20 teams. 42 games. 300 players. Hundreds more on a waiting list. Enthusiastic spectators. Beaming smiles all around Kraken Community Iceplex. By every metric, the 6th Seattle Pride Classic at KCI last weekend was a rousing success – including the most important metric of all.
“It feels like we’re providing queer joy to the community,” said Joey Gale, vice president of event host Seattle Pride Hockey Association (SPHA). “We’re providing a space where people get to celebrate and have fun and get to see their friends after a year between tournaments.”
Gale says the tournament hasn’t been immune from political headwinds, with fewer players feeling comfortable crossing the border from Canada.
“What happens and what gets said out of our Nation’s Capital has a real impact on everyone. We want to make sure we’re creating a safe space for all of our participants, the most inclusive tournament.”
This year’s lineup featured two trans teams. “For the rest of the participants, it’s a draft-style tournament. We build teams based on skill and how long you’ve been playing. But we found through conversations with Team Trans and Trans Wave that they found the most comfort when they could play together. They bring players from all over the country.”
Festive All-Star Game
For the weekend’s marquee event, the “All-Stars of Pride” game, the Reign City Riot sports band (at right) performed in the stands. A few rows over, a fan waved a large Pride flag attached to a hockey stick.
Two of the officials wore rainbow tutus. Seattle Thunderbirds musical director DJ Lucky Strike played the hits. And Seattle Kraken radio voice Everett Fitzhugh worked the P.A. mic.
After a player was released from the penalty box, Fitzhugh led the raucous crowd in a chant, “Don’t do that again!” (Kraken P.A. man Chet Buchanan, you taking notes?)
“I’ve met so many folks from all over the country, all over the world,” says Fitzhugh, who’s served as event emcee since its humble beginnings in Mountlake Terrace. “It’s gone from a small tournament to now one of the elite amateur hockey tournaments.”
Support From Kraken Organization
“(The Kraken) were one of our first founding partners, before they even had a nickname,” says Gale. “They make sponsor connections for us, provide the great space for us to play all weekend, and they help tell our story. They have content creators and social (media) folks at the tournament. So they’re good partners of ours.”
Fitzhugh, who along with DJ Lucky Strike apparently discovered where the camera was (photo below), is similarly proud of the local NHL team.
“Anybody who works around the Kraken, a fan of the Kraken, knows we are intentional with everything that we do. Whether it’s a hiring process, community involvement, theme nights, our ‘Hockey Is For Everyone’ nights.
“As a black man in the NHL, as a member of a historically under-represented and marginalized community, it means so much to have a team backing an event like this – giving a voice to another group that oftentimes is voiceless.
“Whether you are a member of the LGBTQ community, a woman, an ally, like me a person of color, whether you’re anyone who’s been told that, ‘You can’t do this. You are not allowed to do this.’ We as an organization are here to stand up and say, ‘No, you’re not only allowed to do this. You’re welcome to do this. You’re needed in this space.’ That’s what this tournament’s all about.”
Another Milestone For SPHA
The world’s largest LGBTQIA+ hockey tournament represents the latest achievement for Seattle Pride Hockey Association. Earlier, SPHA participated in the NHL Unites Pride Cup in Vancouver. SPHA president Steven Thompson was a U.S. finalist for the NHL’s Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award.
“Now’s the time where we need to be creating connection,” says Gale. “Hockey is just the way that we all get to do that. There’s so much going on. Folks really need a place to reconnect and recharge and find that queer joy on the ice together.”
Photos courtesy of @bliessephoto, @wolterpix_sports & @_livlyons
Earlier Kraken:
— Glenn’s Gems; Kraken Forward Identifies “Slippery” Doppleganger
Earlier Torrent:
— Torrent Lose Bilka, Barnes, Schroeder To PWHL Expansion
