Bank on It

The spring of 1917 was a busy and formative season for the Seattle region. In March, Gov. Ernest ordered the Washington National Guard to mobilize. Those troops were drafted into federal service after the U.S. joined World War I in early April.
Later in the March, the Seattle Metropolitans won the Stanley Cup, becoming the first U.S. team to wrest the trophy from Canadian teams. After losing first game 8-4 to the defending Cup champion Montreal Canadiens with the legendary Georges Vezina in goal, the Metropolitans came back to win three straight games in the best-of-five series. The scores were 6-1, 4-1 and 9-1, all four games played in front of a noisy, energetic (naturally) crowd.

One more milestone: A month after the historic Stanley Cup win, a group of local businessmen established the Ballard Savings and Loan Association to support the residents of a fishing and lumber community just north of the downtown Seattle Ice Arena. By 1935, Ballard Savings and Loan converted to a federal charter; in 1958, it merged with WaFd Savings and Loan Association of Bothell, retaining the "WaFd" name to signal wider geographic service of its commitment to the workers and economies of local communities.

Oh, and just to seal the 1917 ties between Seattle hockey and WaFd Bank, a certain outfit called the National Hockey League was officially founded in November that year. Team owners from the National Hockey Association, including the Montreal Canadiens, met several times during the month to hammer out new league bylaws and welcome an additional franchise from Toronto.
The connection between the roots of championship professional hockey and WaFd continue. The Seattle Kraken are happy to welcome WaFd Bank as a Founding Partner with the franchise. The two organizations are aligned on many company values, including the shared mission to give back to nonprofits that improve the quality of lives in our communities and state. WaFd Bank serves and strengthens local communities in eight Western states.
Kudos and thanks to WaFd for sponsoring our WaFd Bank Weekly Warmup column every Monday and soon becoming an exciting part of our season tickets plans. The bank team is ready to get fans geared up for hockey by offering a no-interest payment plan to season ticket holders. Fans that take advantage of the payment plan will receive the first authentic Seattle Kraken jersey, when available in 2021.

To celebrate the new partnership, WaFd Bank is hosting a "Welcome Seattle Kraken" event Thursday at its Ballard branch at 2020 NW Market Street in Seattle from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Fans can drive through a giant hockey net in the bank's drive thru lane behind the bank on NW 56th Street where you see the WaFd Bank Zamboni, plus a chance to win great seats to the 2021 - 2022 inaugural season and score some of the first Seattle Kraken merchandise. Due to social distancing safety measures, fans need to stay in cars; there will be no walk-up service.
"WaFd Bank has been a committed partner from the beginning as the financing partner for the Northgate Ice Centre and we are so proud to welcome them formally to the Kraken family," said Tod Leiweke, CEO of the Seattle Kraken. "Together we will work to support our fans and community."
"Like many hockey fans, we have watched with awe as the Seattle Kraken team has accomplished what many said was impossible," said Brent Beardall, President and CEO of WaFd Bank. "They are constructing both an arena and a franchise on the fundamentals of integrity, hard work and innovation. We are honored to be a Founding Partner with the Seattle Kraken to play a small role in bringing hockey back to Seattle."
"WaFd Bank is a distinguished addition to our list of Founding Partners and we could not be more excited for our guests to experience the WaFd Bank Club at Climate Pledge Arena," said Tim Leiweke, CEO of Oak View Group. "WaFd's commitment to helping neighborhoods flourish and supporting communities aligns with our mission and we look forward to collaborating in these areas as we move forward."