Special Panel Discussion: Hockey Night in Cascadia

HOCKEY NIGHT IN CASCADIA: FROM CANADA'S GAME TO A KRAKEN FUTURE
 

The arrival of the Seattle Kraken to the shores of the Salish Sea represents the latest milestone for professional ice hockey in the cross-border Cascadia region. The Kraken join organizations like the Vancouver Canucks, the Western Hockey League (WHL), the American Hockey League (AHL), and the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) in promoting the sport across the Pacific Northwest, ushering in more fan interest in conjunction with infrastructure such as the new Climate Pledge Arena.

In addition to the action on the ice, hockey has a long tradition of fostering binational relations between Canada and the United States through diplomacy, media, and economic exchange. To this end, the Hockey Night in Cascadia dialogue will explore the sport as a catalyst for cross-border engagement and a vehicle for political, social and economic impact.

Hockey historian Andrew Holman, PhD (Bridgewater State University) will discuss the heritage of the game in the cross-border region; hockey beat and investigative reporter Geoff Baker (Seattle Times) will address the sport in relation to the city of Seattle and other National Hockey League teams in the U.S. and Canada; and community engagement specialist Andrew Bloom (Seattle Kraken) will highlight the role of growing the Kraken footprint in engaging community and fostering social impact at the grassroots level in the Pacific Northwest.

A panel format will be followed by an open question-and-answer period.