Events to know heading into Seattle’s first ever Winter Classic
By Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA – When the New Year hits, the biggest event taking place in the Emerald City will be the Winter Classic as our Seattle Kraken host the Las Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Park, home of our Seattle Mariners. The first ever outdoor game played by the NHL’s two most recent expansion franchises, the event itself will be a massive spectacle to behold in it’s own right, but there’s plenty to do around the city leading into the game. This article is where you can find such events and may be added to if there are other things that pop up by the time that this is created. With this event tracker, you can look at what the team and the NHL will be hosting in preparation for this spectacle of a game to see how you can participate, whether you’re going to the game or not!
December 11th: Surprise player appearance
One of the first (That we know of, at least) events that are relating to the Winter Classic is that the Kraken are hosting a free signing event at the Bellevue square location of the team store, as there will be a “surprise” player appearance on Wednesday, December 13th from 6-7PM PST. Fans are encouraged to come to the team stores Bellevue location to meet the player to be named later so that they may get an item (or items, plural, if you so choose) signed and or get a picture with them. Free signings are always a fun event for the fanbase, as they’re able to see these players in person and interact with them while creating a physical memory that they’ll be able to keep with them, whether that be an autograph or photo, and sometimes both of those things.
Update: It wasn’t just one player, it was two! Forwards Eeli Tolvanen and Devin Shore were there.
Photo from @SeattleKraken on twitter
December 16th-17th: Long shot contest for $$$
In the first contest-esque event that will be held ahead of the Winter Classic, the Kraken will be hosting a long shot contest, where fans can go through a three-round event that will see the winner take home $100,000 as a prize. Fans that decide to participate can “get a feel” for outdoor hockey, as the long shot will be set up on the Fisher Pavilion rooftop at Seattle Centre that sits directly between Climate Pledge Arena and the Seattle Center armory, where a Kraken team store location can be found. In addition to the ultimate winner of the contest taking home $100,00, the team encourages others to get involved: “Enjoy music, giveaways, a photo booth, and a sampling of tasty Pepsi products. Everyone who tries their shot will walk away with a prize!”
Here are the event details, per the Kraken.
Round One: All fans in attendance during Round One will have the chance to shoot the puck down an 80-foot strip of synthetic ice to win a participation prize.
Fans over 18 that make their shot into one of the goal slots (5 inches wide) during Round One will move on to Round Two for a shootout.
If there are fewer than five people who make a shot, up to 10 people will be selected at random and sent a text inviting them to return for Round Two.
Round Two: During the Round Two shootout, contestants will shoot the puck down the ice strip, trying to get as close to the goalie board without touching it. Shots that touch the board are eliminated. Shots that don’t will be measured.
The top five shots closest to the goalie board will each win a pair of tickets to the Winter Classic®.
The shot closest to the board will advance to Round Three.
In the event of a tie/too close to call, the two contestants will repeat the same process to see who gets closest to move on to the grand prize
If less than five people qualify to win the tickets, all non-qualified Round Two contestant names will be drawn from a hat to determine winners up to a total of five.
Round Three: One finalist will take the final shot to win $100,000. For this shot, they will shoot the length of the ice strip toward a slot under the goalie’s legs (3-1/8” wide).
One finalist per day will have the chance to shoot for $100,000.
The finalist must meet criteria outlined in the terms and conditions.
Skating with Buoy
If fans are wanting to get involved with the Kraken and leading into the Winter Classic while also actually getting onto the ice, they can do so with everyone’s favorite troll. There are several dates where fans can skate with the Seattle Kraken mascot, Buoy, ahead of the Winter Classic, and these skating events will be taking place at rinks around the Pacific Northwest, so it isn’t necessarily strictly limited to fans in certain locations. Here is a list of the events with their locations and times.
December 6th: Bellevue, 6PM PST
December 15th: Everett, 3PM PST
December 18th: Olympia, 4:30PM PST
You might get to see Buoy in his special sweater made by his assistant Hailey! (Photo by Nate Koppelman)
December 23rd: Anchor alliance watch party
To keep the good vibes going as the Kraken play their final game ahead of the holiday break, the team will be hosting a watch party at a “new” Anchor Alliance location that can be found close to their home barn of Climate Pledge Arena. Cairde Public House, located half a mile (or an eleven-minute walk) away from Climate Pledge Arena, will host the team's official watch party on Saturday, December 23rd as the Kraken battle the Anaheim Ducks on the road. It’s the second watch party that the Kraken will be hosting during the month of December.
December 28th: Winter Classic skate at KCI!
As you may be aware, the Kraken Community Iceplex hosts public skates just about every day that you can pay to take part in, and there are often “themed” skates that will be hosted throughout the course of the year. This is no different, as the Iceplex will be hosting a Winter Classic skate that you could potentially win a Kraken WC jersey at! There is one winner per skate, and you must be present in order to win. This specific skate takes place on the 28th, from 7-8:45PM PST.
December 30th: Legacy event, NHLAA Welcome Event
In the first of two events taking place on the 30th, the Kraken will be joining the NHL, the One Roof Foundation, and Virginia Mason Franciscan health as they will be refurbishing an outdoor play space in conjunction with Metro Parks Tacoma. In similar fashion to what was taking place when MLB came to Seattle for All-Star week, it’s cool to see that our sports team and the league that it’s in giving back to the community here and making it easier for those in the area to be able to play the sports that these teams are part of. Per the NHL, “The ceremonial groundbreaking and community celebration will take place Saturday, December 30th at 10 a.m. PT at Verlo Playfield.”
The second of the two events taking place on the 30th is the NHLAA Welcome Event at Emerald City Trapeze, and thanks to the timing of both respective events, you could be at both if you’d like. The latter here starts at 7PM and runs until midnight, as you can “Meet NHL stars from present and decades past at this once-in-a-lifetime NHL Alumni Association event at Emerald City Trapeze in SODO. Enjoy trapeze artists, comedians, and more at this 21+ event!” It isn’t cheap to get in, as the ticket price to get in is listed at $500. The details of the event include a Q&A with Wayne Gretzky, Paul Bissonnette, Eddie Olczyk, and others, while there will also be Amazing eats by blue ribbon catering, unlimited beverages, comedian Kelly Taylor, musical guest Kraig Nienhuis, acrobatic shows and trapeze artists, plus silk performers and magicians. It’s a fun event for those 21 and over that can afford the ticket price.
December 31st and January 1st: Enterprise Fan Village
Perhaps the second most exciting event that relates to the Winter Classic outside of the game itself is the NHL’s “Enterprise Fan Village,” which will be taking place between the 31st of December and the 1st of January. The Fan Village will be taking place in the North lot of Lumen Field, which is the same exact location where a solid amount of MLB’s “Play Ball Park” could be found earlier this year when Seattle hosted All-Star week. There will be several different companies that are sponsoring things to do at the Fan Village, and some of my favorites are: AWS interactive ice, the Stanley Cup being on display, the United by Hockey Mobile Museum (Could be found last season at Climate Pledge Arena following a game), and Upper Deck offering fans the ability to get their own personalized hockey card! It’s a free event, that you MUST be enrolled for (again, check the last detail of the rules upcoming), and there are “special appearances” happening as well.
Here are a few basic details regarding the village, and please be sure to note the LAST one as it’s important.
Family-friendly interactive games, special appearances... and a chance to take a picture with the greatest trophy in sports... The Stanley Cup!
Sun, Dec. 31: After the Seahawks game (approx. 4:30pm) - 8:00pm
Mon, Jan. 1: 9–11:30am and 3–7:00pm
Located at the Lumen Field North Parking Lot
All fans WILL BE REQUIRED to enroll for this free festival prior to entry
Here is the big list of what fans will be able to find at the Fan Village.
AWS: “AWS Interactive Ice” offers a unique immersive tabletop experience allowing fans to place electronically enabled hockey pucks on hotspots across our digital hockey rink to bring hockey plays and statistics to life. The activation highlights and explores the tech that enables deeper insights into the game utilizing NHL Edge IQ powered by AWS stats.
CAT: Hockey fans visiting the Enterprise NHL Fan Village can win Cat branded prizes, take photos with Cat equipment and learn about Cat services.
Discover: The Discover 'Starting Lineup' Experience will feature an immersive footprint including an AI photo opportunity allowing fans to place their face on a custom digital Discover collectible, NHL Winter Classic memorabilia for fans to explore, branded premium distribution and special guests throughout the weekend. The centerpiece of the 'Starting Lineup' experience is Discover's oversized Air Hockey Table where fans can take on their friends and family.
Fanatics: Visit the Official Merchandise trailer for a great selection of 2024 Discover NHL Winter Classic jerseys, apparel, headwear, and souvenirs.
Great Clips: Fans who think they have what it takes to make the leaderboard must come by Hardest Shot presented by Great Clips to test their slapshot! Great Clips, Official Hair Salon of the NHL.
Honda: Honda, the official automotive partner of the NHL in the U.S., will have the All-New Prologue - Honda’s first All-Electric SUV – on display at the Enterprise NHL Fan Village! Fans can stop by Honda to show off their hockey skills in the Goalie Power Play game and get a chance to win fun prizes.
Jersey Mike's: Jersey Mike's will bring an interactive gaming experience to hockey fans, featuring sub sandwich sampling, digital air hockey, augmented reality photo opportunities, sweepstakes and more. This on-site activation allows fans to interact with the brand in a meaningful way.
Navy Federal Credit Union: Fans can visit the Navy Federal Credit Union hockey activation to test their range and accuracy at the Hockey Shot Challenge and for a chance to look like the pros while taking a picture in the Hockey Player Photo Opportunity!
New Amsterdam Vodka: Fans 21-plus can head to the Enterprise NHL Fan Village bar to get the Fan Village signature cocktail “Seattle Smash”, served in a Discover NHL Winter Classic souvenir cup! New Amsterdam Vodka, Official Vodka of the NHL.
NHL Fan Access™ App: As the official event app, NHL Fan Access™ features maps, schedules, the “Ask Stanley” virtual assistant, opportunities to win prizes, and much more. Fans are encouraged to download the app today!
NHL Network: NHL Network will give fans the chance to test their shooting skills with a target inflatable. NHL Network's NHL Tonight will air extensive pre- and post-game coverage of the 2024 NHL Winter Classic.
S. Preston: At this year’s NHL Winter Classic artist S. Preston will be showcasing his NHL-licensed artwork which includes his limited-edition commemorative sketch for this year’s game. This sketch will be available for purchase on-site at the Enterprise NHL Fan Village.
Stanley Cup Display: Fans can take a photo with the most iconic trophy in professional sports during Enterprise NHL Fan Village operating hours.
Ticketmaster: Fans can show off their wrist shot by aiming for the bullseye at Bullseye Battle!
United by Hockey Mobile Museum: Returning for a second season, the United by Hockey exhibit is a unique interactive experience that celebrates the game’s trailblazers, changemakers and business leaders spanning across multiple underrepresented and multicultural demographics. The professionally curated history museum highlights a number of new features including a VR experience, United Voices podcast wall and adaptive hockey display and aims to raise awareness of and educate fans about diverse individuals within the game of hockey emphasizing that Hockey is for Everyone!
Upper Deck: Fans can get their own personalized NHL Winter Classic trading card from Upper Deck, the exclusive trading card partner of the NHL®. Upper Deck is also giving fans an opportunity to win fun prizes by playing exciting games such as Pack Wars, Box Hockey, and more. In addition, fans can collect a FREE NHL Winter Classic trading card set at UpperDeckEpack.com, the innovative platform that allows users to buy, open, collect and trade with hockey fans from around the world. For more information, fans should visit the Upper Deck booth.
Verizon: Fans can visit Accuracy Challenge presented by Verizon to test their shooting accuracy and see if they have an NHL-caliber shot.
Washington’s Lottery: Fans can practice like the pros and test their stick skills by shooting pucks into a stacked washer and dryer unit.
January 1st: Breakaway event, Watch party
Right across the street from T-Mobile Park, at the Boxyard (That the Seattle mariners owned and have expanded as businesses over the last few years), the Kraken will be hosting events from 9AM running through 5PM, so the fun will essentially be taking all day at the “2024 Discover NHL Winter Classic® Breakaway Fan Event.” Like almost every other event listed here, this is a free experience that fans can check out as there will be various hockey-themed activities to participate in, as well as some of the musical artists that will be seen during the Winter Classic taking part at this event as well. There will be musical performances by acclaimed Seattle band The Head and The Heart and multi-platinum artists Fitz & the Tantrums.
For those who want to make a stop right before the game itself or aren’t going to be at the contest in person at T-Mobile Park, the Kraken will be hosting their official watch party for the Winter Classic at the 32 bar and grill at the Kraken Community Iceplex. Fans are encouraged to stop by pregame, for the watch party itself if they aren’t going to the Winter Classic or stay after the Kraken game as they will continue the watch party for when the Washington Huskies football team plays in the Sugar Bowl which kicks off at 5:30PM PST.
Not an event, but still something to watch: Road to the Winter Classic
While it isn’t technically something that you can go to in person, per say, the NHL is currently filming episodes for the “Road to the Winter Classic” television series that follows along with both teams involved in the outdoor game on New Years day, with episodes releasing every Wednesday heading into the event and a final episode dropping on the day of the game itself. It’ll be interesting to see what the crew following the Kraken is able to capture considering the struggles of the team to begin the season, as well as what sort of aspects of the team that will be revealed to the fanbase with this camera crew following the team around. The episodes will drop on TNT and MAX (With them being available to stream after the live showings only on MAX, that we know of) on the following dates: December 13th, 20th, 27th, and January 1st. The first three episodes will air on TNT and MAX at 3:30PM PST, while the fourth and final episode will be released at 1:30PM PST on New Years Day.
Here’s a quote from the NHL regarding the Winter Classic: “The “Road To The NHL Winter Classic” reality series was first introduced in 2010 leading up to the 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. The behind-the-scenes series has been a staple for hockey fans, offering engaging storylines and unrestricted access to the teams set to face off outdoors in the highly anticipated event.”