Painting A New Future For Season Ticket Members

Lake Stevens brothers Liam and Skyler Schoenvorn stepped off the ice at Climate Pledge Arena, still marveling at how different an NHL rink felt compared to playing in their local youth hockey league.

“I just liked sliding around out there on my knees,” Liam, 11, said. “The ice is so smooth out there compared to the rink that we play at.”

He added: “There are more seats all around than I’d expected. And you see them all because they’re empty right now. It’s just awesome standing around and looking up at them.”

The brothers, their mother, Stephanie, 40, and a neighborhood friend, Max Thompson, 11, had partaken in the Kraken’s annual Paint The Ice event last Saturday at Climate Pledge for season ticket members and family. Participants are given cups of paint and allowed to design whatever they want on the ice, some opting for personal messages to players while others chose stenciled Kraken artwork, or items depicting their communities.

The annual end-of-season celebration came on the heels of the Kraken unveiling big changes for ticket members, including price reductions or freezes in 90% of the seating bowl, a 25% discount off arena concessions, and increased exclusive events such as player meet-ups and a chance to play hockey at Climate Pledge. For Stephanie Schoenvorn, a ticket member since the team’s first season, the added events are a welcome plus for her family.

“It’s great because I rotate kids,” she said, nodding towards her son’s friend, Max. “My husband couldn’t come today and so now he gets the benefit. It’s nice because I bring the kids and they all want to be here.”

She added that when told of the new season ticket member events, her sons were unanimous in their pick.

“It’s funny,” she added. “They like meeting the players, but if you give them a choice, they all want to play on the ice. That was the best thing of all for them.”

Their friend, Max, doesn’t play organized hockey but has watched his share of Kraken games from the stands and on television.

“It’s fun to see NHL ice for the first time,” he said. “I’ve never actually seen it before. Everything feels a lot more real and detailed down there.”

For Ballard resident Willow Egert, 9, attending the event with her sister, Juniper, 5, and family friend Mackenzie, 11, the on-ice presence was mostly a chance to paint her own Kraken dragon design inspired by a similar one she’d seen during last year’s event.

“I saw this really huge, amazing dragon,” she said. “So, I wanted to do it this time, and I found one in a book. So, I named it ‘Kraky the Kraken Dragon by Willow’.”

Her father, Justyn Egert, 48, a former recreational hockey player at the Highland Ice Arena, said that while the family’s artwork needs some practice, he was more than pleased with the event and other season ticket initiatives recently announced.

“I feel that you guys have actually listened to the feedback we’ve been giving,” he said of the Kraken. “And it is an improvement. Things like being able to trade-in tickets for other games. The last couple of years, it’s been a big improvement.”

His daughters recently got to meet Kraken center Matty Beniers at a recent event.

“It was super fun,” Willow said. “He’s my favorite player.”

Kraken season ticket member Jessica Headrick, 37, from Lynnwood, echoed the optimism about season ticket member changes.

“They clearly listened to what fans are saying,” she said. “I think we’ve said it in our fan surveys the past couple of years, but the price was just hard to come to every game, and for families to come. So, the price drop was nice. The discount on food is very helpful. And we’re coming on the last year of being a season ticket holder, and we weren’t sure whether we would renew. So, the changes are a huge stride towards us renewing after this year.”

Her mother, Cindy, 67, and husband, Aaron, 36, were having as much fun as the children around them, painting the Kraken logo and an octopus on the ice.

“Just getting to walk on the ice where the players play is pretty cool,” Aaron Headrick said. “So, it's getting to see where our seats are from down here.”

Auburn resident Monica Matthews, 53, brought a Kraken stencil with her and painted a “Release the Kraken” design on the ice. This was her third season as a ticket member, and the recently announced discount was a welcomed change.

“I think it’s great,” she said. “It’s a good way of not only keeping the people that you have, but bringing more people in.”

A couple of those potential newcomers, Shelton residents Jason and Suzy Todd, used Saturday’s event to scout out future seats they could purchase plans for. The Kraken this year introduced in-person viewing for those looking to become season ticket members or upgrade their current seat location.

“It always seems better if you can come and see them without a lot of people here,” Jason Todd said. “We’ve been here about nine or 10 times before with friends that are season ticket members, but the place is always full, so it’s kind of nice to have this chill moment to come and look a little early.”

Renton residents Jason and Stephanie Azarcon were looking to move their seats from the upper bowl to a corner location in the lower one.

“I love it 10 times better,” Jason Azarcon said of scouting locations in person. “I’ve looked at it on the website, but you have to click around for all sections, whereas here you get a visual.”

A different visual than those on the ice were getting. Young hockey player Skyler Schoenvorn, 7, wasn’t so much into scouting seat locations as he was painting a hockey stick design he, his brother, and their friend worked on together.

“I liked painting and walking around on the ice,” he said.

Something his ticket member parents hope to keep doing for years to come.