When discussions about a joint ice rinks/community center project between the City of Kirkland and the Seattle Kraken started in late 2023, the intentional dream was to both grow the opportunity for participation in ice sports and physical activity and provide a state-of-the-art community center for Kirkland without any new taxes. On Wednesday, the dream transitions to reality with Kirkland and Kraken officials officially announcing the two-rink Kraken Iceplex, Kirkland and Community Center will break ground in May and open in the fall of 2027.
“Six years ago, when the Kraken built our headquarters in Seattle, we made a conscious decision to invest in the community by building three rinks, when many thought we should just build one,” said Kraken owner Samantha Holloway at the announcement event. “This has made the Kraken Community Iceplex a hub of activity and gathering for the community … the investment we made in Northgate was a bet on our fans and the game of hockey. We’ve exceeded our expectations to the point where we are oversubscribed for many of our programs. That has led us here today in Kirkland, a place many of our players call home and love, a place with an amazing community and similar values.”
“Kirkland is a place where everyone belongs,” said Kirkland Mayor Kelli Curtis, who received a custom Kraken jersey from team captain and local resident Jordan Eberle. “I’m proud this new Iceplex will embody those values. Beyond that, the new Kirkland Community Center will be a year-round place for youth programs, community events, fitness, recreation and gathering. It will give residents a new place to connect, move, celebrate, learn and spend time together. Kirkland is busting at the seams for our program registrations. This new facility will help us meet our recreation needs for our community.”
After the event, Curtis said, despite the history of discussions and the Kirkland City Council approved the final go-ahead last year, the happy reality and encouraging timeline of the new facility “didn’t fully hit me until this morning.”
Gov. Bob Ferguson was on hand to offer his congratulations and praise the private-public partnership as a win-win for both Kirkland and the Kraken. The governor noted he is highly familiar with the many benefits generated by the Kraken Community Iceplex in Northgate.
“I live just a few blocks from the facility,” said Ferguson. “I’ve seen first-hand the huge impact of the surrounding area. It makes a huge, huge difference for the exposure to kids who can use that facility and for the community as well. I’m excited to see this come to life here [in Kirkland] for this really incredible community. It’s great to be the governor of a state where you see private and public partnerships like this happen on a scale that can really transform the community with no taxpayer dollars.
In her remarks, Holloway credited Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke for his grand vision to build “three ice rinks, a restaurant, a team store, a Starbucks, a Virginia Mason Franciscan Health clinic with a mission to grow hockey and skating for everyone.” The plan worked and then some.
“The growth we’ve seen since the arrival of the Kraken has been incredible,” said Martin Hlinka, the Kraken’s youth hockey director. “We need more ice to keep up with that demand. What will make this facility special is that it won’t be just two sheets of ice. It’s a community place with NHL rinks, programming space and year-round access for families, kids, and adult players.
“Our way is to introduce families through Learn to Skate, then into Learn to Play and beginner leagues. From there, players can progress all the way up to competitive Tier 1 hockey. When people get on the ice, whether it is kids or adults, they fall in love with the game and the community. This new facility gives us the ability to expand our programming at every level and continue growing opportunities across all parts of the game, including our girls’ programs.”
The new facility at the former Houghton Park & Ride site will include two NHL-regulation ice rinks, a city-operated community center, a public restaurant, Kraken Team Store, and space for community programs, events and activities.
