When attending a sporting event, we often see fans of the away team. Sometimes they are wearing a simple shirt, coat or cap with their team’s logo and colors, but occasionally they are dressed in elaborate attire. The ‘Raider Nation‘ fans of the recently-relocated Los Angeles Raiders are particularly known for their fervor, demonstrated through complex and often intimidating outfits. At some Seahawks home games against the Raiders in the 2000s, so many costumed Raider Nation fans were in attendance that we felt like we were in Los Angeles rather than Seattle.

Some of these fans have traveled to see the game, but many are locals who grew up elsewhere and still love their former home team. Now that they live in a different city, they are conflicted in supporting their new home team. This isn’t really a problem until the two play each other, forcing a decision. Seattle resident and Kraken fan Sean Boyle, who grew up near Detroit as a Red Wings fan, managed the conflict creatively. When Detroit plays in Seattle he sports a “mixed-feelings” jersey, half Kraken and half Red Wings, with a cap to match.

Prior to watching the Krakan take on the Red Wings, we drove along the west side of Lake Washington, taking in the blossoms and beautiful view homes. And just before the game, we took a behind-the-scenes tour of Climate Pledge Arena and watched the Detroit Red Wings playing soccer to warm up.

The game itself gave fans of both teams something to cheer about. With the score 2-0 for Detroit at the end of the second period, it was looking like a sure loss for Seattle. But the Kraken came alive in the final period and rapidly scored four times to take an exciting win.

Below are highlights from March 19, 2022. Click any image for a larger view, or click the position to view the location on a map. And a map with our most recent log entries always is available at mvdirona.com/maps.

Traffic Position: 47°37.47’N, -122°20.00’W Merging onto Interstate 5 north en route to the Washington Arboretum at 2pm on a Saturday. No matter the time of day, this segment of I-5 always seems to be busy.

Arboreteum Position: 47°38.20’N, -122°17.94’W Driving through the Washington Arboretum, a 230-acre (93 ha) public park jointly managed by the University of Washington and the City of Seattle. Features include one of the oldest and authentic Japanese gardens in North America, and a wide variety of flowering plants and trees that make the garden attractive year-round.

Madison Park Position: 47°38.22’N, -122°16.58’W Looking northwest to the 520 floating bridge from the public dock in Madison Park on the west side of Lake Washington.

39th Ave Position: 47°37.43’N, -122°16.99’W One of many striking waterfront homes on 39th Ave along the west shore of Lake Washington.

Lake Washington Blvd Position: 47°34.88’N, -122°17.11’W Driving along tranquil, tree-lined Lake Washington Blvd south of I-90 on the west side of Lake Washington.

Cherry Blossoms Position: 47°33.47’N, -122°15.78’W Cherry trees in bloom at the Ferdinand Street Boat Launch park along the west shores of Lake Washington.

Vietnamese Position: 47°35.97’N, -122°18.94’W Bilingual English and Vietnamese street signs in Seattle’s Little Saigon district. Seattle also has bilingual signs in the Chinatown and Japantown neighbourhoods.

6th Ave Position: 47°36.83’N, -122°20.24’W We love the stretch of 6th Avenue as we head home, with the Space Needle prominent in the distance. Our apartment complex is the two tall buildings in the distance on the left with balconies.

Daffodils Position: 47°37.21’N, -122°20.97’W Daffodils in bloom at Seattle Center as we head to a Seattle Kraken hockey game.

Empty Position: 47°37.34’N, -122°21.25’W We arrived at Climate Pledge Arena at 5:30pm, just as the doors opened for a 7pm start, and the arena is pretty empty right now. It’s our first Kraken Game since the Omnicron spike, and we arrived early for a tour of the facility.

Detroit Redwings Position: 47°37.29’N, -122°21.26’W The Detroit Red Wings playing soccer to warm-up prior to the game.

Root Sports Position: 47°37.30’N, -122°21.26’W The Root Sports network mobile production truck parked underneath Climate Pledge Arena.

Kitchen Position: 47°37.28’N, -122°21.24’W The kitchen at Climate Pledge Arena is the largest in the city of Seattle.

Studio Position: 47°37.30’N, -122°21.22’W Climate Pledge Arena was built not just for hockey, but to be a premiere concert location. In addition to sizable and comfortable apartment-like dressing rooms, the entertainer’s area also features a recording studio.

Movable Seating Position: 47°37.31’N, -122°21.21’W Reconfigurable seating at Climate Pledge Arena by Seda of Slovakia. This allows the seats to be backed away, making room for a large stage.

Red Wings Sticks Position: 47°37.31’N, -122°21.21’W Red Wings’ sticks lined up at the entrance to their locker room.

Visitor Bench Position: 47°37.31’N, -122°21.21’W Looking down the visitor bench onto the ice surface. At 6pm there’s still not many people here yet.

Kraken Sticks Position: 47°37.32’N, -122°21.24’W A cartful of Kraken sticks being readied for the game.

Kraken Locker Room Position: 47°37.32’N, -122°21.24’W View into the Seattle Kraken locker room.

Sticks and Spares Position: 47°37.32’N, -122°21.24’W Sticks, with a spare parts/repair kit hanging on the wall at left, ready for the Kraken game in just under an hour.

Puck Art Position: 47°37.32’N, -122°21.24’W Before each game, Seattle Kraken locker room attendants, notably Jesse Potts, create art from the practice pucks. When the players come out for practice, they knock the stack onto the ice for use during the practice session. Tonight the Kraken are celebrating female impact and influence on hockey in “Women of Hockey” night, and the puck art forms a ‘W’.

Seattle Storm Locker Room Position: 47°37.30’N, -122°21.27’W The locker room for the four-time WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) champions Seattle Storm.

Alex Nedeljkovic Position: 47°37.32’N, -122°21.24’W Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic leading the Detroit Red Wings onto the ice for practice.

Red Wings Practice Position: 47°37.32’N, -122°21.24’W The Red Wings lining up to take practice shots on goal.

Rinkside Position: 47°37.32’N, -122°21.24’W We really enjoyed our tour of the facility and being so close to the teams and the ice. We usually sit mid-way up the lower section for the best view, but will have to try a rinkside seat sometime. It’s a totally different perspective.

Jakub Vrana Position: 47°37.32’N, -122°21.24’W Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic defending a practice shot from Jakub Vrana. After joining the Red Wings in 2021, Vrana became the 26th player in franchise history to score more than three goals in a game and the second to record a hat trick within his first four games with the franchise.

Half and Half Position: 47°37.33’N, -122°21.24’W Our friend Sean Boyle, who grew up near Detroit and now lives in Seattle, sporting a “mixed-feelings” jersey, half Kraken and half Red Wings.

Howe Position: 47°37.33’N, -122°21.24’W The back of Sean’s jersey features half-and-half of number 9 Gordie Howe, who played for the Detroit Red Wings for 25 years. Howe is widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, scoring 801 goals, 1049 assists, and 1850 total points.

Kraken Tail Position: 47°37.32’N, -122°21.25’W A Kraken tail being lowered to the ice as part of the pre-game festivities.

Philipp Grubauer Position: 47°37.32’N, -122°21.25’W Goalie Philipp Grubauer leading the Kraken onto the ice right before the game.

Fight Position: 47°37.33’N, -122°21.24’W Fights aren’t nearly as common as they used to be in the NHL, but they still do happen.

Face Off Position: 47°37.32’N, -122°21.24’W Detroit gets the puck after a faceoff in the Kraken end. It was looking like a sure loss, with the score 2-0 for Detroit at the end of the second period. But the Kraken came alive in the final period. They rapidly scored four times to take an exciting win.

Click the travel log icon on the left to see these locations on a map. And a map of our most recent log entries always is available at mvdirona.com/maps.