We’re about a week away from lighting the torch in Milan for the Winter Olympics, to which NHL and PWHL players will be making the voyage over the Atlantic Ocean to play in the tournament, which means there will be few games locally for most of February.
For the players not going to the Olympics, the break will be a nice time to relax, recover and get ready for the race to the playoffs. But for fans, especially those of the Seattle Kraken and Torrent, the shortest calendar month of the year is about to feel like the longest.
The Kraken only play one home game in February, which is the very last day of the month against the Vancouver Canucks. That’s the same with the Torrent, who will play just a day earlier against the Toronto Sceptres.
No live hockey for a month? Really?
Have no fear, there are plenty of alternative ways for fans to get some games in. Here’s what’s happening around the region this month to get your live hockey fix until the pro teams return to Seattle.
WHL season in full swing
Fans will need to head north to Everett or south to Kent to catch live WHL action.
The Silvertips are flying high once again this season. At now 38-6-2-1, they sit 12 points ahead for first place in the Western Conference. Get up there to see Landon DuPont while there’s time! He’s really something special to watch in person. Check in on Seattle Kraken forward prospect Julius Miettinen too, who has 19 goals and 25 assists in 31 games this season.
Everett is looking tough to beat once again. Having made the playoffs every year in team history, the Tips are still searching for their elusive first WHL championship. It’s bound to come one of these years, right?
Meanwhile, down at accesso ShoWare Center in Kent, things have not been as smooth.
What was shaping up to be a promising year for the Thunderbirds coming in quickly went south, as the team struggled out of the gate, traded star Canucks prospect Braeden Cootes to Prince Albert, and retooled on the fly. Additions such as top-five WHL point-getter Cameron Schmidt and Noah Kosick have helped stabilize the lineup, though the T-Birds still sit just 10th in the conference at 18-22-3-2.
While things haven’t been perfect, the T-Birds are still hanging around the Western Conference playoff picture, only five points behind Victoria for the final spot. A rematch of last year’s playoff series with Everett could be in store if they find a way to get there.
Other hockey in the region worth noting includes the Seattle Totems and Bremerton Sockeyes of the USPHL, whose seasons are ramping up. And if you’re really starved for hockey, head to Cheney for the ACHA PAC-8 tournament from Feb. 6-8, featuring UW, WSU, WWU and EWU.
February hockey calendar (notable promotions included):
Sunday, Feb. 1: Everett vs. Tri-City, 4 p.m., Angel of the Winds Arena
-Mascot Mania Night
Sunday, Feb. 1: Seattle vs. Penticton, 5 p.m., accesso ShoWare Center
Friday, Feb. 6: Everett vs. Kamloops, 7 p.m., Angel of the Winds Arena
Friday, Feb. 6: Seattle vs. Portland, 7 p.m., accesso ShoWare Center
Saturday, Feb. 7: Everett vs. Victoria, 6 p.m., Angel of the Winds Arena
-Great Small Dog Race Night
Friday, Feb. 13: Seattle vs. Tri-City, 7 p.m., accesso ShoWare Center
Friday, Feb. 20: Seattle vs. Portland, 7 p.m., accesso ShoWare Center
-Girls Night Out
Saturday, Feb. 21: Everett vs. Seattle, 6 p.m., Angel of the Winds Arena
Friday, Feb. 27: Torrent vs. Sceptres, 7 p.m., Climate Pledge Arena
Friday, Feb. 27: Everett vs. Kamloops, 7 p.m., Angel of the Winds Arena
Saturday, Feb. 28: Seattle vs. Everett, 6 p.m., accesso ShoWare Center
-South Sound Police and Fire Charity Cup
Saturday, Feb. 28: Kraken vs. Canucks, 7 p.m., Climate Pledge Arena
Header courtesy of Brian Liesse and the Seattle Thunderbirds
Well this is just great! I did not even know that the UW had a hockey team. This peaked my interested in coaching again but I would like to start at high school level. .Can you give details on which Seattle/Everett/Kent schools have hockey and where we could find some kind of schedule that includes arenas? I like youth hockey.
After the relentless hockey in January, I will not know what to do with myself in February apart for cheering on Team Finland, Team Germany, and Team Denmark on TV. Also the Team U.S.A. women. But it ain’t the same as in-person hockey. Why did that college tournament have to be on the same day as the Super Bowl? Oi blyaaaat! Man, I wish I could see that. Cheney is hell and gone from Seattle, though. A Seattlite would need a plane ticket to get there. Everett and Kent are decent trips from Downtown, not too far but long enough to be annoying. It looks like the Junior Totems play in Mountlake Terrace, so the Bremerton Sockeyes would be the easiest to get to as it is just a ferry ride from Downtown. Maybe I will make it over there for a couple games.