More than a week after playing their first NHL game, the Seattle Kraken finally played their first home game on Saturday. Fittingly, the Seattle Kraken hosted their natural regional rivals, the Vancouver Canucks for the first round of NHL hockey at Climate Pledge Arena.
In the end, the Canucks stole a 4-2 win. That stings, as the Kraken played well, but beyond the result, the team’s first home game was a slam dunk. (Shawn Kemp was in attendance, and would probably agree.)
Before player introductions, Tod Leiweke noted that the Kraken -- the NHL’s 32nd active franchise -- proved viable when they drew 32,000 depositors for tickets. With all that in mind, the Kraken retired the number 32 before participating in that first-ever home game.
Watch the three-minute-long Kraken intro in the video above.
As another great treat, Heart’s Ann Wilson belted out an impressive rendition of the U.S. national anthem.
Ann Wilson sings the National Anthem, and the crowd hits another level.@SeattleKraken @ClimateArena pic.twitter.com/QDfJliXpk4
— Chris Daniels (@ChrisDaniels_TV) October 24, 2021
Gary Bettman also welcomed the Seattle Kraken during this first home game.
Kraken first home game the latest in a number of firsts
So, Saturday, Oct. 21 represented the Kraken’s first home game. The first overall Seattle Kraken game happened on Oct. 12. Here is a quick list of some other Seattle Kraken firsts:
- Shortly before the 2021-22 season began, the Kraken named Mark Giordano as their first captain.
- Max Pacioretty scored the first-ever goal in a Kraken game. As far as the first goal scored by a Kraken player, that would be Ryan Donato. That opening game featured the first Kraken comeback, but the Golden Knights ultimately handed Seattle its first loss.
- It didn’t take long for the Kraken to earn their first NHL win. After dropping that initial game, the Kraken beat the Predators in their second contest.
- Vince Dunn scored the first Kraken goal during a Seattle home game. It happened right before the end of the first period, and the crowd erupted.
The first goal scored in Climate Pledge Arena goes to Vince Dunn! pic.twitter.com/SYbcyEwL9A
— SB Nation NHL (@SBNation_NHL) October 24, 2021
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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.