‘In the Deep’ Reporting a Kraken Game Day

Most fans never see what happens behind the locker room doors. Thanks to the Kraken Kids program, I was able to get a rare behind-the-scenes look of what happens on a game day as a Kraken Junior Reporter. During the day, I found myself wandering the maze beneath the arena, shaking hands with the people who are part of the Kraken staff. Spending a day “in the deep” showed me what it really takes to stage an NHL game, plus all of the work on and off the ice necessary to make it exciting in person and quality television. Stepping into that world, I entered a completely different universe.

Arrival: Two-and-a-Half Hours Until Puck Drop

On Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I worked as Junior Reporter for the annual Kraken Kids Game. The day started when I stepped through security at the press entrance of Climate Pledge Arena to meet Chase Daniels, a member of the Kraken marketing staff, as he greeted my family and me. Minutes later, he introduced me to Bob Condor, the humblest mentor and a seasoned journalist.

After our introductions, Bob and I headed straight down into the lowest level of the arena. It’s called event-level, a labyrinth winding through corridors until we reached the media interview and work room. That’s where I had the chance to meet head coach Lane Lambert and ask him a question. I asked about pregame rituals. He told me they don’t really have many, because it’s a serious time to get ready for each game.

After Coach Lambert left the room, I met many of the other Kraken workers and media members in the interview room. We then made our way to the media lunch room and shared a light brunch. While chatting, I learned that a lot of the workers actually came up through marketing, production and public relations career paths to get to the Kraken. Everett Fitzhugh, play by play announcer for Kraken radio, even gave me a valuable tip: “Just get into the building.” He said that once you’re in, the doors start opening and you make the connections that lead to job opportunities.

The Press Bridge: About an Hour Before Puck Drop

After brunch, we headed up to the press bridge by elevator. As we walked to our seats in the press bridge row, Bob told me, “This is one of the greatest press boxes in the NHL… you can actually see the surrounding natural light.” He was not lying. The view was incredible. Though it was a little chilly, the wind was minor, making the experience not too frigid. It was awestriking to hear the players and fans in unison. As the players warmed below, we could observe everything clearly, including the most minute details like their jersey numbers. Bob explained how the architectural design of the arena gives a clear view of players’ faces and numbers since the bridge is slowly ramped up instead of being pushed far to the back. It was one of the best views I’ve ever had at an NHL game and enabled me to analyze the game.

1st Period: A Struggling Start

Settling into our spots on the press bridge, Bob gave me some intriguing insights like how Jared McCann plays the walls well, which is one reason why he’s paired as a mentor for Wright and Catton.

Right out of the gate, Pittsburgh was outplaying and outpacing the Kraken.

A penalty to Ryan Lindgren put Seattle on the kill, but the penalty kill looked sharp. The Penguins have the number three power play in the league, yet goalie Joey Daccord made two key saves and the Kraken held strong.

Bob said that Lane [Lambert] wants the players to move the puck (and pass back less) forward but also play defense first. Matty Beniers’s drop pass to seemingly no one gave the puck away and started the Penguins’ scoring play for the first goal of the game. Penguins defenseman Parker Wotherspoon scored with assist from Blake Lizotte and Anthony Mantha right after the penalty kill, wiping out any momentum Seattle had built.

Unfortunately, the Kraken were unable to capitalize on the powerplay from a Brett Kulak hooking call. Then came the gut punch. Conor Dewar received a feed up the ice and buried the breakaway for the shorthanded goal, marking the third game in a row Seattle has allowed one. Despite being outshot 8-3 early in the first period, the Kraken finally showed urgency, piling up shots and opportunities. This culminated in Ben Meyers fifth goal of the season from Jaden Schwartz and Ryan Winterton, making the score 2-1 at first intermission.

2nd Period: Chasing the Game

Heading into the second period, both teams played with purpose. Daccord made crucial saves up close to keep it a 2–1 game. The Kraken got another power play with good puck movement, but again, nothing came of it.

Through the period, both Pittsburgh goalie Stuart Skinner and Daccord delivered huge back-to-back saves in a wild sequence that kept the game within one goal. Then Lindgren scored from Winterton and Meyers. It was Lindgren’s second goal of the season, tying the game off a broken play in front of the net. It marked Winterton’s first career multipoint game.

But the momentum didn’t last. Daccord let in a third goal from Kulak at even strength, and an ill-timed penalty, Lindgren’s second of the game, put Seattle back on its heels.

3rd Period: Kraken Defending the Deep

The score was 3-2 and time was running out. Throughout the majority of the game, the Kraken were chasing the Penguins. Pittsburgh’s goal early in the third period made the comeback feel out of reach. Justin Brazeau scored from Mantha and Connor Clifton. A powerplay one-timer from Eeli Tolvanen off a feed from Brandon Montour brought the Kraken within one. The score was 4–3, and a crucial penalty kill with Montour in the penalty box kept hope alive for Kraken fans.

Ultimately, any remaining hope disappeared when Rickard Rakell and Sidney Crosby combined for Pittsburgh’s fifth goal, killing the comeback attempt for good. From there Pittsburgh added an empty netter, sealing the game 6-3. In the end, Seattle was outshot 30 to 20.

Inside the Locker Room

After the game I was able to enter the locker room. One of my startling realizations was how similar it felt to many other locker rooms but with the intensity of NHL media professionals interviewing players. I watched as reporters asked questions to Lindgren and Winterton.

During the interview, Lindgren captured the game best saying, “Yeah, it's tough… we did a good job of getting back into it, but yeah, then they get the one quickly after and we do our best to… try to move on and forget about it. But yeah, we’ve just got to be better than that. When you do tie it up, we’ve got to lock it down defensively a little better and just keep playing our game.”

After the interviews, Bob and I returned to the interview room, where I was first in line to ask questions to coach Lambert.

Lambert echoed Lindgren's quote, saying, “What's happening right now is we're making mistakes that are going in the back of our net, and we've got to correct those mistakes.”

Although the Kraken lost, they had a few bright spots including their penalty kill and the play of Ryan Winterton and Ben Meyers.

Departure: Some 45 Minutes After Final Buzzer

Despite the loss, I still had an incredible experience as a Junior Reporter. Learning from Bob Condor and how he prepares for each game, was truly an honor. Coming into the game, my goal was to learn as much as I could about the inner workings of the team and NHL. With the help of this program, I not only delved deeper into my knowledge of the game of hockey but had one of the greatest experiences of my life. I am eager to share this experience with the community.

By far the most humbling and powerful lesson I took away was the genuine passion everyone shared for their job. Despite hard days and long road trips, these people all work tirelessly to make games possible, turning otherwise normal events into compelling, captivating narratives. From the media relations staff to the technical assistants to the coaches and players, all play a key role in making the Kraken must-see in person and on TV. I am incredibly grateful to Bob and the program for this opportunity. It was truly the experience of a lifetime. And fittingly, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I walked out of the arena with a dream of my own: to work in the NHL someday.