Seattle, WA
Jaden Schwartz hat trick leads Seattle Kraken to 4-2 win over Kings
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JANUARY 18: Jaden Schwartz #17 of the Seattle Kraken celebrates with teammates after scoring a third goal during the third period of a game against the Los Angeles Kings at Climate Pledge Arena on January 18, 2025 in Seattle, Wa (Christopher Mast / NHLI / Getty Images)
SEATTLE – Jaden Schwartz scored his fifth career hat trick and the fourth hat trick in Seattle Kraken history in a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night.
Joey Daccord made 17 of his 28 saves in the third period, and Schwartz scored on an empty net with 1:10 left to play to clinch the victory for the Kraken. Schwartz joins Jordan Eberle (11/14/21 vs. Buffalo), Jared McCann (1/14/23 at Chicago), and Brandon Montour (10/29/24 at Montreal) as players with hat tricks for the Kraken.
It was the fifth regular season hat trick of Schwartz’s career, along with two playoff hat tricks, all while playing with the St. Louis Blues.
The first line of Schwartz, Matty Beniers and Kaapo Kakko continue to rack up points together. The trio combined for seven points on the night as all three players had a significant hand in the victory.
“Great to see Jaden get the hat trick,” head coach Dan Bylsma said. “And it can’t be understated, the line of Matty Beniers and Jaden and Kakko, what they keep doing for us, night in and night out. They get the first two goals, but good to see Schwartzy get the hat trick there at the end.”
Just 28 seconds into the game, Schwartz got Seattle on the board. The Kings couldn’t get the puck out of their own zone as it fell onto the stick of Kakko. Schwartz slipped the puck inside the right post by the pad of a sliding Darcy Kuemper for a 1-0 lead.
A high-stick penalty to Beniers minutes later allowed the Kings to answer back on the power play. Right off the offensive zone face-off, the Kings won the puck as Adrian Kempe found space on the back post to finish a pass from Anže Kopitar for the tying goal.
But the line of Schwartz, Beniers and Kakko continued to dominate play over the opening 10 minutes.
A massive hit from Joshua Mahura against Warren Foegele at the Seattle blue line sent play into chaos. It also launched the Kraken on a rush chance as Schwartz scored his second goal of the period off a pass from Beniers on a 2-on-1 break for a 2-1 Kraken lead. The Kings got caught trying to engage Mahura for the hit on Foegele and left defenseman Brandt Clarke and Kuemper hung out to dry.
“We wouldn’t have scored if he didn’t do that,” Schwartz said of Mahura’s hit. “
Said Bylsma: “I thought the hit by Josh was, you don’t want to say it’s a turning point in the game, but it was, I think, a huge statement hit and getting the goal right after it, you know, was a sign to everybody we were in the match.”
Seattle was unable to escape the period with the lead, however. Defenseman Brandon Montour shoved Trevor Moore into Daccord, who flailed in vain to make a stop on Jordan Spence’s shot from distance. The Kraken bench appeared to consider challenging the play for goaltender interference, but elected against it as the contact was due to Montour’s actions.
Seattle re-gained the lead less than two minutes into the second period. Chandler Stephenson flashed across the front of the net to chip an Oliver Bjorkstrand shot-pass by Kuemper for a 3-2 Kraken advantage.
The lead held despite a heavy push from the Kings in the final period due to the play of Daccord.
Daccord denied Foegele on a short-handed 2-on-0 breakaway chance early in the third period to keep the one-goal advantage. The Kings had a 17-1 advantage in shots on goal in the third, with Schwartz’s empty-net tally serving as the only shot Seattle managed in the period.
“Every time we get a power play, I’m just like, ‘hey, just be ready in case they get a chance.’ Because every once in a while, you know, get a bad bounce, bad luck, someone makes a mistake, and, you know, it’s hockey, it’s going to happen, and sometimes you’re going to get a chance against and I just try to be ready for them,” Daccord said. “And you know, it’s my job to make big saves for the team when the team needs it. So when I get the opportunity, and then I’m able to follow through and execute it, it feels really good. Honestly, I was fired up after that save. And, yeah, just feels really good to get a big win at home.”
Schwartz had two chances at the empty net, with the first hitting the left post and staying out. Kakko then managed to win a loose puck and toss it ahead to Schwartz for his third of the night.
“After I hit the post we had a couple good blocks, Joey had a couple timely saves,” Schwartz said. “Kaapo made a great play (to get me the puck), so I guess my teammates did a good job of bailing me out for missing that. It was just a team effort all-around. Guys were laying it on the line tonight. It was a fun game.”
Kakko picked up an assist on all three of Schwartz’s goals for Seattle. Kakko now has 13 points in 14 games (four goals, nine assists) played with the Kraken since the trade last month with the New York Rangers.
What’s next:
The Kraken will continue their home stand with a Martin Luther King Jr. Day matinée against the Buffalo Sabres at 1 p.m on Monday.
The Source: Original FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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Seattle, WA
Seattle fans pack waterfront hours early as USA defeats Australia, advances in World Cup
SEATTLE — Soccer fans descended on Seattle’s waterfront well before kickoff Friday, staking out their spots early to watch a highly anticipated World Cup matchup at Seattle Stadium between the United States and Australia. That patience paid off as Team USA won the match and now advances to the knockout round.
The atmosphere at Pier 62 was electric from the start, with fans lining up for prime viewing positions, whether down on the water’s edge or taking in the sweeping scene from the waterfront overlook above.
“I mean, look at all these people that are here hours beforehand to celebrate this incredible game,” said Paul Hanson, who was rooting for Team USA. “The hairs are going up on the arm.”
The energy was a draw in itself.
“The energy is amazing, everyone’s in a great mood, it’s just a lot of fun to be down here,” Maggie McNeil said.
Not everyone in the crowd was wearing red, white, and blue.
Lizzie Manning hails from Melbourne, Australia, and is now living in the Pacific Northwest.
Manning told KOMO News she hasn’t been back home in nearly a decade, but taking in the U.S.A-Australia match with the waterfront crowd gave her a taste of it.
“Whenever I see another Australian I’m like, ‘Aussie Aussie Aussie, oy oy oy,’” she said. “I feel so close to home. I need a meat pie, life’s good.”
“I’ve met so many people who are visiting from other countries,” Seattle resident Maddie Chaplain said. “I sat next to a couple yesterday who was eating dumplings for the first time from Argentina, that was so awesome.”
With Team USA advancing, fans like Aaron Olson say they’ll be back for more.
“USA’s gonna win it,” Olson said. “I will come down here every game. This is spectacular.”
The World Cup watch parties continue on Pier 62 throughout the tournament. They are free and open to the public with online registration, but capacity is limited.
Seattle News Weekly S1E44: FIFA Frenzy hits the PNW
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is off and running as Seattle prepares to host the United States vs. Australia match on Friday. With more matches to be played in the Emerald City after that, FOX 13’s David Rose, Dan Griffin and Austin Lane are taking a closer look at the biggest stories surrounding the international tournament. Dan is hearing from fans on Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s decision to turn on CCTV cameras during the World Cup, Austin is taking a deeper dive into why ties are a good thing in the group stage, and David revisits the lessons learned from the first match hosted in Seattle between Egypt and Belgium.
SEATTLE – The FIFA World Cup has taken Seattle by storm, bringing global excitement to our city and visitors from across the world.
On this week’s episode of the ‘Seattle News Weekly’ podcast, David Rose, Dan Griffin and Austin Lane discuss the top headlines of the week that have emerged alongside the buzz about the FIFA World Cup 2026.
A Massive Tournament Expansion
The hosts open the podcast with a discussion on how historically large this year’s FIFA World Cup is compared to years past. Expanded to 48 teams (up from 32), the tournament features a record 104 matches over 39 days across 16 host cities. Seattle is hosting six of those matches.
Austin explains the value of “ties” in the group stage—especially with the new format where 32 teams advance to the knockout stage instead of 16—meaning a single point from a tie carries significant weight.
At the time of recording, the US had already defeated Paraguay and is preparing to face Australia at “Seattle Stadium,” where a win would guarantee advancement.
Transit Tactics
Dan Griffin reports on the city’s transit system, noting that while the light rail is moving a massive influx of people smoothly, transit authorities are actively “throttling” passengers.
This practice involves controlling crowd flow onto platforms to ensure safety, which has caused wait times of over an hour for some fans on TikTok. Transit officials recommend that fans walk to stations slightly further away from the stadium district to get moving faster.
The CCTV Security Debate
The hosts talk about how security is a major focal point. The FBI has already had to confiscate drones being flown illegally downtown. More prominently, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson activated controversial closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the Stadium District following “general but credible threats” identified by law enforcement.
While an activist group called Community, Not Cameras expressed fears that the surveillance puts vulnerable populations at risk due to federal agency presence, visitors and fans interviewed largely welcomed the extra layer of security. The cameras are expected to be turned off after the World Cup concludes.
Cultural Celebrations and Fan Experiences
The hosts play a clip from reporter Lauren Donovan who provides a colorful look at the fan festivities happening in the city. She highlights the “March to the Match,” describing Monday morning where Belgian fans swarmed Victory Hall alongside middle school band directors from the Stanwood-Camano district who were recruited to drum for them.
She also joins celebrating Egyptian fans, whose match against Belgium ended in an enthusiastic tie. The hosts note that international fans (like those from Australia) are already flooding local attractions, including Seattle Mariners baseball games, turning the sporting event into a broader West Coast vacation.
Seattle News Weekly is a podcast that goes in depth and gives context to the stories that matter to the western Washington community. Check back every Thursday for a new episode on your favorite podcast platform, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Stitcher, Amazon Music, TuneIn and Audible or YouTube.
MORE WORLD CUP NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE
USA players want to lay off the ‘Layup’ chatter ahead of Australia matchup
How Seattle is preparing for USMNT vs. Australia World Cup match on Juneteenth
FIFA World Cup billboards in Seattle spark sexual health conversations
Seattle’s Ballard to host Pride celebration, FIFA watch party on June 26
Seattle reviews FIFA World Cup 2026 transit options after post-match congestion
Egypt’s World Cup pride, Mohamed Salah’s legacy and one fan’s love for the Pharaohs
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
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