“It’s time …. to release … the KRAKEN!”
A loud, anticipatory sentence heard three times a night during the regular season at Climate Pledge Arena as the home team takes the ice. This next one isn’t quite as exciting, although big picture, it’s just as important. Fans need to know when to show up.
“It’s time …. to release … the schedule!”
OK, not the same. But here it is …
Not that you’ll necessarily be able to read that, so here are some of the highlights and points of interest.
The Kraken open the 2023-’24 NHL regular season on the road against the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights on October 10th. Yes, that’s right, the Kraken will have the distinction of being on hand for a ‘banner raising’. Not that they’ll have to watch, they can stay in the dressing room for the pregame stuff, but who knows, maybe it’ll serve as extra inspiration. More on that, down below.
The opening road trip entails three games, with stops against the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues after Vegas.
The home opener hits on October 17th against the Colorado Avalanche, the team the Kraken beat in 7-games in the 1st-round of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs. The fans can boo defenseman Cale Makar all over again.
Two nights later the Carolina Hurricanes visit the deep followed by the New York Rangers two nights after that.
Seattle finishes its October schedule with four games on the road.
Speaking of roadies, the Kraken established a new NHL and all-of-major-professional-sports record last season by winning all seven games on a road trip, accomplished against the Oilers, Maple Leafs, Senators, Canadiens, Sabres, Bruins and Blackhawks between January 3rd and 14th.
This season that January road trip compiles six games, starting against the Buffalo Sabres and ending against the Edmonton Oilers.
Of course, just ahead of all of that, Seattle will be hosting the Golden Knights at T-Mobile Park on January 1st for the NHL’s annual Winter Classic. It’s a noon start pacific time at the ball park.
The all-important close to the schedule looks like a tough one, with seven of the nine April games on the road. After a three-game California swing to start the month, the Kraken come home for two before heading back out to wrap things up with games against the Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets and Minnesota Wild. That season finale in St. Paul happens on Thursday, April 18th.
Kraken single-game tickets go on sale July 10th.
Kraken Stanley Cup Poll
This past week on twitter we threw out a little poll, asking readers and/or twitterers to vote on “which team/franchise would win the Stanley Cup first?” The three choices given were the Seattle Kraken, Vancouver Canucks and Buffalo Sabres.
Why those three? First of all, none of them have ever won a Cup. The Canucks and Sabres came into the NHL as expansion brothers back in 1970.
That sort of ties into the fact that Seattle and Vancouver are regional rivals.
Owen Power, 2nd-place finisher for the Calder Trophy and the 1st-overall NHL Draft pick out of the University of Michigan in 2021 is a defenseman for the Sabres.
Matty Beniers, winner of the Calder Trophy and the 2nd-overall NHL Draft pick out of the University of Michigan in 2021 is a center for Seattle.
Both of those teams seem to making strides in the right direction.
Did I happen to mention the Canucks are a regional rival.
Anyway, the results came in and these were the numbers. They seem in earnest and not so “homerish”, because I would think we presently have fewer followers that are Kraken fans than of the others.
Seattle Kraken – 44%
Vancouver Canucks – 20%
Buffalo Sabres – 36%
Fans believed the Kraken will get to the promised land first. Of course, there is no timetable.
