‘Completely Hooked’ On More Kraken Hockey

Hockey fan Daniel Riedi had a feeling he’d make a Kraken supporter out of his wife the first time he brought her to a game last December against the visiting Flyers from his former Philadelphia hometown.

Sure enough, one game in and Riedi said his Tacoma native wife, Amanda Milligan, “was completely hooked” to where the couple showed up to a Climate Pledge Arena open house on Sunday in search of a permanent block of tickets they could use next season. The Kraken were hosting their annual “Paint the Ice” event for Season Ticket Members and staged the open house with the aim of attracting new buyers or existing ones looking for seat upgrades, which got Riedi and Milligan out to the arena ready to commit.

“I enjoyed just watching it,” Milligan said. “The people here were really fun when it came to getting involved with the sport. Everybody was like, really high energy.”

More than 500 people signed up for the open house portion of the day’s events. Prospective ticket buyers mingled in the Moet & Chandon Imperial Lounge during designated time blocks, where they could take in arena views from its suite seating as current STM and their families painted the ice below. Kraken ticket representatives then dealt with each prospective ticket buyer, answering questions and taking them on personalized arena tours of available seating.

Those purchasing seats on the spot were allowed to go down to ice level to join STM in painting the ice.

Riedi, 39, a Pierce County employee who grew up supporting the Flyers and was thrilled to see the NHL come to Seattle, had no doubt Milligan would enjoy the live product even more than watching on television.

“She didn’t know they had a DJ here playing music,” he said. “She was really amped up for all the music because they have a lot of stuff that she likes. She’s a big fan of Buoy, too. Can’t stop her from talking about him.”

Milligan, 28, nodded, knowingly.

“I love the goaltenders, too,” she said, noting Philipp Grubauer is a particular favorite. “I love Grubi. He had a great year.”

Kraken account executive Evan Cloutier guided Riedi and Milligan through the process.

“I’m a little older, so while I like the upper (200 level) views the 100-level rows is what we’re looking at with the possibility of coming down lower for some of the bigger games,” Riedi said. “I’ll be out there for some of the Eastern Conference teams. I know the East, the Metropolitan Division. That’s where the big rivalries are at. The Kraken don’t really have that yet, because they’re so new. But they’re working on it. It’s nice to watch out here. It’s a different type of hockey. More skill shooting. That’s one of the reasons I like it out here. I just like hockey overall.”

So does Billy Gibbs, a Georgia native who relocated here to work in the finance industry and got intrigued by hockey when the Kraken first started up. He’d been a longtime football, basketball and baseball fan until a colleague bought Kraken season tickets and brought him to a couple of games.

“I’ve been to NBA games and obviously the Mariners and Seahawks, but I was like, ‘Are you kidding me? This doesn’t compare to anything. It was so different,” Gibbs said. “I’d rather watch football on a screen and am not the biggest fan of being there live, but with the Kraken I got hooked. And the second I brought my kids, especially my 12-year-old, Liam. He went to two games this year sitting on the glass and he lost his mind.”

Gibbs had come to the open house seeking front row tickets, either for a half-season or in an 11-game pack anywhere along the glass, only to discover they were sold out. Still, he toured the arena with Kraken account executive Anna Fridell and came away with some buying ideas that might better suit his overall needs.

One spot he is now considering is inside the Moet & Chandon lounge where prospective STM initially gathered for Sunday’s open house. He’d been there for a concert once and likes the all-inclusive food and beverage part of those seats, especially since he’d be buying four tickets and using some to entertain clients.

“It just removes all the guesswork about where to meet up and where to eat beforehand,” he said.

Down on the ice, current STM and their family members, many of them young children, were busy using watercolor paints to conjure up designs and messages. Paint The Ice has fast become one of the more popular of a variety of STM events and perks, with participants each receiving cups of paint and allowed to design whatever they want. Some opt for personal messages to players while others choose stenciled Kraken artwork, or items depicting their communities.

Other STM benefits for full and half-season plans include a Chart Your Course choice of more curated and personalized fan events, a special gift, 25% off all arena food and beverage and a 10% discount at the Team Store and 32 Bar & Grill  

Kraken mascot Buoy was out on the ice for a significant portion of Sunday’s painting event, with several scrawled messages such as “I love Buoy!” aimed his way.

Season ticket member Tony Soper and his wife, April, partook in the event with their son, Bryson Daggett, and grandchildren, Blake, 5, and Maverick, 2. Though the Sopers have been STM for all five of the team’s seasons, this was their first time at the ice painting event and getting to share it with their family.

“It’s just the two of us with the tickets and the grandkids are finally old enough where they can enjoy it,” Tony Soper said of the event. “It was good to be on the ice. I’d gotten on the ice for the Winter Classic at T-Mobile Park but being on the ice here is a little different.”

And something the day’s earlier prospective ticket buyers, Riedi and Milligan, can now think of doing down the road at a future event. Not long after ending their Sunday arena tour with account executive Cloutier, the couple agreed to purchase a half-season plan of games in Section 113.

Riedi said the half-season was perfect for their budget and is a good way to gauge whether he and Milligan can make it to enough games before opting to commit to a full package. This way, he added, they’ll also be able to attend the annual Indigenous Peoples Night game – Milligan has Native American heritage – and feel a part of something more permanent with their pre-designated seats.

“We’ve loved our experience so far,” he said. “We can’t wait to make it a regular thing.”