More Than a Microphone: Kraken Host Marika Davis

When Marika Davis received the call that would bring her to Seattle, she was sitting in her car. Her excitement was immediate. “I was almost screaming while on the call because I was just so excited,” Davis said. “I had to mute myself and calm down.”

The new Seattle Kraken in-arena host had plenty of reasons to celebrate. After building her career in Kansas City, Missouri, where she spent several seasons working in sports entertainment, Davis is making a move to the Pacific Northwest to join an organization she has long admired for its game presentation approach. The opportunity represents more for her than a new city or another professional milestone. It’s a chance to combine her two greatest passions: sports and connecting with people.

“It’s definitely an area that’s always been on my bucket list to get to, and following a sport that I’ve always had an interest in being a part of is truly a dream come true,” Davis said.

A Hockey Connection and an Unexpected Career Path

Growing up in the Midwest, Davis developed an appreciation for hockey through the Kansas City Mavericks, an organization that would eventually become part of her own professional journey.

She studied broadcasting with an emphasis on sports and entertainment at Kansas State University, initially envisioning a more traditional broadcasting career. That changed during her sophomore year, when the university approached her about auditioning for an in-arena hosting position. The opportunity included hosting football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and some other sports, giving Davis an opportunity to explore several areas of sports entertainment.

She quickly discovered that hosting offered something she hadn’t initially anticipated. “Yes, the game is fun. Yes, it’s fun to support a team. But my favorite part is truly the fan base. You really become a part of something bigger than yourself,” Davis said.

After graduating, Davis spent about a year working as a sports reporter for a local television station in Kansas before returning to a hosting job with the Sporting Kansas City soccer team. She spent three seasons with that organization while also taking on freelance opportunities, including her hockey debut as a rinkside reporter and in-arena host for the ECHL Mavericks.

That Mavericks connection made the Seattle opportunity even more meaningful. When it came time to announce her departure, the organization used a familiar hockey comparison to celebrate her next step. “They kept saying I’d been promoted up,” Davis said. “Like, I’m going through the way that players do, to the big leagues. I jumped straight to Seattle (from the ECHL).”

Creating connections beyond the camera

While Davis is excited about working in Seattle, her hosting approach is rooted in something far beyond the microphone. She believes her most meaningful moments often happen away from the camera, when she can interact with fans and make their game experience more personal.

One early mentor’s lesson continues to influence her job approach. “We can’t control what happens on the field or the rink or the score,” Davis said, “You can control how people feel in their seats. And you can control the emotions that you can directly impact.”

That philosophy has followed her throughout her career. During her first season with Sporting Kansas City, Davis met a young couple attending a game shortly after getting married. Recognizing that she seemed nervous during her first professional hosting experience, the couple called her down and helped her feel welcomed into the fan base.

Their relationship grew the following season when the couple started bringing their newborn baby to games.  They eventually gave Davis a new nickname. “Every time I go there, I’m getting called ‘Aunt Marika’,” she said, emphasizing that such moments help make sports entertainment rewarding for her.

Joining a team with a growing game-day identity

Seattle’s reputation for game presentation was one of the biggest draws for Davis when considering the opportunity. Despite being a relatively young franchise, the Kraken have developed an identity surrounding their fan experience, with traditions and entertainment elements that have continually evolved throughout the organization’s first five seasons.

Davis said some of her mentors have mentioned the organization’s game presentation approach when she shared the news she would be joining the team. “What was really attractive to me about Seattle is just how ahead of the game their presentation and [game] production is,” Davis said. She also pointed to Seattle’s broader sports culture, noting the support fans have shown across the city’s professional teams. As a host, Davis considers herself the team’s biggest cheerleader, making the opportunity to work in a city with an established sports community particularly exciting.

She will join a returning Kraken game presentation group that includes in-arena co-host Strawberry, public address announcer Chet Buchanan, music director David Hatch and organist Benny Drawbars.  They’ll help create the atmosphere surrounding Kraken home games while continuing to build on the organization’s established traditions.

Before each matchup, Davis researches the history between the two teams, identifies potential storylines, and familiarizes herself with the players.  Upon arriving at the arena, she works through scripts while finding opportunities to incorporate her personality. But preparation is only part of the job. “You have to have a strong IQ of the matchups and just the sport in general,” she said. “Because momentum is one of the most important things that happen in sports in any game.”

Fans may not realize just how much multitasking occurs during a live segment. Between communicating with the show’s director, hearing the arena’s natural reverb and navigating the noise of a passionate crowd, hosts must remain focused on delivering their message. “It’s definitely not just an on-camera job,” said Davis. “You have to be on 100% of the time, knowing what’s happening in the game while still being energetic and excited while chatting with fans.”

A new season of experiences at Climate Pledge Arena

Davis is joining the Kraken during another season of continued development for the organization’s game presentation experience. The team plans three new show opens throughout the season, including one for its third jersey launch. The aisle handrail lighting will also return, while the Kids Zone and concourse activations will feature enhanced fan experiences.

Located in the northeast corner of main concourse Level 2, the Kids Zone offers younger fans the opportunity to make signs with the Sea Squad, color Kraken-themed pictures and test their skills at Skee-puck. Fans can also say hello to Lil’ Boo, with face painting and appearances from Buoy on select nights. Additional fan experiences will include a Penalty Box Photo Opportunity near Section 19 and a Frame Cut Out Photo Opportunity near Section 3.

The continued focus on the in-arena experience comes after the Kraken received an IDEA (Information Display and Entertainment Association) Award last season for Best Display Presentation.

For Davis, those experiences are another opportunity to create the kind of memories that make attending a game special. A chance to host FIFA World Cup soccer matches in Kansas City this past summer reinforced the importance of fandom across different backgrounds and cultures. She said those interactions reminded her that, regardless of where someone comes from, the passion people have for their teams can create a shared connection.

That same sense of community is something she’s already noticed about Seattle. From the tradition of yeeting the fish to the playful energy surrounding Buoy, Davis said the Kraken fan base has developed a personality of its own.

Bringing her own personality to Kraken game nights

Davis believes the best way to introduce herself to Kraken fans is through the energy she brings to the building. “I’m very passionate,” Davis said. “I’m very extroverted. So, there’s no such thing as a stranger to me, and I don’t want there to be any strangers to me when I’m at Climate Pledge Arena.”

Away from the arena, she enjoys reading, matcha and attending Karaoke nights, even if she has no one to accompany her. She comes from a large family, with both parents being one of eight siblings.

Whether she is meeting new people, entertaining a crowd or cheering alongside fans, Davis tries to keep her personality consistent. “I don’t care what else is going on,” Davis said. “When something big is happening on the ice, I’m putting everything down, watching and cheering as loud as I can.”

As she settles into her new role, Davis recognizes the responsibility that comes with shaping the arena’s atmosphere. She sees an opportunity to take the temperature of the room, recognize when the crowd needs a spark, and create an environment where fans feel comfortable bringing their energy. “I think it is a privilege,” she said. “But also, a really important job and responsibility for the host to have to take the temperature of the room and know how to raise it.”

If her Kansas City experience is any indication, she isn’t just looking to become a familiar face at Kraken games. She’s hoping to become part of the Kraken family.