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Spokane Chiefs

Seattle Kraken to play franchise’s first preseason game at Spokane Arena

Spokane Chiefs fans react against the Vancouver Giants during a hockey game on Saturday, March 10, 2018, at Spokane Arena in Spokane, Wash.   (TYLER TJOMSLAND)
By Dan Thompson For the Spokesman-Review

The expansion Seattle Kraken’s first preseason game will take place in Spokane, the team announced Friday, as part of a three-city in-state tour for the National Hockey League’s newest team.

Spokane Arena will host the Kraken’s game against the Vancouver Canucks at 6 p.m. on Sept. 26. Tickets for the game will go on sale at noon Friday, though Spokane Chiefs season ticket holders will be given access to a 36-hour presale event that starts at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

That early access fueled a surge in first-time season-ticket purchases on Friday, said Chiefs President Mark Miles, who was helping answer calls much of the day.

Tickets for the game will start at $35, Miles said.

“To have the first-ever Kraken game is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Miles said. “It’s gonna be a great opportunity for hockey fans in Eastern Washington to come out and see the Kraken.”

Miles said the chance to host the Kraken came about because Seattle’s expansion team wanted to play its three preseason games outside its home rink, Climate Pledge Arena, to help raise awareness for hockey in the state, dubbing it a “3-Rink Rush for Youth Hockey.”

The Kraken hope to raise money as well. The team will donate a portion of its preseason ticket revenue to One Roof Foundation to expand youth access to hockey.

The other two games will also be played at Western Hockey League home arenas: Oct. 1 at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, home of the Silvertips; and on Oct. 2 at the ShoWare Center in Kent, Washington, where the Seattle Thunderbirds play.

The arrangement to play in Spokane has been in the works for a few months, Miles said. The process contributed to the reshuffling of the dates and locations of some Chiefs games, which the WHL announced earlier this week.

“The arena is booking a lot of events this fall,” Miles said. “There was a lot of behind-the-scenes work to free up dates. We can’t thank the (Spokane Public Facilities District) enough for assisting to make this happen.”

Now, Miles said, the fun begins.

“We can start getting creative around the Kraken game,” he said, “and create an event that the Kraken will say, ‘We gotta come back and do this every year.’ ”

To access the Kraken game presale, Chiefs ticket package holders will receive an email from TicketsWest on Monday with a unique code. Chiefs ticket information is available in person at the Arena or by calling (509) 535-PUCK.

The Chiefs’ regular season, which is scheduled to be a full 68 games, starts on Oct. 2 at home against the Tri-City Americans.