who placed deposits for tickets on

2834-570: The Pittsburgh Penguins to Seattle (and the California Golden Seals to Denver) to address a troubled market and fill the expansion commitment, but ultimately kept the team there. Eventually, the Seattle franchise award was rescinded altogether when the potential ownership group was unable to secure the funds for the expansion fee. In July 1990, the city council approved a deal for a privately owned $ 100 million facility to be built on

2943-944: The Seattle Kraken of the NHL ), the Exhibition Hall, McCaw Hall (home of the Seattle Opera and Pacific Northwest Ballet ), the Cornish Playhouse (home of the Intiman Summer Theatre Festival and Cornish College of the Arts ), the Bagley Wright Theater (home of Seattle Repertory Theatre ), and the studios for KEXP radio. Lower Queen Anne also has a three-screen movie theater, the SIFF Cinema Uptown, and On

3052-712: The Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), the Seattle University Redhawks men's basketball team, and the Rat City Roller Derby league of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association . It has also played host to the Pac-12 Conference 's women's basketball tournament . The arena was previously most notable as

3161-653: The Seattle SuperSonics , beginning with their inaugural season in 1967 and remaining as host throughout most of the team's lifetime. The Coliseum in this incarnation hosted two NBA Finals , in 1978 and 1979 , both between the Washington Bullets and SuperSonics. The Bullets won in 1978, prevailing in game 7 in Seattle. The Sonics retaliated the following year, winning in Game 5 on the Bullets' home court, thus capturing

3270-503: The U.S. District Courthouse in Seattle to protest the proposed relocation of the team. The rally was held on the first day of the city of Seattle's lawsuit against the PBC to enforce the remaining two years on the KeyArena lease. On July 2, 2008, two hours before a ruling in the city's lawsuit was to be given, it was announced that the team and the city had reached a settlement where PBC would pay

3379-675: The Washington State Coliseum , one of the centerpieces of the new Seattle Center on the former Exposition grounds. When the newly renovated Coliseum opened, the Seattle University men's basketball team became the arena's first major tenant. In 1964, the facility was renamed the Seattle Center Coliseum . That same year, the Seattle Totems moved into the Coliseum. The Coliseum became home to its most famous resident,

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3488-567: The Winnipeg Jets had Everett Fitzhugh on play-by-play and Brown on color commentary, comprising the first all-Black broadcast booth in NHL history. Kraken games are broadcast on KJR-FM 93.3 and KJR 950 AM, the flagship stations of the Kraken Audio Network. During a schedule conflict, some games may be heard on 96.5 KJAQ . The Kraken Audio Network also includes several other stations outside Seattle. Everett Fitzhugh serves as

3597-607: The accesso ShoWare Center in Kent , arenas home to Western Hockey League (WHL) teams, in an event known as the 3-Rink Rush. Tickets for the games were sold by the host WHL teams. The Kraken use the horn from the MV Hyak ferry boat as their goal horn . The team plays the Nirvana song " Lithium " after every Kraken goal at home; the song was chosen due to Nirvana's importance to Seattle popular culture. After their first win at home against

3706-478: The 1984–85 season, after which the team returned to the Coliseum. During those 7 years, the Sonics would occasionally play home playoff games at the Coliseum or Hec Edmundson Pavilion so as to not interfere with the Mariners' regular season home schedule. They would continue to play occasional games at the Kingdome through the late 1980s and early 1990s. The arena hosted the NBA All-Star Game once, in 1974 ;

3815-477: The 70 proposed luxury suites. Ackerley also committed to submitting an expansion application to the NHL by a September 15, 1990, deadline as part of the arena deal. His son Bill would head the expansion effort, while a competing group led by Microsoft executive Chris Larson and former Seattle Totems player then coach Bill MacFarland was preparing their own application. With the Ackerley application already submitted,

3924-617: The AHL. By early 2019, they had narrowed it down to promoting the ECHL 's Idaho Steelheads in Boise, Idaho , or a new expansion team in the area of Palm Springs, California . On June 26, 2019, it was reported the Seattle ownership group had chosen Palm Springs as the site for Seattle's AHL affiliate. The expansion franchise was approved by the AHL Board of Governors on September 30, 2019, with plans to begin play in

4033-515: The Ackerley land in SoDo, despite objections over traffic and parking by the Seahawks and Mariners in the neighboring Kingdome. The city's contribution would be to waive about $ 31 million in tax revenues (about $ 1 million per year) to potentially be collected on admissions fees at the new arena. It would also pay $ 2 million for street improvements around the proposed site, including a pedestrian walkway over South Royal Brougham Way. Ackerley also agreed to sign

4142-500: The Boards , a center for avant-garde theater and music. Lower Queen Anne can be considered either a distinct neighborhood, or part of the larger Queen Anne neighborhood. Although the borders of Lower Queen Anne are not clearly defined, they usually include the area from Ward St. to Denny Way. Additionally, the area from the intersection of W. Galer St. and 5th Ave W. to W Prospect St. and Queen Anne Ave. N. are also usually considered part of

4251-407: The Coliseum by excavating the floor to lower it and build a new bowl with more seating. The Ackerleys turned down the renovation concept in favor of building their own arena in SoDo. Though the city preferred the renovation, they would reluctantly agree to the new arena plan. After the SoDo proposal fell through, the Ackerleys attempted to find other investors to no avail. Barry Ackerley would return to

4360-849: The Firebirds were not ready for the 2021–22 season, Seattle affiliated with the Charlotte Checkers , sharing the team with the Florida Panthers . After clinching their division, the Checkers advanced to the Division Finals of the 2022 Calder Cup playoffs , where they lost to the Springfield Thunderbirds . For their inaugural season, the Kraken's ECHL affiliate was the Texas-based Allen Americans . They were replaced by

4469-484: The Kraken named Mark Giordano as the team's inaugural captain. The team also named four alternate captains— Adam Larsson , Jordan Eberle , Yanni Gourde , and Jaden Schwartz . The Kraken played their first regular season game the next day, a 4–3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, where Ryan Donato scored the team's first goal. The franchise's first win came in their next game two days later, when they defeated

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4578-458: The Kraken's roster were speed, character, and competitiveness. In July 2020, the franchise announced their team name—the Seattle Kraken—as well as their team colors, branding, and home jersey. Nine months later, on April 30, 2021, the franchise paid the final installment of the US$ 650 million expansion fee, officially making the Seattle Kraken the 32nd team of the NHL. The Kraken made their first player signing, Luke Henman , on May 12. More than

4687-401: The Kraken, with the team name written inside. Ice blue, vintage white and deep sea blue stripes were added to the body and sleeves. The uniform was officially unveiled on November 22, 2023, but was leaked four days earlier when players from the National Basketball Association 's Utah Jazz walked into their home arena wearing it. Buoy, a sea troll , is the Kraken's mascot. He is said to be

4796-455: The Lower Queen Anne area. However, as no borders for neighborhoods in the city of Seattle have been clearly defined, the boundaries of Lower Queen Anne remain merely set by popular opinion. The Seattle Center Monorail , the city's only monorail line, runs from Lower Queen Anne to Downtown . King County Metro operates several bus routes that travel through the neighborhood, including the RapidRide D Line . The Seattle-based newspaper known as

4905-592: The March 9 episode of NXT and March 12 episode of SmackDown . They would return a year later to host the WWE Over the Limit pay-per-view on May 22, 2011. In April 2011, the Professional Bull Riders brought the Built Ford Tough Series to KeyArena for the first time. Between June 28 and 30, 2011, the arena hosted the Seattle audition stages in the first season of the Fox singer search program The X Factor . On January 21, 2011, Seattle Center announced that KeyCorp would not renew its agreement for naming rights of KeyArena, after 15 years of sponsorship. However,

5014-417: The Montreal Canadiens on October 26, 2021, the Kraken featured a new postgame tradition during the " Three Stars of the Game " ceremony. Instead of the honored players tossing conventional souvenir pucks or sticks to the fans, they throw a plush toy salmon into the crowd to mimic Seattle's Pike Place Market fish toss and to honor the significance of wild-caught salmon to the state of Washington. Rod Masters,

5123-421: The NBA's lone rain delayed game on January 5, 1986, when rain water leaked from the roof onto the court as the Sonics played the Phoenix Suns . Timeouts were called so ball boys armed with towels could do their best to wipe up the puddles, but even so, two players slipped and fell on the wet surface. Early in the second quarter, referee Mike Mathis called the game with the Suns up by eleven points. The game

5232-416: The NHL approved the sale of the Coyotes to an investment group that would keep the Coyotes in the Phoenix area, eliminating the possibility that the Coyotes could move to Seattle. Conversely, in February 2012, SB Nation columnist Travis Hughes said that while it made "too much sense" for the NHL not to put a team in Seattle in the future, KeyArena was completely unsuitable even as a temporary facility due to

5341-420: The NHL could not negotiate a new lease for the Coyotes with the city of Glendale, Arizona , by July 2, the league would sell the team to a private investment group which would then be given permission to relocate the team to Seattle prior to the 2013–2014 season and use KeyArena as a temporary home. On July 2, the city of Glendale, Arizona approved a new lease for the Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena , and soon after,

5450-421: The NHL rookie of the year. The Kraken struggled offensively in their third season , ranking 29th in the league in goals, with only 217. In December and January, following an eight-game skid, goaltender Joey Daccord started in eight out of nine games of a franchise record nine-game win streak. In the midst of the streak, Daccord started in goal for the Kraken during the 2024 Winter Classic , where he achieved

5559-399: The Seattle fan base and follow through on his plan to move the team to Oklahoma City ... Making this move now continues the current ownership's insulting behavior toward the Sonics' dedicated fans and the citizens of the city." Bennett also reiterated that the team was not for sale and dismissed attempts by local groups to repurchase the team. On September 23, 2007, the City of Seattle filed

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5668-405: The Sonics. The game was mostly played to celebrate its moments with the NBA and ended up being its final event as the KeyArena before the arena closed down for redevelopment. In October 2016, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray announced that the city would seek proposals to redevelop KeyArena into an NBA and NHL ready venue, issuing a full request for proposal in January. This came after the rejection of

5777-433: The SuperSonics lost to the Chicago Bulls in six games. In 2001, ownership of the Seattle SuperSonics (who had called KeyArena home on-and-off since their establishment in 1967) transferred from Barry Ackerley to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz . Schultz claimed that in the five years he owned the SuperSonics, the team suffered heavy financial losses, which led him to seek funding from the Washington State Legislature for

5886-399: The architectural integrity of the original roofline by using the existing steel trusses in combination with four new main diagonal trusses. The wood, steel and concrete from the demolition was either reused in construction of the new arena or sold to recyclers. The original acoustical panels, the panels attached to the roof that keep the space from echoing, were refurbished and reused. The court

5995-402: The arena underwent a $ 1.15 billion redevelopment; the renovation preserved the original exterior and roof, which was declared a Seattle Landmark in 2017 and was listed on the Washington Heritage Register as well as the National Register of Historic Places in 2018. The renovated venue has a capacity of 17,151 for ice hockey and 18,300 for basketball. The arena is currently the home to

6104-529: The arena, combined with earlier losses under recent ownership groups, "likely doomed the Sonics' future in the city". On February 12, 2007, Bennett proposed using tax money to pay for a new $ 500 million arena in Renton , a suburb of Seattle. After failing to reach a deal by the end of the legislative session, Bennett gave up his attempt in April 2007. On November 2, 2007, the team announced it would move to Oklahoma City as soon as it could get out of its KeyArena lease. Seattle's mayor, Greg Nickels , maintained

6213-413: The basketball competitions of the Goodwill Games in 1990 . In 1983, Barry Ackerley , head of the Washington, D.C.-based television, radio, and billboard company Ackerley Communications Inc. , purchased the Sonics from long-time owner Sam Schulman . In the mid-to-late 1980s, the team's on-court success would decline. This was coupled with a sub-par home court experience at the Coliseum, which included

6322-410: The board first, promptly withdrew their application, and left. Larson and MacFarland were stunned to learn of the development but were unable to pursue any recourse as their names were never on the submitted application. Thought to play a factor in Ackerley's decision were the significant demands by the NHL for an expansion team: a $ 50 million expansion fee that was more than any NHL club was valued at

6431-439: The city $ 45 million immediately in exchange for breaking the lease, and an additional $ 30 million if Seattle was not given a replacement team in five years. According to the conditions of the settlement, the Sonics' name and colors could not be used by the team in Oklahoma City, but could be taken by a future team in Seattle, although no promises for a replacement team were given. The newly renamed Oklahoma City Thunder would retain

6540-455: The city of Seattle, and the team began play during the league's 2021–22 season . They play their home games at Climate Pledge Arena . The Kraken qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 2023 , facing off against the Colorado Avalanche in the first round. They upset the Avalanche in seven games, becoming the first team to win their inaugural playoff series against the defending Stanley Cup champion . However, they lost to

6649-415: The city to ask if they would still consider renovating the Coliseum. With renewed interest on all sides, including the city council, the city spent $ 250,000 studying if it was even environmentally and engineeringly feasible to dig into the ground beneath the building. The plan proved possible and it was found that the compression ring holding the roof could be preserved, saving $ 15 million in cost and keeping

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6758-446: The city-owned Coliseum would become obsolete. They offered to help finance a renovation of the Coliseum, but the team owner declined. To sweeten the offer, Ackerley sold city leaders on the idea that the new arena in SoDo could also attract a National Hockey League club. The city, along with Denver, had been conditionally granted an expansion NHL franchise in 1974 to begin play in the 1976–77 season. The NHL briefly flirted with relocating

6867-418: The effort had failed and the city's hopes rested in its lawsuit. The last SuperSonics game played at KeyArena was on April 13, 2008 , a 99–95 win over the Dallas Mavericks . The NBA Board of Governors approved the relocation of the Sonics on April 18, 2008. On June 16, 2008, the grassroots organization "Save Our Sonics" organized a well-publicized rally, which reportedly drew over 3,000 participants, at

6976-404: The facility seismically sound against earthquakes. The original cable-suspended roof would be replaced by a conventional fixed roof with steel trusses that would preserve the well-known shape. The project had an estimated cost of $ 73.4 million, considerably less than other new arenas of the time in Portland and Vancouver, to be paid with the city's bond capacity. A new kitchen and support building,

7085-443: The first a doubles match pitting Roger Federer and Bill Gates against John Isner and Mike McCready of Pearl Jam , and a singles match featuring Federer and Isner. More than $ 2 million was raised for the Roger Federer Foundation from the match's proceeds. On October 5, 2018, the Golden State Warriors played against the Sacramento Kings in a preseason game at KeyArena, the same arena where Kevin Durant played previously with

7194-431: The first possible day. The team picked up their first home win on October 26, against the Montreal Canadiens . On February 2, 2022, Grubauer recorded the franchise's first shutout , making 19 saves in a 3–0 victory against the New York Islanders . On March 20, the Kraken's captaincy became vacant after Giordano was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs . The team was eliminated from playoff contention on March 30 following

7303-490: The first-ever shutout in Winter Classic history with a 3–0 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. The team was eliminated from playoff contention on April 3, following a 5–2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings . The Kraken finished their season with a 34–35–13 record, enough for sixth place in their division. On April 29, following the end of the season, head coach Dave Hakstol was fired, being replaced by Coachella Valley Firebirds head coach Dan Bylsma on May 28. In July 2024,

7412-405: The franchise became the first team to win all seven games of a seven-game road trip. On April 6, the Kraken clinched their first playoff berth, qualifying for the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs . The team's record of 46–28–8 and 100 points was good for fourth in the Pacific Division and the first wild card spot in the Western Conference . On April 30, the Kraken defeated the Colorado Avalanche in

7521-403: The franchise history of the SuperSonics, which could be "shared" with any future NBA team in Seattle. The team moved to Oklahoma City immediately and announced it would begin play in the 2008–09 season. Once KeyArena lost the SuperSonics and the Thunderbirds, there was speculation that KeyBank may try to amend the naming rights deal. In March 2009, the city and KeyCorp signed a new deal for

7630-400: The franchise's only championship. Upon the opening of the new Kingdome in 1976, which first hosted the NFL 's Seahawks and NASL 's Sounders followed by MLB 's expansion Mariners in 1977, the Sonics would begin playing a small number of home games at the stadium. For the championship 1978-79 season , the basketball club moved into the Kingdome full-time. They would call it home through

7739-448: The ice could not be seen at all, forcing them to curtain off several thousand seats in the upper level. League officials later hinted that a new arena would have to be in place before a new or relocated NHL team came to Seattle. During the 2012 All-Star Weekend, Bettman said that while Seattle was a good fit for the NHL, "there's no building." Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said that KeyArena would be "a difficult arena for hockey" due to

7848-410: The initiative. On August 13, 2007, Aubrey McClendon , a minor partner of Bennett's ownership group, said in an interview with The Journal Record (an Oklahoma City newspaper) that the team was not purchased to keep it in Seattle but to relocate it to Oklahoma City. Bennett later denied such intentions, saying McClendon "was not speaking on behalf of the ownership group". Due to his comments, McClendon

7957-467: The large number of obstructed-view seats. In February 2012, KING 5 reporter Chris Daniels said an NBA team could also use KeyArena as a temporary home. In July 2012, at a public town hall meeting debating Chris Hansen's proposed NBA/NHL arena in downtown Seattle , anti-arena proponents wanted to "re-explore" using KeyArena instead of the proposed site downtown. From 2014 to 2017, American video game developer Valve hosted The International ,

8066-501: The long-time former home of the Seattle SuperSonics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The SuperSonics first played at the facility, then known as the Seattle Center Coliseum , from their founding in 1967 to 1978 . After a seven-season stint in the higher capacity Kingdome , they returned to the arena in 1985 . The facility underwent an extensive renovation after the 1993–94 season, which necessitated

8175-461: The multi-purpose Tacoma Dome in Tacoma , about thirty miles (50 km) south. On April 11, 1995, the city sold the naming rights to Cleveland -based KeyCorp, the parent of KeyBank , which renamed the Coliseum as KeyArena. The renovation cost the city of Seattle $ 74.5 million and the SuperSonics approximately $ 21 million. The naming rights cost KeyCorp $ 15.1 million. The remodeled arena maintained

8284-518: The new arena proposed in SoDo by Seattle City Council over the street vacation of Occidental Avenue. Seattle Kraken The Seattle Kraken are a professional ice hockey team based in Seattle . The Kraken compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference . The team was founded after the NHL approved a proposal by Seattle Hockey Partners to grant an expansion franchise to

8393-523: The opening best-of-seven playoff series, becoming the first expansion team in NHL history to win their first playoff series against the defending Stanley Cup champion. The team's playoff run came to an end after the second round where they lost to the Dallas Stars in seven games. On June 26, at the NHL Awards ceremony, Matty Beniers was named the winner of the Calder Memorial Trophy for being

8502-550: The organist from the 1977 film Slap Shot , became the organist for the Kraken starting with the team's January 1, 2022, home game against the New York Islanders. As Climate Pledge Arena does not have an organ, Masters played music using electronic keyboards. Masters retired after the 2021–22 season, and the Kraken hired 29-year-old Ben Wooley to replace him. On July 23, 2020, the team held an event to reveal their team branding. The franchise's promotional materials state that

8611-588: The partnership as minority owners. The Kraken have four player awards that are given after each season. The Kraken's most valuable player , as voted on by Seattle-area media, receives the Pete Muldoon Award. The player with the most mentions in the Three Stars of the Game ceremony of each Kraken home game, computed using a points system, wins the Three Stars of the Year Award. The Guyle Fielder Award goes to

8720-619: The pledge promoted by the advocacy group Global Optimism for businesses to reach net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2040. The arena opened in 1962 as the Washington State Pavilion for the Century 21 Exposition , the work of architect Paul Thiry . After the close of the Exposition, the Pavilion was purchased by the city of Seattle for $ 2.9 million and underwent an 18-month conversion into

8829-413: The project loomed. Newly elected Seattle mayor Norm Rice was concerned over a loss of concerts and events to cities with larger, more modern facilities, and the strong possibility the city could lose the Sonics. The mayor believed that sports unite a community and that Seattle Center would continue to serve as a valuable hub for tourism. At his insistence, a Center commission developed a plan to renovate

8938-474: The project. Only around 30 of the 70 luxury suites were sold and the Ackerleys were unable to find a corporate buyer for naming rights. Ackerley Communications profits were down, which also contributed to the financing difficulties. A state Supreme Court case brought by Seattle Center employees challenged the constitutionality of the arena deal, while potential lawsuits from the Mariners and trade show organizers and possible legal challenges to environmental review of

9047-467: The relocation of SuperSonics home games to the Tacoma Dome for the 1994–95 season, and it was renamed KeyArena after KeyCorp bought the naming rights in 1995. The SuperSonics left KeyArena in 2008 amid a controversial relocation to Oklahoma City . The arena was also known for hosting minor professional hockey teams, first as home to the Seattle Totems of the original Western Hockey League and

9156-444: The sale required the new ownership group to "use good faith best efforts" for a term of 12 months in securing a new arena lease or venue in the Seattle metropolitan area . In 2006, 74% of voters in Seattle voted to pass Initiative 91, a measure that prohibited use of tax dollars on arena projects in the city unless it could be shown the city would turn a profit on their investment. The limitation of tax dollars that could be spent on

9265-592: The same problems with sight lines that ultimately forced the Thunderbirds to move out. Hughes wrote that even one year of NHL hockey in an arena where half the lower bowl sat unused would be "just unacceptable." He argued that the situation would be even worse than what the Coyotes faced at America West Arena , their original home in Phoenix. When the Coyotes played there from 1996 to 2003, they had to deal with seats where part of

9374-415: The team made history by hiring Jessica Campbell as the NHL's first female assistant coach. In October, the Kraken named Jordan Eberle the second captain in franchise history. The Kraken play their home games at Climate Pledge Arena . The arena, at Seattle Center , is a $ 930 million redevelopment of the former KeyArena. On June 25, 2020, Amazon bought the naming rights to KeyArena and chose to rename

9483-477: The team on July 18, 2006 to an ownership group from Oklahoma City , who was pursuing an NBA franchise after hosting the New Orleans Hornets franchise successfully for two seasons as the city of New Orleans rebuilt from Hurricane Katrina . The sale to Clay Bennett 's ownership group, Professional Basketball Club LLC (PBC) for $ 350 million was approved by NBA owners on October 24, 2006. Terms of

9592-589: The team's "Kraken" name was adopted to honor the maritime culture of Seattle, as well as in reference to the Giant Pacific octopus , the largest species of octopus in the world, which can be found in the waters of the Pacific Northwest. The Pacific Northwest region also has a history of Scandinavian immigrants and ancestry, further connecting Seattle to the Nordic origin of the "Kraken" mythology. The colors chosen for

9701-409: The team's first three seasons. Former Hartford Whalers and Carolina Hurricanes broadcaster John Forslund serves as the team's television play-by-play announcer. J. T. Brown is the Kraken's primary television color analyst . In August 2022, the team hired Eddie Olczyk to be a television analyst alongside Forslund and Brown. The telecast for the Kraken's February 17, 2022, game against

9810-432: The team's logo were ice blue, boundless blue, shadow blue and red alert. For the team's jerseys, deep sea blue served as the base color with the logo's colors as accent colors. The first time Kraken uniforms were seen on players was at the 2021 NHL expansion draft. On October 20, 2022, The Kraken unveiled their "Reverse Retro" uniform for the 2022–23 season, featuring an ice blue base with deep sea blue striping. The design

9919-574: The team's primary radio play-by-play announcer. He is the first Black full-time play-by-play announcer in NHL history. Former NHL player and Vancouver Canucks broadcaster Dave Tomlinson served as Fitzhugh's color analyst for the Kraken's first two seasons, before resigning in August 2023 to take a new broadcasting job in Canada. The Kraken then hired former Seattle Thunderbirds forward and Everett Silvertips commentator Al Kinisky to replace him. Mike Benton

10028-491: The team. The arena would be the first to finance itself by use of the arena. In May 1993, the city council voted 7–2 in favor of the deal with the Sonics signing a 15-year lease agreement and a guaranteed income of $ 7 million per year during the lease. The agreement was initially turned down in council committee in the hopes of negotiating a 20-year lease with an increased guaranteed income of $ 9 million per year starting in year 15. The Ackerleys declined these changes. The Coliseum

10137-605: The teammate who best exemplifies "perseverance, hustle, and dedication" as voted upon by their teammates and coaches. The Fan Favorite Award goes to a player who wins a fan vote. Pete Muldoon Award Three Stars of the Year Award Guyle Fielder Award Fan Favorite Award Matty Beniers won the Calder Memorial Trophy at the end of the Kraken's sophomore season after leading all rookies in points, with 57, and tying for

10246-474: The time between the departure of the team and the arrival of the NHL left little reserve beyond basic building maintenance. The naming rights deal with KeyCorp concluded at the end of 2010, but the building maintained the KeyArena name until its 2018 closure for the redevelopment. Amazon bought the naming rights to the arena in June 2020, dedicating the arena name to bringing attention to climate change , specifically

10355-485: The time; a $ 5 million down payment that would be forfeited if 10,000 season tickets were not sold in the first year – the Sonics had never sold more than 9,000 season tickets; season tickets needed to produce at least $ 9 million annually, which would've made the tickets the second most expensive for a team in the area at the time; a 20-year lease with a "substantial" share of arena revenues from concessions, parking, and ad signage; priority status for postseason arena dates; and

10464-469: The two groups would merge with Larson and MacFarland being primary points of contact with the NHL. Then owner of the Seattle Thunderbirds, Bill Yuill, also joined the group. Larson and MacFarland, along with Barry Ackerley and Bill Lear, Ackerley's financial advisor, were set to make a presentation to the NHL's Board of Governors on December 5, 1990. At the meeting, Ackerley and Lear asked to meet with

10573-543: The venue due to their environmental goals. The venue has 17,151 seats in its ice hockey configuration. Vince Dunn scored the first Kraken goal in the arena's history on October 23, 2021. The Kraken's first shutout win at home was a 3–0 victory over the San Jose Sharks on April 29, 2022, the final home game of their inaugural season. The team's primary practice facility, named the Kraken Community Iceplex,

10682-423: The venue retained the KeyArena name until its redevelopment, despite the fact that the naming right had expired. In January 2012, ESPN.com reporter Scott Burnside said KeyArena "would be entirely acceptable", as a temporary venue for an NHL franchise, depending on a future arena plan. The Phoenix Coyotes were often speculated to be a likely candidate for relocation and in June 2013, reports circulated that if

10791-605: The world championship for Dota 2 eSports , at the venue, which featured prize pools of over $ 20 million in 2016 and 2017. TI returned to the venue in 2023. KeyArena hosted early rounds of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 1999 and 2015 . On September 16, 2016, the arena hosted the Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastics Champions. Roger Federer organized a tennis exhibition match at KeyArena with Match for Africa 4 , held on April 29, 2017. Two matches were played,

10900-590: Was a callback to the Seattle Ironmen , a defunct Pacific Coast Hockey League (PCHL) team that existed in the 1940s. For the 2024 Winter Classic , the Kraken wore a uniform inspired by the Seattle Metropolitans , a former Stanley Cup-competing team which won the championship in 1917 . The deep sea blue uniform features a red "S" similar to the Metropolitans' crest, but shaped to the current "S" logo of

11009-471: Was curtained off for T-Birds games. The new scoreboard was significantly off-center in the ice hockey configuration, hanging over one blue line instead of the center-ice faceoff circle. The first regular season game for the SuperSonics at the rechristened KeyArena was played on November 4, 1995 , against the Los Angeles Lakers . The renovated arena hosted the 1996 NBA Finals in its first season, when

11118-465: Was fined $ 250,000 by the NBA. On October 31, 2007, Bennett informed NBA commissioner David Stern that the ownership group intended to move the Sonics to Oklahoma City as soon as it was legally possible. The timing of the announcement, one day after the Sonics' home opener, drew critical comments from Tom Carr, Seattle's attorney, who said "Mr. Bennett's announcement today is a transparent attempt to alienate

11227-503: Was held in a similar manner to a previous expansion draft held in 2017 for the Vegas Golden Knights , who were themselves exempt from the 2021 expansion draft. Larsson, Oleksiak, and Driedger counted as the pick from their respective teams ( Edmonton , Dallas , and Florida , respectively). Two days later, the first round of the 2021 NHL entry draft took place. The Kraken used their second-overall pick to select Matty Beniers ,

11336-400: Was lowered 35 feet (11 m) below street level to allow for 3,000 more seats. The doors opened to the newly renovated arena on October 26, 1995. The sightlines, however, benefitted the SuperSonics at the expense of the junior Thunderbirds. The floor was just barely large enough to fit a regulation ice rink. Many seats in the lower level were so badly obstructed that almost half the lower level

11445-906: Was polarized, with many observers expressing a strong like or dislike for the mascot. During the 2021–22 season, in the absence of an official mascot, the Kraken promoted a "team dog" named Davy Jones. The dog, a four-month-old husky mix rescue dog introduced on January 17, 2022, socialized with fans at home games as he trained to be a therapy dog . Kraken games are televised through the Kraken Hockey Network (KHN), which includes over-the-air television stations in Seattle ( KING-TV and KONG ), Spokane ( KREM and KSKN ), and Yakima ( KAPP and KVEW), Washington ; Eugene ( KEVU and KLSR-TV ) and Portland ( KGW ), Oregon ; and Anchorage ( KAUU ) and Juneau (KYEX-LD), Alaska . Games can also be streamed locally on Amazon Prime Video . Games were televised regionally on Root Sports Northwest for

11554-404: Was rebuilt between 1994 and 1995, bringing the arena up to the NBA standards of the day. The local Seattle office of NBBJ , the second largest architectural firm in the country, was chosen as the architects. In an unusual move, the Coliseum would be closed for a year during the renovation. Construction began on June 16, 1994. During the 1994–95 season, the SuperSonics played their home games at

11663-458: Was represented by David Bonderman and Jerry Bruckheimer . Exactly a year after the memorandum of understanding, the NHL Board of Governors voted unanimously to approve a Seattle expansion team being added to the league. In mid-2019, the organization hired Ron Francis as their general manager to initiate operations for the team. Francis later stated that three things he wanted to prioritize in

11772-470: Was resumed from that point the following night, and Phoenix won by seventeen . Ackerley began exploring new options for an arena. Heavy relocation rumors began to circulate, amongst them a potential move to San Diego or possible sales to groups in other markets like Milwaukee or Toronto. In 2018, Ackerley's son Chris would say that the family was always committed to keeping the team in Seattle, and that "[...] in each case, we stood on our principles that this

11881-533: Was the home of Quicksoft , the first company to score commercial success with shareware . Prior to its dissolution, Pro Air was also headquartered in Lower Queen Anne. Outreach, a sales software company, moved their offices to Lower Queen Anne in 2018, filling a space previously held by Big Fish Games . Lower Queen Anne is home to many restaurants. 47°37′30″N 122°21′33″W  /  47.62500°N 122.35917°W  / 47.62500; -122.35917 Climate Pledge Arena Climate Pledge Arena

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