Kraken, Goalie Daccord De-Mask Hockey For Kids

Among the tougher tasks for Kraken netminder Joey Daccord during a recent community outing on the team’s behalf was convincing those in attendance that he truly is an NHL goalie.

About 45 kids attended the recent Kraken Power Play Takeover community clinic in Renton, held at the Family First Community Center, founded 2 1/2 years ago by former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin. And it seems some of the participants had never seen Daccord without his helmet and mask on.

“A bunch of the kids were like, ‘You play goalie for the Kraken? No way. I don’t believe you’,” Daccord said of the event, the latest in a series put on by the team’s One Roof Foundation philanthropic arm. “You know, that was really funny because they never see your face. So, it’s just fun to get to hang out with them and answer all kinds of questions about hockey. I like to ask them about what kind of sports they play and what their interests are.”

The community center sits adjacent to Cascade Elementary and has about nine or 10 schools within a three-mile radius in the densely populated Benson Hill and Cascade neighborhood within Renton. Nearly 31% of the neighborhood’s population lives below the poverty line. One-fifth of the ethnically diverse, historically underserved community is also under age 18, highlighting the need for more recreational services for families and youth.

An indoor gymnasium at the center was split into two for the event, with Daccord hosting a ball hockey clinic for kids in his half of the room and a professional runner from the Brooks Beast team doing assorted drills in the other. The ORF outreach program aims to introduce more youth to the game, encourage physical activity, and create inclusive opportunities for play regardless of background or experience.

The Kraken supplied ball hockey equipment while Brooks, the team’s Official Off-Ice Performance Partner, donated a pair of running shoes to every participant.

Alejandra Silva-Avendano, a director of volunteer services & programs for the community center, said families appreciate it when teams and athletes show up and are often quick to register for such events.

“All of the kids were excited when Joey (Daccord) walked in, but then he also got a chance to interact with them which was great,” she said.

Daccord had been injured in a Kraken game the night before but has resumed practicing with the team and is expected back shortly. Thus, he couldn’t play ball hockey with the kids but was still actively cheering them on and helping them navigate a running portion of some of the drills.

“One woman wanted her son to come and thank me for the event,” she said. “But then I told them, ‘No, this was really the Kraken that did all the heavy lifting and brought this event over here.’ And they were both telling me how they’d like to see another event just like this one.”

In fact, that exchange led to Silva-Avendano engaging the Kraken about possibly expanding the program into a broader, two-month clinic akin to what the team does with schools throughout the region.

“On the plus side, I think the community is very thankful for events like these where they can bring their families together,” she said.

Waleed Suliman, 27, a professional Brooks athlete specializing in 1,500-meter and 3,000-meter races, handled the running portion of the clinic alongside Daccord.

“A lot of the kids didn’t even know professional running is a thing that they can do,” Suliman said. “They were very surprised when I told them about it, so it gave them something to think about. Who knows? Maybe it’s something they’ll want to try someday now that they’ve been exposed to it.”

Daccord said at least some of the kids he helped at the ball hockey clinic seemed to have already been exposed to the sport and the Kraken. But there were still plenty of newcomers taking it in for the first time and Daccord said he tried to make it a positive experience for all.

“I think it’s just really cool to get out in the community and have a chance to put a jersey on, hang out with the kids, and have fun,” he said. “You see all their smiles and big high-fives and everything and it’s just a blast. So, I really enjoy doing it.”