Editor’s note: Paul doesn’t really think the Chiefs mug old ladies.
So last Friday a buddy of mine surprised me by treating me to a Western Hockey League game. The evil Spokane Chiefs hopped a likely stolen bus to face off against my Tri-City Americans at the Toyota Center in Kennewick.
Before I talk about how the game went and what it meant to me, let me just say that it’s always a good thing when the Chiefs take a break from kicking puppies and mugging old ladies long enough to play a hockey game.
Now to the game...
I watched in horror as the Chiefs raced out to a 2-0 lead early in the first period. Left wing Ethan McIndoe, assisted by Kailer Yamamoto and Jaret Anderson-Dolan, scored a power play goal 9:03 into the game. An alleged hook by American Juuso Välimäki set that one up. Dalton Hamaliuk scored the other goal 36 seconds later.
I watched with delight as the Americans rallied to tie the score with 50 seconds remaining in the first period. Jordan Topping got them going in the 12th minute, with Välimäki and Anthony Bishop assisting. Morgan Geekie then evened things up on an assist from Riley Sawchuk.
I watched with alternating good and bad emotions as the two teams traded goals in the second period, with Dylan Coghlan (Assists: Jake Bean and Brett Clayton) scoring for the Americans and with Filip Kral (Assists: Nolan Reid and Hudson Elynuik) scoring a power play goal on a BOGUS unsportsmanlike penalty on Geekie. Him hurt someone’s feewings.
I chewed my nails during the third period when the teams again traded goals in the first six minutes to eventually force overtime. Geekie (Assist: Topping) struck for the Americans, and Nolan Reid (Assists: Milos Fafrak and Jake McGrew).
I huffed and puffed out of the arena when Spokane’s Jaret Anderson-Dolan stole an unfortunate pass and raced to the net for the game winning goal 3:51 into the extra period. What a jerk.
Now to how the game felt...
But as ticked off as the result of the game made me, I now realize something looking back on the experience. As I watched it with my buddy, I was leaning on the rail the entire time concerned with nothing but what was going on in the game. When Tri-Cities did well, I hooped and hollered and grinned. When Spokane channeled whatever evil spirits it took for them to do well and eventually win the game, I shook my fist and booed and called them names. When the refs made terrible calls, I booed and called them names.
At various stopping points in the game, my thoughts inevitably turned to the future, and how I couldn’t wait for the NHL to arrive in Seattle. I wasn’t hoping it would happen. I was looking forward to it happening. I wasn’t obsessing about how to get an arena built or wishing there was an “NHL first” scenario. I was relaxing in the knowledge that our arena WILL be built, and that we WILL get the NHL.
Though I’ve made lots of friends and built new relationships in this arena process over the last several years, the last several years pretty much sucked.
The Sacramento Kings saga? Sucked.
The Arizona Coyotes story? Sucked.
Watching Milwaukee and Sacramento keep their teams with the NBA’s help? Great for them, but sucked for us.
Watching Steve Ballmer bolt for Los Angeles? Sucked.
Watching every investor group in Seattle fail to apply for NHL expansion? Sucked.
Watching the Sodo arena project slowly fall apart? Sucked.
Watching street vacation get denied? Sucked.
Watching the Port of Seattle and its allies win? Sucked.
Watching the fan base turn on each other at times over arena location? Sucked.
Notice a theme?
But it’s starting to dawn on me. Things don’t suck anymore. OVG came along and is getting this done. The arena is approved. The environmental reviews are going smoothly so far. The NHL allowed us to apply for expansion. We actually applied for expansion. Seattle passed the test of the season ticket drive with flying colors. We have an NBA ownership group (David Bonderman and Jerry Bruckheimer) identified.
It. Is. Fun. Again.
More specifically, it’s fun to be a fan again.
Comments
Kraken
By Thane of Cascadia on 03.06.18 7:11pm
Have you
ever considered a career in speech writing?
By Paul Rogers on 03.06.18 7:12pm
He's got Trump's cadence down!
By Kevin Nesgoda on 03.06.18 7:32pm
Our NHL team will do so much winning, you'll be tired of winning.
By Bizzquik on 03.07.18 9:09am
Wrong
By Kyle_G on 03.07.18 9:49pm
So much wisdom in...
…Kraken.
By Chris Meirose on 03.06.18 7:32pm
You say squid, I say Pilots
By Jeff - j1012 on 03.07.18 7:35am
Kent Kraken
Set the ’Birds free.
By flyingchickensinthebarnyard on 03.09.18 12:42pm
For those who put down deposits, we should know our priority # by Monday
KIRO7 video (that somehow I ended up in briefly) trying to figure out ticket prices. tl:dr, they will be high: http://www.kiro7.com/video?videoId=712112429&videoVersion=1.0
By Paul Buxton on 03.06.18 9:21pm
They are speculating
and it would be insane to charge some of the highest prices in the league. Seattle isn’t canada especially not toronto where people are going to be willing to pay that much.
Setting it too high and people will drop out to where there are only 10k or less when it comes to puck drop.
By gstommylee on 03.06.18 10:05pm
And if they do that then it'll be a disaster for the franchise.
By gstommylee on 03.06.18 10:07pm
Got them today, actually.
By Throbert Bedford on 03.07.18 11:38am
Preach
Last week was fun. Tim Leiweke keeps promising that we have seen nothing yet and it is going to be even more fun. I can’t wait.
By Brian Robinson on 03.07.18 7:07am
Priority numbers are out.
I’m 895. Sounds like I should end up with a good seat. Stoked!
By jasonnn. on 03.07.18 8:44am
Awesome!
Enjoy dude. Enjoy,
By Paul Rogers on 03.07.18 8:45am
815
Since I only have two tickets, I’m gonna have to see where all of my friends landed in the line and see how to jigsaw in as many people as possible; should be fun!
By Paul Buxton on 03.07.18 9:17am
475
I’m more then happy with that number!
By Kodi on 03.07.18 9:23am
You win in this thread so far...
By Throbert Bedford on 03.07.18 11:47am
#45
Saw a guy on twitter who got #45. That dude is gonna have some sweet seats.
By jasonnn. on 03.07.18 12:28pm
They have the option for great seats yes
But some people with early numbers may be looking for something specific.
Cheapest Seats?
Non traditional areas?
Club seats?
I know people that love to sit behind the benches, penalty box, last row, glass, upper deck, aisle, near beer stand, near bathroom, etc so just because you have a higher number doesn’t mean you are SOL.
I would say that the important thing for EVERYONE no matter what number you have is to put a list together of seat locations you want to sit in based on a generic arena. When the time comes you should know how much you want to spend and have your preference list ready so you can make a fast informed decision.
By Kodi on 03.07.18 12:49pm
Yep, I'm guessing the priority number includes club seats people, so, while the people who paid the $500 can't pick club seats,
that reduces the number of seats that will be taken by the time you pick. I’ve heard there will be 2000 club seats. If someone ahead of you is club and club is sold out, I am assuming they will get their pick in the regular seats.
If you want to sit lower bowl, this doesn’t account for people buying the cheapest seats and upper bowl, so the number is even lower. Plus attrition.
By Throbert Bedford on 03.07.18 2:05pm
Hmmm...
6,752. Thanks, Ticketbastard and your crap platform. Likelihood of me getting seats in remotely affordable sections appears tiny; I’ll just have to keep my fingers crossed.
By flatdawgs on 03.07.18 10:42am
656 Here
Go Kraken!
By Rydogg on 03.07.18 11:01am
577
By Throbert Bedford on 03.07.18 11:47am
Heard word from NHL Seattle that the average deposit order is 2.5 seats. Multiply your priority number by 2.5, subtract reasonable attrition (if you want), and that's where you'll pick.
Priority number is great, but the size of the orders ahead of you is really all that matters (TWSS). If 2.5 holds true in the first 1000 priority numbers, that’s great. Not sure if the big bot/scalper orders were sub 500 priority and will skew the average. I assume a LOT of the orders outside of the first 12 minutes were 2-seat orders, which makes the average look lower(?).
So, if you’re 500, about 1250 seats should be filled before you get to pick.
By Throbert Bedford on 03.07.18 11:42am