“It's just tremendous to see how much girls’ hockey and women's hockey have grown, especially here on the West Coast,” said Wagner. “That support from the girls and seeing them out there ... I’m really, really thankful I have the opportunity to be able to share my love and passion for the game with them. And to show it's possible now to be at the highest level of hockey here in the States.”
Sunny Outside, Weather Warning Inside
Despite a sunny November afternoon as fans streamed into Climate Pledge Arena, the first-ever introduction of the Seattle Torrent on the arena’s beloved twin boards started with, of course, a torrential storm warning complete with a whirring siren, then a fast-flowing gallery of close-ups of home squad players soon to be fan favorites. When the arena twin boards flashed the Torrent players in the locker room tunnel, the high-energy crowd exploded into decibels. The noise amped up even more once the individual player introductions began on the ice, with big cheers for Wagner, Team USA veteran center Alex Carpenter and, last but most, future Hockey Hall of Famer Knight.
Torrent coach Steve O’Rourke, who liked the way his squad generated early first-period Grade-A scoring chances and finished strong with 18 shots the final 20 minutes, credited the lively and locked-in crowd.
“I liked our first period,” said O’Rourke. “I thought we had good jump. I thought the energy was great. We fed off the building ... The [second-period] penalties put us on our heels. In the third period, you come out behind and you have that little bit different mentality. ... this crowd, which was amazing, 16,000 fans, it carried us through when we had some tired, heavy legs.”
Within the first minute of play, multiple generations of fans were chanting “Let’s Go Torrent!” and did the same in the final minutes when head coach O’Rourke pulled goaltender Corrine Shroeder in an effort to notch their first-ever home goal. Knight was close on a late scoring chance, but Seattle couldn’t convert against world-class goaltender Nicole Hensley.
Knight Encouraged Despite Score
In honor of a Basketball Hall of Famer and local icon, Knight showed up Friday in a bejeweled Sue Bird jersey. She thought it was only fitting and remembers Bird telling her, “Seattle is ready for you” when the PNW set a record for women’s national team hockey attendance at a USA-Canada rivalry series game in 2022. Knight was not down post-game, even walking off kidding the media group about them not asking her about singer Brandi Carlisle being in attendance and partaking in a karaoke timeout break of her own song. “I think it was a great physical game,” said the Torrent captain. “You saw a flurry of physicality. You saw speed. You saw tight gaps, bodies flying. You obviously want to be on the other end of hits, knocking people down. But remove the score and it was an incredible game, probably a really exciting one to watch.”
Knight added she didn’t think the expansion Torrent are far from jelling, making no excuses about Minnesota returning 17 players who won the PWHL championship for the second straight time last season.
“I think the first period was outstanding,” said Knight. “If we can bottle that up and play three periods like that, we're going to be a lethal team to play against. You saw glimpses of our potential and what we're capable of. Now it's just stringing that together every single shift from the collective group, which is super exciting. We wanted to win the home opener, but it is a process, and we have to trust it. We've got great people that are coaching us and supporting us and in ways, and we're learning every single day. We're coming to the rink to work more than we've ever worked before ... it's going to translate well for us.”
Shaw, Lukan Part of Historic Day
Kraken colleagues and broadcast personalities Alison Lukan and Piper Shaw were both part of the historic home opener. Lukan worked as lead analyst on the game call while Shaw contributed in-game interviews with O’Rourke and Knight, plus her usual insightful and fun nuggets about players.
“It was such an incredible honor to be part of the opener and telling the next chapter of the PWHL,” said Shaw. “The crowd was wild, and you could feel how excited this city is to embrace women’s hockey. This is another huge step in growing the best sport there is here in the Pacific Northwest. On a personal note, it was even more special to share the night with the great Alison Lukan.”
