The Angry Beaver readies for Kraken fans — and 5 other great Seattle-area bars to watch hockey games

The puck has finally dropped in Seattle, and the Kraken are already making an impact as the city’s coolest new pro team. Whether you’re a seasoned hockey expert or a newbie on the scene, here’s a look at hockey culture and hockey-related things to do in Seattle.

 

Kraken Mania Hits Seattle

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Billed as “Seattle’s Original Hockey Bar,” The Angry Beaver in Greenwood will be the “It” spot when the puck drops for the Seattle Kraken’s inaugural regular-season opener on Oct. 12. (They’ll play in Las Vegas against the Golden Knights, ESPN, 7 p.m.) You should get there at least an hour early and nurse your Molson lager if you wanna save some seats for this historic event.

For all the stragglers, keep reading for five alternative viewing spots where you can catch Kraken games this season amid a lively environment.

But first, a shoutout to The Angry Beaver owner Tim Pipes and his glass-is-half-full prism. The Winnipeg, Manitoba, native opened The Angry Beaver in 2012 with plenty of hurdles long before the NHL and Seattle were ever linked in the same sentence.

His hockey bar debuted during the NHL lockout of 2012, so making rent was tough when there were no live games to draw in patrons. In 2016, a gas explosion on the block damaged his bar, and adding insult to injury, burglars and looters ransacked his business.

Then the pandemic hit, and Pipes’ bar almost didn’t survive as he tried to pivot to takeout to make rent. “I swear if I hear the word pivot again, I might puke,” he said.

When he didn’t make enough money from takeout to take him out of the red, he figured the sun was setting on The Angry Beaver. But the hockey and Greenwood community raised $47,000 to help save his bar.

When he tried to reopen, Pipes couldn’t find cooks during this labor shortage. But the recently laid-off staff at nearby Beth’s Café saved the day when four cooks there agreed to run his kitchen.

All Pipes asks now is that there be no more hiccups. He’s so close to the Kraken opener he can taste it. “It’s a dawn of a new day for The Angry Beaver,” he said. “I am going to have a lot of fun” when the Kraken season starts.

Here are five other spots where you can catch the season opener. Some are hockey hangouts while others offer spacious rooms and outdoors seating to handle the expected crowds.

Teddy’s Tavern

1012 N.E. 65th St., Roosevelt, Seattle; 206-522-4950, teddysseattle.com

Bar lifers swear Seattle has always had a hockey bar in Teddy’s Tavern, which opened in 1984, and slowly drew in Vancouver Canucks fans. Bar owner Dan Morgan didn’t intend his Roosevelt haunt to be a hockey bar — he’s still quick to correct anyone that Teddy’s is a neighborhood sports bar — but Morgan knows a good opportunity when he sees one. Morgan hung up more flat-screens (going from two TVs to nine) and shelled out money for the NHL Center Ice package to show multiple hockey games every night, partly to take advantage of the large hockey following. Teddy’s association with hockey happened organically over the years when fans started to request the television be turned to NHL games in 2004, the owner said. The bar also draws a lot of homesick University of Washington students who grew up in hockey towns. No food menu, but nearby Rain City Burgers will deliver to the bar or you can get takeout from other nearby restaurants.

Petoskey’s Sports Bar

125 N. 36th St., Fremont, Seattle; 206-632-3003, petoskeysbar.com

This Midwestern-themed haunt has been the home base for fans of the Minnesota Wild, St. Louis Blues, Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings, but co-owner Joel Radin declares that Petoskey’s now pledges its allegiance to the Kraken. (When it comes to football, it still bleeds Minnesota Viking purple, though.) The Fremont bar, which can hold about 85, has seven televisions and plans to run game day drink and food specials. The beer grub menu focuses on Midwestern staples: walleye sandwich, toasted beef ravioli with Provel fondue and yes, round pizzas cut into square pieces.

Cairde Public House

701 Fifth Ave. N. Suite 100, Uptown, Seattle; 206-257-4217, cphbarseattle.com

Despite the labor shortage, expect all bars and restaurants in Uptown to open on game nights to capitalize on the heavy foot traffic around the arena. Two more bars will open in Uptown in the next six weeks. Newcomer Cairde Public House got a jump on the competition by clearing all the red tape hurdles to set up shop at the corner of Roy Street and Fifth Avenue North, with 129 seats indoors and 28 seats outside. With 24 beers on tap, 14 televisions and one big projector, this sports bar hopes to attract the pre- and post-Kraken-game crowd and lure all those nearby apartment dwellers out of their shells for game night. The Euro pub grub lineup consists of dishes like bangers and mash and fish and chips. Martha Fletcher, who also runs the popular Blarney Stone Pub downtown, opened her second Irish pub with Kraken fans in mind, offering specials like KrakenTan, a riff on the beer cocktail Black and Tan with an IPA topped with Guinness.

Fuel Sports Bar

8037 15th Ave. N.W., Crown Hill, Seattle; 206-405-3835, fuelseattle.com

For fans with kids or dogs in tow, this North Seattle hangout checks all the boxes. The 5,000-square-foot bar and restaurant includes a designated room with six televisions for pet owners who bring Fido. If you’re skittish about indoor drinking, this Crown Hill spot boasts a patio with a 60-inch screen. Kids are also allowed in the dining area and on the patio. Seahawk fans will remember Fuel as the pre-funk hangout when this sports bar was in Pioneer Square. It relocated this summer to the North End, and in its second act, aims to be more of a neighborhood gathering place to catch the games.

Dave & Buster’s

11639 N.E. Fourth St., Bellevue; 425-372-2550, daveandbusters.com/locations/bellevue

For your Eastside viewing party, this popular video arcade chain just expanded to Bellevue and is an underrated spot for game day viewing. There are 32 televisions, but the prime real estate is the dining room, where a high-definition screen, called the “wow wall,” spans the entire dining area and boasts to be as close to a stadiumlike viewing experience as you can get. Game day specials include $3.99 Bud Light or Coors. The 300-seat bar restaurant is also kid-friendly. Now that our state has an NHL team, management plans to show more hockey games around the clock.