Who Says No One Goes To A Sporting Event To See The Officials?

For two people on the ice last April 11 at Climate Pledge Arena, memories from the Seattle Kraken vs. San Jose Sharks game will last a lifetime.

One of those is Devin Cooley, the Sharks goalie who stopped 49 Kraken shots in a 3-1 victory – just his second NHL win. (Glory is fleeting; in his next game, Cooley was torched for eight goals in barely half a game by the Edmonton Oilers.)

The other who will always remember a spring evening of hockey in Seattle is referee Stephen Hiff, officiating his first NHL game.

Hiff didn’t come alone – the CPA crowd included an enthusiastic cheering section of family and friends, dressed in stripes and orange armbands. Mom, Dad and others had traveled all the way from the Toronto area, and in one case, a whole lot further. In the first of a two-part exclusive Kraken Reaction interview, Hiff takes us behind the scenes for all the stories of his NHL debut.