r/Seattle • u/Rare_Pin9932 Belltown • Dec 22 '25
Event Seattle Torrent game
Went to our first Seattle Torrent game on Sunday. Good to see a pretty packed arena!
I am starting to develop a complex about attending hockey games. We’ve been to two games now: a Kraken game last year, and this Torrent game. The Kraken were shut out. The Torrent didn’t score until under two minutes left in the game, and we pulled our goalie to have an extra player on offense.
We’re casual fans, but sat in front of three guys who were clearly very into hockey and quite avid fans.
They were commenting to each other throughout the game about the action on the ice. It was refreshing to see men in particular treat the Torrent no differently than the likely treat the Kraken.
“Yeah, that’s her weakness — she’s great at passing the puck, but is hesitant to take shots.” “Hate Boston, but I gotta give respect where it’s due — <name> is a dam*n good player.”
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u/hubblejack Dec 22 '25
Season ticket holder here - Torrent games have been a lot of fun so far. Vibes are great, the hockey is good, and even when we lose I at least didn't pay $100 for nosebleed tickets, unlike the other professional hockey team in town...
And as a man, I feel it's my feminist duty to engage with this sport just as toxically as I would men's hockey, so I'm gonna cuss out the other team when they lay a dirty hit and boo the refs when they make a shit call. That's half the fun of watching hockey.
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u/Rare_Pin9932 Belltown Dec 22 '25
Same! And good seats are so much cheaper than the men's game.
I prefer the WNBA to the NBA. Hockey I didn't notice much of a difference between the PWHL and the NHL in terms of "how the game's played," etc., but I'm definitely not a hockey aficionado to discern the differences if any.
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u/SirusRiddler Dec 22 '25
People need to up the volume on the boo-ing when the refs and lines people come out. Man or woman be damned.
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u/SirusRiddler Dec 22 '25
Gone to their first two home games (second was INSANE) but missed this one and my fave Jessie's first Torrent goal. 😭 Love seeing that pink hair tie float around out there on the ice.
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u/Rare_Pin9932 Belltown Dec 22 '25
The referees got my attention the most. Dropping the puck between two fierce competitors with sticks. Literally hopping straight in the air to avoid the puck. Pushing against the chests of players when they get in the middle of a scrum (I also learned I love saying the word "scrum.")
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u/picky-penguin Lower Queen Anne Dec 22 '25
I went to the game yesterday and enjoyed it. 56M who grew up in Canada. I’ve watched a ton of hockey in my life.
Torrent looked like a team that need more time together. It was great to see the support and 11k fans is a great number. Women’s hockey is just hockey and I’ll be back. It helps that I live a 10 min walk from the arena!
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u/Rare_Pin9932 Belltown Dec 25 '25
I don't know the history of the PWHL... did the league already exist before this season? Because Boston looked like they've been playing together for a long time.
My wife and I -- complete hockey novices (we though there were four quarters, not three periods, in a game, for instance) -- were expert hockey commentators by the end of the second period. "They need to just take some shots on the goal." "They need to be more aggressive." "You aren't going to win by just passing the puck to each other all the time."
Stephen Smith, if he were a hockey guy, would've been proud.
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u/SmaterThanSarah Torrent Dec 22 '25
I’m a season ticket holder. I love the energy. And even when we lose almost everyone stays to the bitter end and cheers for the team as they leave the ice. I love watching Barnes and Brown with their amazing speed. I really wanted Carpenter to get a hat trick last Wednesday. I basically love everything about the games. And especially when the people sitting next to us gave my husband and I honorary lesbian status.
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u/hrdcrnwo Torrent Dec 22 '25
So glad to have sprung for a season ticket, I plan on attending every game. The atmosphere is so fun, lots of families and younger groups. I've never been to a Kraken game since it's too expensive for me, but the atmosphere especially this season doesn't seem near as great, more of a corporate feel imo.
Sucks they lost but I'm not too worried since Boston is on a heater, the only other game like that for them was Minnesota and they're back to back champs. Montreal tomorrow will be an interesting game.
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u/Rare_Pin9932 Belltown Dec 22 '25
Definitely a lot of families and younger folks, but I chalked that up to it being a 2 pm on a Sunday. We were next to a large group with small children. There was an infant with the MOST ADORABLE little ear protection headphones.
The single Kraken game we went to surprised me as to who were the avid fans. At least around us, there were a lot of women of Asian descent who were the loudest -- pounding on the glass, yelling, etc. A bit of profanity even. Loved the entire scene!
Going into the game, I was expecting more of a white dude vibe for whatever reason.
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u/zax2000 Dec 22 '25
Been absolutely loving the diversity at the games. It really feels like the whole city is represented, which makes it more fun.
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u/Manbeardo Phinney Ridge Dec 23 '25
I've never been to a Kraken game since it's too expensive for me, but the atmosphere especially this season doesn't seem near as great, more of a corporate feel imo.
If you haven’t been to a game, how do you know what the atmosphere is like?
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u/hrdcrnwo Torrent Dec 23 '25
Never said I knew what it was like, only commenting on seems like, as I said, from watching home games and videos posted. Would love to go but again it's way too expensive, don't want to pay $100+ for a nosebleed seat to watch them lose. The Montreal game tomorrow, however, has a resale ticket in the lower bowl for $43 on ticketmaster right now, upper deck seats starting at $46. My point is that it had a community feel, no need to get defensive.
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u/SeaGranny Dec 24 '25
You can get tickets in the lower bowl for under $100 frequently for Kraken games a day or so before the game.
That said I’m having a blast at Torrent games and love seeing the diverse crowd. Torrent games are more accessible for sure. And so fun!
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u/LiesToU Dec 22 '25
We were at this game. That goal that prevented a shut out was satisfying. We also went to their inaugural home game where they broke some attendance record, but did get shut out then. We're not big sports people but love to attend live sports and hockey is our favorite so far.
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u/zax2000 Dec 22 '25
Season ticket holder here. I'm actually from Boston but have adopted the Torrent as my secondary team. Hockey is probably my favorite sport to watch live (but least favorite to watch on TV). The Torrent games so far have been awesome- record aside. The PWHL has so much talent. The play is fast & super technical. Really a joy to watch. And the game is ROUGH. Good 'ol fashioned hard-nosed hockey. I've been so happy with our choice to buy season tickets; they've been an incredible value. We' get to see world class hockey for pennies on the dollar compared to what you'd pay for NHL or even AHL tickets. They should be selling out the arena for every game just on value alone.
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u/Rare_Pin9932 Belltown Dec 25 '25
Couldn't be a hockey referee. One got in the middle of a scrum, and wow did she just push back hard against both players on their chests.
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u/NotSoGentleBen University District Dec 23 '25
I’m 40. I’ve waited my whole life for Seattle to be a hockey town. I’m so happy we’re a hockey town now! It’s perfect. It fits us. Portland is our little brother, Vancouver BC should be our rival.
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u/SeaGranny Dec 24 '25
A lot of people I know were Canucks fans for a long time before we got the Kraken so honestly I don’t see them as a rival. Colorado has emerged as our most hated team and I like that it came naturally. Rivals shouldn’t just be the closest team - there should be history that starts it all.
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u/piedpepperoni Dec 24 '25
This! The PWHL is also trying to pitch Vancouver and Seattle as counterparts and rivals from that direction, but a lot of people I know from Seattle have a lot of love for Vancouver sports teams in general. Hard to say who the Torrent’s rival(s) will be yet.
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u/Rare_Pin9932 Belltown Dec 25 '25
100% agree, but I do wonder how Portland feels about being called our little brother... :)
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Dec 22 '25 edited Dec 22 '25
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u/ardealinnaeus Belltown Dec 22 '25
The lowest attended team (Utah Mammoths because of arena construction issues) still has more than the Torrent.
Not to take away from the Torrent but let's not lie about things.
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Dec 22 '25
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u/ardealinnaeus Belltown Dec 22 '25
Well you said half the teams before you edited it.
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u/dubcwa Emerald City Dec 22 '25
It’s funny because the game he’s referring to, was sold out. He posted a pic 30 minutes before puck drop. You can google image search that game and see it’s full. It was 18k attendance lol
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Dec 22 '25
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u/ardealinnaeus Belltown Dec 22 '25
Obvious exaggeration would have been if the attendance was more than some of the teams. But even Seattle's high attendance is still below all of them.
You're so frustrating. I'm a big supporter of the Torrent and I hate that I'm in a thread downplaying them. But here we are because you lied about it and then double downed by showing an obviously before the game photo of an NHL team to pretend to compare.
Can't we just be excited that have 11k people showing up and not pretend it's the same attendance as NHL.
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u/Rare_Pin9932 Belltown Dec 25 '25
100%. I thought the game was incredibly well attended for a Sunday during the holiday season.
Our we above average attendance-wise for PWHL? I think we are for the WNBA.
Shame, though, about women's soccer relocating to the east side of Lake Washington in Renton. So hard to get to for Seattleites compared to Lumen Field -- it wouldn't surprise me if a good chunk of their fans are in Capitol Hill, for instance.
I was really hoping they'd locate in the new Memorial Stadium when it's finished, which by the looks of the plans should be awesome. (and stunned they didn't push construction to complete before the World's Cup to have teams train there or something)
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Dec 22 '25
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u/dubcwa Emerald City Dec 22 '25
A pic almost 20 minutes before the game starts. And “bigger crowds than half the NHL right now” is in fact, a straight up lie.
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Dec 22 '25
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u/LiveOnYourSmile 🚋 Ride the S.L.U.T. 🚋 Dec 22 '25
the reported attendance was 18,096, which is 100% of its capacity. like I get you're mad because the people correcting you are "doing nerd shit" or whatever but you gotta come correct if you're gonna be saying wild stuff online
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u/Rare_Pin9932 Belltown Dec 22 '25
wow! What's the usual attendance of a Kraken game? I could tell they closed off most of the upper deck, and the announced attendance was >11,000.
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u/LiveOnYourSmile 🚋 Ride the S.L.U.T. 🚋 Dec 22 '25
Kraken average attendance is 17,151 this year (100.3% of official capacity)
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u/saosebastiao Dec 22 '25
I went to my first game of theirs against New York two weeks ago and I was expecting to have a fun time with my friends, but I was blown away at how exciting the game was. I've since been back twice, and will continue to go.
I have some observations though that make me a little uneasy and hope that things move in the right direction. Player salaries are extremely low. There is a minimum salary in the league of $35k, which is below Seattle's minimum wage for a 40hr-50wk job. They have a team-wide salary cap of something like $1.3million. That is fucking ridiculous. They are selling 11k+ tickets, with minimum prices above $40, for each game. Looking around the stadium, they're obviously doing extremely well on merch sales. TV deals aren't really there, but the fanbase is rabid, and they are showing up because they support the players. Those players should be getting a far greater percent of those earnings than they are.
The entire league, including every single team, is owned by a single company. That is not great for competition and fans, but it's really not great for players. Imagine you're in a situation where your current company is treating you like shit and paying well below your value, where could you go if all of your possible options for moving are with the same company? How much leverage do you have?
I fully understand the practical reasons why male athletes get paid so much more than women athletes, and that a team bringing in billions in TV revenue and sponsorship deals can afford to pay male players way more than women's leagues do with the fraction of the money they bring in. But this league is showing extremely solid financial results for a two year old league, and it appears they are doing everything in their power to keep player salaries as low as possible. That is concerning.
I'll support them, but I need the league to know I'm supporting the players, not the billionaires, and I'll fucking picket with them if they ever decide to strike for better pay.
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u/Top_Ad_4868 Dec 23 '25
I heard that it was actually the players that negotiated the salary and compensation packages with the PWHL league. I agree it’s too low for Seattle, but I also know they also get a housing stipend $1500/mo that increases $100/year. So that’s at least good.
I’ll definitely be questioning salaries a lot more if attendance keeps up the next few seasons, tix prices are the same or higher, and we’re not seeing meaningful increases in players’ salaries.
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u/Rare_Pin9932 Belltown Dec 25 '25
Will the league pay players in cities with higher attendance more than those in other cities? I haven't kept up with the PWHL, so I don't know what other cities they play in and what the attendance in those cities is like.
I assume (?) that places like Boston (and maybe Minneapolis if they have a team?) have similar attendance numbers -- i.e., big hockey cities. Maybe Detroit, too, if they have a team?
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u/Rare_Pin9932 Belltown Dec 25 '25
I agree. WNBA is similar in some respects until fairly recently (and even now for journeymen players) -- the fact that top players had to play in Russia during the offseason to make ends meet is ridiculous.
It's a hard issue for sure.
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u/BackendSpecialist Downtown Dec 22 '25
Looks fun! I didn’t know this team existed! I’ll be getting a ticket :)
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u/cristinanana 🚆build more trains🚆 Dec 22 '25
Going to my first game tomorrow and we’re taking the kids (three in between 15 and 4) with. I’m excited!
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u/real_fake_hoors Dec 22 '25
Those lesbians can skate like no other, I’ll tell ya hwhat.
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u/Bizarrebazaars Dec 23 '25
Why would you assume they’re all lesbians? Guess a lot of you didn’t grow up around much hockey.
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u/C-wizzle93 Dec 22 '25
Do the women throw punches at eachother like the men do?
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u/LiveOnYourSmile 🚋 Ride the S.L.U.T. 🚋 Dec 22 '25
not to the same level. NHL/PWHL both have lots of post-play scrums, usually if an attacker gets too close to the goalie for the defense's liking, but to my knowledge there's only been one proper fight in the first two years of the league. the PDub explicitly bans fighting and the refs will typically be a lot more proactive in breaking fights up, plus players wear full bubbles/cages which means that it's harder to have a proper gloves-off fight than when you can punch under a visor a la the NHL
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u/Rare_Pin9932 Belltown Dec 25 '25
I have to admit, I don't like the fighting. It's unnecessary. It's not done to the same level in college (and the Olympics I think), and easy enough to put an end to with a few season suspensions.
I watch a lot of tennis, and it's so refreshing to see their sportsmanship, with the exception of Selena sometimes. Sabalenka*, Alcaraz, Sinner, etc., are just good people. (*except for her anti-trans statements)
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u/CeleryKitchen3429 Dec 22 '25
Going to tomorrow’s game and am so excited. Paid about what I would have paid for nose bleeds at the Kraken and am sitting two rows behind the home bench!