The Seattle Kraken are eyeing Kirkland for a potential slapshot into community sports, having submitted a proposal to set up a multimillion-dollar ice hockey facility on the Eastside. According to the details percolating around town, the Kraken's plan is to transform the old Houghton Park and Ride into a sparkling new iceplex that would serve as a beacon for youth hockey enthusiasts and fans alike.
Details from KING 5 indicate that the proposed site sits snugly near Interstate 405 and Northeast 70th Place—while the team's spokesperson chimed in with talk of "remarkable growth" in the youth hockey scene it appears that the driving force behind the decision to build comes down to this ever-expanding hunger for ice—which inherently translates into dwindling slots for tots, teens, and adults to get their skate on.
The proposed facilities aren't just some run-of-the-mill ice rinks, either. In a Facebook revelation, Kirkland City Councilmember Jon Pascal detailed the scale and scope of the proposed arena, penning that the iceplex is set to feature "two regulation NHL ice rinks and ancillary support facilities." This tidbit was echoed by a report from KUOW, suggesting that the development might well befit the standards of the National Hockey League itself—cue the fanfare and community buzz.
While the deal hasn't been sealed yet, and the blueprints are not official, the rumored ice-sports hub brewing in Kirkland is making waves across community sports circles—the plans have yet to crystallize into a concrete, done deal but sources close to the proposal maintain that the City of Kirkland, amid negotiations with the Seattle Kraken, is sizing up the opportunity.
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