Skills, Thrills and Smiles

The best parts of watching this season's Super Skills Showcase started with the fans and ended with the fans - and more than a few Kraken players sticking around to toss dozens of t-shirts to the crowd.
As doors opened and fans walked the concourses, it was easy to spot the families, couples, and best friends experiencing the Kraken's home arena for the first time. Lots of pointing, big smiles, and like everybody else who attends Kraken events, joy when getting their faces on the Climate Pledge Arena's signature twin video boards.
Once the Showcase's 3-on-3 finale event was over and the trophy was awarded to Team (Chris) Driedger for the second year in a row, good on the dozen or so Kraken players who took the extra time to commune with fans. First on the ice, sending t-shirts to young fans. Daniel Sprong, who won the Shooting Accuracy event, sought out the t-shirt to try his hand at that talent. Consider: A bunch of professional athletes done with their workdays deciding kids and families at this event came first before heading home for a rest break that lasts until Tuesday morning for the first real practice of the calendar year.

Leading scorer Jared McCann was among the t-shirt distributors going into overtime (just like the last two home games). The arena's lower bowl was filled with attendance north of 10,000.

"It's amazing to see that many people come on a day where there's no actual game," said McCann. "It's special for us to be a part of that. We're very, very fortunate to have fans like this."
Earlier, Sprong unofficially filled in for Kraken analyst JT Brown (deferred due to recent hip surgery) with a 98.4 miles per hour reading in a broadcaster version of the Hardest Shot competition. The 15-goal scorer to date wasn't entered in the Hardest Shot, though his 98.4 mph readout would have been good for fourth hardest of the day. McCann recorded an impressive 99.7 miles per.
But the self-professed Mario Kart gamer and Kraken fourth-line center, Morgan Geekie, won the speed event for the second straight year. There was evident controversy (of sorts) last season when Geekie won the event but there were some light-hearted references to a faulty radar gun on some players' attempts.
Sunday was a different and redemptive story for Geekie. He hammered a 100.9 mph shot on his first of two attempts, then outdid himself with 104.8 on the second try. The 24-year-old admitted last year that he had never entered a Hardest Shot content. After defending his title, Geekie said he didn't expect to win.
"I took [last year's first-place finish] with a grain of salt," said Geekie, who made a point of thanking "everyone in the organization" who made this event happen during an already busy regular season. "Today was lots of fun. I do think there's a little bit of a trick to it. If you shoot lower, it registers a little better [higher)."
"I honestly didn't think I'd have the strongest shot. I thought 'Fleurs' [Cale Fleury] had it for sure."

Geekie busted some great moves in the Breakaway Challenge to help Team Driedger win the day's competition, even as Team Donskoi won the Relay Race [an obstacle course of stickhandling and shoot drills] on a strong anchor leg by Geekie's frequent linemate this season, Brandon Tanev. In the 3-on-3, Tanev scored with seconds left to make it a 2-2 draw. Tanev and another usual fourth-liner, the aforementioned Sprong, worked a give-and-go-and-give-back play to perfection.
To top off the fun afternoon, a young fan, Harrison Guidon, handed out the Super Skills Showcase trophy. He was among auction winners who bid for the chance to present the trophy in his case while other fans bid on a suite to watch the event or sit in the penalty box during the festivities. All net proceeds of the auction items and ticket sales benefitted One Roof Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena.
While the foundation and fans were the biggest winners of the day, Team Driedger's fearless leader, goalie Chris Driedger, hoisted the trophy and kissed it. He then nearly grabbed the microphone for radio analyst Dave Tomlinson's hands during his victory-speech interview. His words drew laughs and smiles all around from fans, players, and media types alike.
"I'll tell you what," said Driedger, deadpan. "People didn't think this team could do it [repeat from last year]. They didn't believe in us. But we proved today, we do have what it takes."