With the Seattle Kraken up and running, local recreational clubs hope people get into ball hockey, too

Earlier this fall, a group of Seattle’s top ball hockey players toured the country to compete in the first-ever National Ball Hockey League tournament.

The team, called Seattle Cold Snacks, is made up of players of various levels and ages, from former ice hockey players to newbies to ball hockey aged 20 to 62.

The team played well at the NBHL Mylec Cup in Marlton, New Jersey, but went 1-3 against the teams in its division.

Ball hockey, also known as street hockey, is a repetition of off-ice hockey that is played on foot rather than on ice or inline skates. It’s a huge part of hockey culture on the East Coast, Midwest, and Canada, and is often viewed as an accessible gateway to ice hockey. The sport has slowly made its way to Seattle over the years – mostly from East Coast and Canadian transplants looking to meet like-minded people in their new town.

Although the city has had a quiet, loyal following of passionate gamers for nearly 20 years, obstacles such as lack of resources, space, and public interest have kept it from becoming popular.

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After the arrival of the Seattle Kraken put hockey in the spotlight in Seattle, local ice hockey players hope this will spark interest and lead to the creation of a stronger culture in the community and more avenues for new players.

“It’s a pretty blank canvas,” said Salvatore Ippolito, a Cold Snacks player and founder of Emerald City Floorball. (Floorball is the European version of ball hockey that is less aggressive and physical, and more focused on technique and skill, Ippolito said.)

“At the moment the culture is not very cultural because there aren’t enough people doing this sport,” said Ippolito. “With the arrival of the Kraken, we hope that [it] opens the doors for everyone to enjoy the sport, whether on or off the ice. “

It started with pickup games

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While the Seattle Cold Snacks were being formed in 2019, the team came from Seattle Street Hockey, a group of ball hockey players that have met on most Saturdays for nearly 20 years to play pickup ball hockey games in local parks. The current meeting point for the group is Judkins Park.

“We have a pretty diverse, random group of experienced players, but we also like to have fun,” said longtime player Cam Green. “It’s really just a bunch of people who really love the game.”

Vincent Payette was born and raised in Canada a hockey player and helped found SSH in the early 2000s. He’d just moved to Seattle and started playing street hockey with others at the Canadian Consulate to meet new people.

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“Basically, I just showed up and … it just clicked. It was a great group of people, ”said Payette. “It’s not just about hockey, it’s about camaraderie, socializing after the game and so on.”

Over the years he took on an unofficial leadership role for the group, sending out email invitations to players and later helping create a website. The group began playing in tournaments across the country, although the games were never organized in a formal league until the National Ball Hockey League was developed in 2020.

In 2019, Anthony Sanrocco, a New Jersey travel nurse, moved to Seattle while working on the formation of the National Ball Hockey League. After he started coming to Judkins Park to play pickup games with SSH, he encouraged the group to team up to compete in the National Ball Hockey League.

The puck finally fell in Seattle, and the Kraken are already making an impression as the coolest new pro team in town. Whether you’re a seasoned ice hockey expert or a newbie to the scene, here’s a look at hockey culture and hockey-related activities in Seattle.

Barrier-free gate to hockey

Off-ice hockey is widely touted as the gateway to ice hockey because it requires less equipment, less training, and no access to Ice Age.

Ball hockey is like ice hockey except you play in sneakers instead of ice skates; on a plastic plate instead of ice (for official competitions); and with a round plastic ball instead of a flat rubber puck. The standard size of the ice rink is the same for both sports and each team plays with five players and one goalkeeper.

Ippolito said it was also one of the more affordable sports for kids – especially when compared to ice hockey, where ice skates alone can cost $ 500 per pair.

“That was one of the things that made me think it’s very inclusive for boys, girls of all ages, backgrounds, economic levels – whatever. It’s really a sport for everyone, ”said Ippolito.

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However, both ice hockey and off-ice hockey are largely male-dominated sports. While some women play with the Seattle Street hockey group, the court is mostly occupied by men.

Jennifer Wood, president of the Western Washington Female Hockey Association, said it was important to create a space for girls and women to practice this sport, especially in the youth leagues. Wood said WWFHA is the only all-girls ice hockey league in Washington state.

“It’s incredibly important to have a place where girls can express that kind of leadership and are encouraged to have that kind of experience,” said Wood. “It’s hugely important to give them a place to develop that, and they see strong female role models and they see girls, especially as they get older.”

Hockey is a big part of east coast culture, said Ippolito. There is a level of camaraderie and friendship associated with the sport that players often make lifelong friendships.

“I think this is something that hasn’t been created here in Seattle,” said Ippolito. “With all of the people we have in the greater Seattle area and all of the kids we have around, I believe that culture is easy to create and has something like culture on the East Coast.”

Ippolito is also working to set up a floorball league for children in the region. The first step in getting a youth league up and running is to find a unified scope, he said.

“That was definitely a challenge,” said Ippolito. “First we need a place to play, then there would be marketing from there and planning something over several months.”

He’s hosted some community events, workshops, and birthday parties, and has started introducing the sport to schools, boys & girls clubs, YMCAs, and Seattle Parks and Recreation to generate interest and gain momentum locally.

Adult players also said one of the biggest barriers to local off-ice hockey growth is the lack of facilities. Ball hockey requires an enclosed ice rink with boards around the edges, so other sports facilities like basketball courts are not viable options for practicing.

“It’s not a hockey game without the boards,” said Payette. “The ball bounces off the boards so it’s part of the game. Without this, the ball simply dies in the fence and the game we want to play does not arise. “

Payette said he met with Seattle Parks and Recreation about five years ago to build a ball hockey rink in the city, but found the process was tedious, arduous, and slow.

“We’ve tried the city many, many times and just got nowhere,” Payette said. “Seattle Parks has this process that is extremely involved in creating facilities, even if it’s privately funded.”

Seattle Parks and Recreation communications manager Rachel Schulkin said her department has opportunities for residents to contribute to future projects.

The city has started a survey on the implementation of the strategic plan, in which residents can present ideas for future projects – such as ball hockey facilities – in a virtual town hall. The online open day ends on October 13th.

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Across the board, recreational hockey players say they expect increased local interest following the launch of the new NHL franchise in Seattle.

Western markets like Las Vegas – which welcomed the 2017 NHL expansion Golden Knights – which traditionally lacked a hockey culture, were soon swamped with interest from locals in creating teams, recreational leagues, and avenues for teens to get into the game.

ESPN reported that after the Knights came to Las Vegas, enrollment in youth hockey grew 227% from 2014 to 2019, compared to the usual 7.6% annual increase. From the 2017-18 season to 2018-19 season alone, youth registration increased by 100%.

While expected growth looks promising, Payette said the city needs to provide more facilities and space for off-ice hockey to be practiced.

“Our fear is obvious that there aren’t enough facilities,” Payette said. “That will potentially lead to problems when there is more demand than supply.”

Still, executives are optimistic that interest will fuel the facility’s growth and take in the new players.

“I think we’re going to see a big shift in hockey culture here in Seattle. Large numbers of people will discover just how great hockey is, ”said Wood, President of WWFHA. “I’m really excited to see how this will change and how it will grow over the next few years. I think it will be very different and I think we will all be there. “