Hockey

Kraken raises Stanley Cup banner for metropolitans at Climate Place Arena

Honoring the first U.S.-based champion before the match against the defeated Canadians in 1917

SEATTLE – A banner was unfurled Tuesday from the rafters at Climate Place Arena, about 1 1/2 miles from the site of the old Seattle Arena, making it the first city in the United States to receive the most love in more than a century. Trophy in hockey.

“SEATTLE METROPOLITANS,” said in green, with the “S” logo sliding down the letters “S-E-A-T-T-L-E”. “Stanley Cup Champions 1917.”

The Seattle Kraken, an NHL expansion team, playing its second home game, did not claim the championship itself.

For those who know and appreciate what the Pacific Coast Hockey Association team has achieved, they honored Metropolitan’s Memoirs, so that new fans can discover Seattle’s rich hockey history and learn more about it and remember the ultimate goal.

And he did so before the 5-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens, who not only played for the Metropolitan Cup in Seattle in 1917 as a member of the National Hockey Association, but also as a member here again in 1919. NHL. The “World Series” or “World Series” of 1919 was not completed due to the Spanish flu, as the documents at the time said.

This was the Canadians’ first trip to Seattle in 102 years, without counting the performance against the former professional Western Hockey League’s Seattle totem in 1961.

“Montreal has such an incredible hockey tradition and everyone knows about it,” said Kraken fan Jonathan Wolfgang. “But very few people know about Seattle’s tradition, and I think it’s an exciting opportunity to be in the spotlight. It’s great to get them back and see red, white and blue on the ice against the Seattle team. Treat.”

The Metropolitan put Seattle on the map as a big-league city when it was a remote outpost to compete with the best. They played in the PCHA in 1915-24, won five league championships and played for the Cup three times. He lost the Cup series on the road in 1920 to the original Ottawa Senators.

Frank Fauston, the Hockey Hall of Famer, played for the Metropolitan in all nine of his seasons and captained their cup team. The forward scored 10 points (seven goals, three assists) in four games against the Canadians in 1917 and 10 points (nine goals, one assist) in five games against them two years later.

The Hockey Hall of Fame brought his sweaters, skates and the 1917 PCHA MVP trophy and displayed it on Tuesday, along with Hop Holmes, another hockey hall sweater from Femer, who played goalkeeper for the Metropolitan between 1915-17 and 1918-24. .

Wolfgang drew a picture next to Fauston’s sweater while wearing the Fauston Kraken jersey. He was so obsessed with history, he visited Fauston’s grave, went to the Seattle Arena, and Fauston’s name jersey, his number 4, and even “C” mixed the old with the new.

“I love history,” said Wolfgang, who grew up in Pittsburgh as a Pittsburgh Penguin fan, moved to Seattle about 10 years ago and was looking forward to the arrival of the NHL. “I’ve seen the Penguins win the trophy twice personally and now being able to live in a city with that kind of heritage and history, having a team now is just incredible.”

Fans took photos of the memories after the fans. Others knew history, such as Paul Kim, who helped keep the metropolitans’ legacy alive by securing the rights to names and logos, and those who wore metropolitan gear recreated Kim. The second group was hearing about metropolises for the first time.

“I was amazed at how much the NHL and the team invested last night,” Kim said. “It’s amazing to have a Hockey Hall of Fame here with artwork.”

Kraken showed a four-minute video unveiling the banner. It was written by Kevin Tiken, author of the book “When It Matters Most: The Forgotten Story of America’s First Stanley Cup Champions, and the War Two and All Wars,” and was narrated by his grandson, Corey Daniels. Frank Fauston.

Daniels spoke as if the late great players were speaking for themselves.

“Use it as inspiration,” Daniels said while announcing the banner. “Two eras a century apart but permanently entwined.”

Then Daniels and Barbara Fauston Daniel, daughter of Frank Fauston, stood on a perch and looked at the fans, Ron Francis, general manager of the Hockey Hall of Fame and Kraken, and Jerry Brookhemer, producer of Hollywood and owned Kraken. Group.

“Tonight, we’re raising their banner to preserve the metropolitan heritage, to fly forever in our arena,” Brookheimer said, turning to Barbara Foston Daniels.

“Go cracken!” She said.