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Seattle Met
31 minutes
Healing with Horse Power
After spending years documenting trauma, filmmaker Amy Herdy wants to use her San Juan Island horse farm to treat it.
Davy Jones Locker Room
about 1 hour
Draft Profiles 2k26: Alberts Šmits is Latvia’s ferocious hope
The Draft Profiles are back! And we start with a defender! Defenseman Alberts Šmits has one of the more unique paths as a defenseman in this draft; being a Latvian playing in Finland as one of the younger players in the top finnish league, and having a serious chance of being the highest drafted player from his home country. And he’s done it in a simple, easy to understand way; bowling over the competition. Who is he? Alberts Šmits is a Valmiera, Latvian-born, 6’3, 209-pound defenseman who shoots Left. He plays for Jukurit in the Finnish Liiga; the highest level of Finnish hockey. At the conclusion of their season, Jukurit loaned Šmits to EHC Red Bull München in the highest level of German hockey; the DEL. He also had a pretty active career this year with the Latvian National Team; playing at the World Juniors, the World Championships, and the Olympics. What’s he good at? AGGRESSION. European players have largely broken this through the last two decades, but there is a low level stigma around the European game of not being especially physical. This is largely because you need to actually commit to being physical overseas; their commitment to larger, Olympic sized rinks means if you whiff on a hit, you’re going to be extremely out of a play and looking ridiculous. As such, players develop more of an understanding of the defensive game from a less physical side of things. It appears nobody really told Šmits any of that, because he loooooooves gettin’ involved physically. Šmits combines a lot of the best aspects of your modern defenseman; good skating, solid instincts on how to clog up a lane and when, and strong stickwork, and marries it to a ferocious work ethic that makes him a nightmare to forecheck against. Alberts Šmits will move heaven and earth to get after you. His aggression regularly forces forecheckers to get rid of the puck in a hurry with the fear of a large Latvian sitting on top of them whacking away at the puck or at them, and his strong stickwork allows for a major advantage in winning board battles (the NHL-sized frame helps there a lot), then can allow him to either get a clean breakout through a pass, or he’ll get himself involved in the play as a first line of attack; using solid skating to get as close to a zone entry and then dump it, or even just go and see if he can create some offense. And yet, when in high danger situations, it always appears as though Šmits is right in his element. He closes shooting lanes with ease both on the cycle and in transition, he will casually maneuver players at speed away from the middle of the ice, and towards his Indeed, when he’s on his game, Šmits is a shift-warping defender who can be a major force of danger for his team. What’s he not so good at? Harnessing said aggression responsibly. It’s only natural that a player this aggressive will sometimes put himself in hot water, especially in a more stringent european league. This sometimes means whiffed hits, undisciplined play, or taking himself out of the play in order to tie up one player or go impose himself on the other team. It’s especially prominent in net-front defense, where he can be caught focusing down on one player and ignoring others; pulling himself out of position. Further, Šmits aggression didn’t come from nowhere; Jukurit would’ve been on the relegation chopping block had Liiga still operated as of the Finnish ice hockey relegation/promotion pyramid. Further, his national team is Latvia; an eternal underdog that is continually hard up for offense. His minute munching tendencies for both of these squads meant he wasn’t just being asked to do a lot defensively, he was often asked to be the instigating force for the offense. This has created a very shoot-first mentality in the young man that is prone to taking any old shot to see if it can get to the dangerous area of the ice, no matter if there’s a shooting lane or not. This can also end up creating bad bounces that have him on the back foot or making passes to seemingly nowhere in the desperate hope of creating something, anything, for his team. More than anything, honing Šmits’ aggression so that it compliments his skillset rather than giving it the chance to undermine his abilities will be critical to his development; allowing him the space to not feel like he needs to be the hero all the time. Prospect Rankings Ranked 2nd by NHL Central Scouting among European Skaters. Ranked 11th by EliteProspects.com Ranked 8th by TSN’s Craig Button Ranked 7th by DailyFaceoff.com Ranked 7th by Smaht Scouting Ranked 11th by DobberProspects Should the Kraken take him? If Šmits ends up in Seattle, it’s hard not to think of a scenario in which he doesn’t become a fan favorite as Šmits has a game that your average NHL fan can just wrap themselves in like a big, angry hug. It helps that other than Chase Reid, the rest of the defensive prospects in this draft will probably need at least a couple of years to find themselves in the pro level whereas Smits will almost certainly have a major leg up from having played in pro leagues already. I’m not saying he’ll play immediately, but if he gets to wear Deep Blue? It will be difficult taking him out of it if he brings that game to the NHL.
City Cast Seattle
about 5 hours
The Croc's New Owner, the Lenin Statue's Wild Origin, and What's Happening at 12th and Jackson
Today on the podcast, host Jane C. Hu and producer Liam Billingham sit down with the new owner of The Crocodile, Comedy Tent’s managing director, Chris Copen to ask all about the future of The Crocodile. They dig into plans for the smaller stages, and what 1,000 survey responses in under an hour from Seattleites says about how much this city cares about our arts venues. Then, contributor Marcus Harrison Green joins to unpack Mayor Katie Wilson's new crackdown at 12th and Jackson — and whether it will have a real impact. Plus: the surprisingly wild history of Fremont's Lenin statue and our listeners shout out some of their favorite spots around town in our Monday Mailbag. Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastSeattle on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 206-880-3931. For more Seattle news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, City Cast Seattle. Support City Cast Seattle by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm/seattle Looking to advertise on City Cast Seattle? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.
Davy Jones Locker Room
about 16 hours
F Bobby McMann re-signs in Seattle for 6 year deal!
TIME TO GET MCMANNLY The Kraken announced today they have re-signed Bobby McMann for 6 years for $5.75 million a year. BOBBY'S STAYING IN SEATTLE! 🙌The #SeaKraken have agreed to terms with forward Bobby McMann for a 6-year deal. pic.twitter.com/9nQzDRSqif— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) June 21, 2026 McMann came over in a trade from the Maple Leafs, where he immediately made a name for himself due to the sheer amount of goals he scored…while also infuriatingly being on a team that could not actively make any gains after he scored. That said, he’s been nothing but a phenomenal player for the Kraken; finishing with 14 points in 18 games. Extremely solid dude. McMann’s contract will bring him to his 36th year in the NHL, and while that definitely is…something, I think having a player like McMann is a net positive for the Kraken. They desperately need players who are willing to go to the net, and Bobby McMann, above all else, is willing to do that. If nothing else, he can be an example for others in his later years. For now? Let’s get him back at nearly a point per game pace and have some fun. Welcome Bobby back to The Deep!
Davy Jones Locker Room
about 20 hours
Kraken trade 25th overall pick, conditional 2nd rounder for F Mackie Samoskevich
Let’s set the scene with an appropriate song. The Seattle Kraken announced today that they have traded their 25th overall pick this year and a conditional 2nd round for 2027 (which is either going to be Winnipeg or Columbus’ picks) for Florida’s Mackie Samoskevich. COAST 🔀 COASTWe've acquired forward Mackie Samoskevich from the @FlaPanthers in exchange for the 25th overall pick in the 2026 #NHLDraft and a conditional second-round pick in 2027 → http://bit.ly/SEAMackie— Seattle Kraken (Bot) (@notseattlekraken.bsky.social) 2026-06-21T17:39:51.221Z Samoskevich is a Connecticut-born forward who primarily plays Right Wing and Center. He is 5’11, and 180-pounds who came from the University of Michigan; playing with Matty Beniers in their National Title season. In the NHL, he has primarily played as a depth piece for the Florida Panthers through their cup runs in 2023-24 and 2024-25. Samoskevich is primarily described as a solid, analytically strong player with great skating speed who unfortunately has yet to truly break out in the NHL, with decent but low point totals. Of course, part of that was the Panthers top 6 was an absolute killer’s row, and when he was given additional ice time, he showed some flashes of potential; potential he only got to show when the Panthers were almost half Springfield Thunderbirds at one point. Mackie Samoskevich with 12 goals, 20 assists, and 32 points in 77 games during the 2025 seasonpic.twitter.com/I3UtZUSynI— RotoWire Sports Betting (@RotoWireSports) June 21, 2026 The trade for Samoskevich seems to indicate that the Kraken are trying to get a little younger, as even if he’s struggled to truly find his goalscoring form, he’s both an RFA and a 23 year old at that; potentially leaving one of Tolvanen, McMann, or Schwartz as the odd man out. It is also an acquisition for yet another middle 6 forward, so high-end skill is still a major need coming into the NHL Draft, and as NHL Draft theory goes; the higher the draft pick, the better chance of an NHLer coming out of the deal. If they kept this pick, EliteProspects.com suggests that the players potentially available at this position were Mathis Preston; a center who fell considerably throughout the year as his pedestrian season masked his otherwise strong skating ability, Juho Piiparinen; a Finnish defender who split time between Tappara and it’s U20 team, and Yegor Shilov; a Russian-born center from the QMJHL. It’s a bet, and given the price a potentially steep one if they’re losing out on Winnipeg or Columbus’ 2nd. But if Samoskevich keeps his form, there’s a good chance he could turn into a strong contributor for the team and remains so under a cost controlled contract; something that the Kraken could always use. Personally, I think this is a bet the Kraken should be taking if they can swing it. Get a high-skill forward at the draft, get an NHL-ready player just before, keep working the phones to get some more talent. As for how he meshes with the team? We’ll find out. Let’s all welcome Mackie to The Deep!
PubliCola
1 day
This Week on PubliCola: June 20, 2026
KCRHA associate director William Towey KCRHA says the county and city owe it $8 million, county councilmember plans to eliminate… The post This Week on PubliCola: June 20, 2026 appeared first on PubliCola.
PubliCola
3 days
Here’s What Being a “Child Care Candidate” Actually Means
By Erin Haick Everyone loves child care, especially in an election year. Candidates for the Legislature, City Council, and County… The post Here’s What Being a “Child Care Candidate” Actually Means appeared first on PubliCola.
Seattle Met
3 days
What to Do In and Around Seattle for Fourth of July
From parades and fireworks to classic car shows on America's 250th birthday.
PubliCola
4 days
Right-Wing Activist Accused of Assaulting Security Guard While Trying to Force His Way Into Pro-LGBTQ Event
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Seattle Gay News (SGN) 🌈 (@seattlegaynews_) The Turning Point… The post Right-Wing Activist Accused of Assaulting Security Guard While Trying to Force His Way Into Pro-LGBTQ Event appeared first on PubliCola.
Seattle Met
4 days
Artists Design a Mini Golf Course Downtown
Putt-putt is getting creative.
Davy Jones Locker Room
4 days
PWHL Draft Recap: Torrent add goalscoring and controversy to their roster
The PWHL Draft concluded yesterday, with a bunch of depleted lineups changing hopefully for the better with the additions of fresh new talent from all across the globe. 2nd Overall Pick: Abbey Murphy – F Hometown: Evergreen Park, Illinois Dimensions: 5’5 Position: Forward Previous Team: University of Minnesota Draft Year Stats: NCAA Stats: 66 points (40 goals, 26 assists) in 31 games International Stats: 7 points (2 goals, 5 assists) in 7 games Oh boy. Off to a roaring start with this one. In any other year, this would be a slam dunk positive for the Torrent; Murphy was hailed throughout the last couple of years as the next big thing; an absolute scoring juggernaut at the college level that was pretty obviously the best player in the world not currently playing in the top women’s league. Her comparable pros are her teammates at the Olympics. Given how much of the Torrent’s roster got ransacked in the aggressive push for expansion, this kind of player would be exactly what the doctor ordered; a score-from-anywhere, ferocious, hard-headed fighter of a forward who can turn any shift exciting. This is the easiest pick any team could make in their position. Sure, she’s a bit of a firecracker on the ice, but that’s the kind of player that fans will come to love very quickly when it’s not happening to their team. …And then she decided to do the worst possible thing anyone can do; go on social media, and let her Opinions Be Known. Namely being apparently a fan of our current President, in spite of All Of That, and actively defending the US mens’ team that hit a land speed record in sewering goodwill that had built up over the course of the tournament. And I’m sure you’re saying “So what? An Athlete in a rich sport that’s a conservative? Who on earth cares?”, and it’s not necessarily an unreasonable response. We as sports fans (and especially hockey fans) are sort of used to that. It’s sort of part of becoming one; getting disappointed by bad opinions coming from our sports heroes or them doing something unfathomably dumb. Here’s the thing; the PWHL’s general audience? Does not like that. They are here because the women’s game specifically caters to them and their wants/needs from Sport and they may not have come into this from the perspective of the eternally jaded sports aficionado. There are much longer and much more potent memories in this side of the game than that of the men’s, usually because of learned experience and a clear need to keep a lot of the more unpleasant sides of the sporting world out for fear of that unsavory experience coming back with real personal consequences. To bring her to Seattle of all towns? With their fanbase as it stands? Right after being the Grand Marshals of Seattle Pride? That’s hoping you can let hockey’s insular culture cushion her from backlash. That’s trying to Hockey Man your way out of this. I don’t think you can hockey man your way out of this. Let me say this: I’m sure she’ll be decent in this league. She’s going to make a lot of enemies with her style of play, and I’m sure she’s aware of it, and actively welcomes it. But I hope she’s ready, because while she will have friends in this city…she’s gonna have a much more lukewarm response than I think she’s ready for. Welcome to the Torrent. Hope you’re braced for impact. 14th Overall: Sydney Morrow – D Hometown: Darien, Connecticut Dimensions: 5’7 Position: Defense Previous Team: University of Minnesota Draft Year Stats: 38 points (8 goals, 30 assists) in 39 games This was a great year for defense in the women’s game; Caroline Harvey will unfortunately be a very close and noteworthy problem for the Torrent, but much of the draft’s first two rounds was comprised of blueliners that will help shore up the next wave of teams. Morrow, was one such player. Morrow found her game in her sophomore season in the NCAA, going from about 8 points in 33 games at Ohio State to over a point per game after transferring to Colgate University, and getting to show some real impressive work with the Golden Gophers once she ended up there; putting up 30 points in 42 games and 38 points in 39 games this year. Morrow’s pedigree is exactly the kind of thing a scout wants to see; Shattuck St. Mary’s; the prep school that seemingly engineers hockey players above all else, from a hockey family, solid work in her brief time as a member of the USA U-18 team, and of course her quick rise into being a major contributor at the college hockey level on the back-end; not an easy feat in the women’s hockey game. Welcome to the Torrent, Sydney! 26th Overall: Emerson Jarvis – F Hometown: Mundare, Alberta Dimensions: 5’4 Position: Forward Previous Team: Quinnipiac University Draft Year Stats: 38 points (17 goals, 21 assists) in 41 games Jarvis comes to us from the ECAC; a conference which this year was a three-headed monster comprised of Yale, Princeton, and my grandfather’s alma mater; Quinnipiac. Quinnipiac ended up 7th in the women’s college hockey poll to end the season, and Jarvis was a big part of that success; ending up 2nd on the team in scoring. Jarvis’ main calling card is her speed; which will avail her well on a team that seems to be going all in on relentless skating. And again, a much needed addition to the team given how depleted they are. A forechecking waterbug of a forward is exactly what the doctor ordered for this team that needs to generate excitement now that the roster is almost totally unfamiliar. Welcome to the Torrent, Emerson! 38th Overall: Grace Elliott – F Hometown: Cloverdale, British Columbia Dimensions: 6’2 Position: Forward Previous Team: University of British Columbia Draft Year Stats: 37 points (24 goals, 13 assists) in 28 games They apparently grow them big out in coastal BC, because good gravy; 6’2? Elliott comes from the USports system; Canada’s version of the NCAA. Her team; the Thunderbirds, had a phenominal season out in the Canadian West; winning all but two of their games against an admittedly small and fairly weak division. But! You have to play the games you are presented with, and UBC finished their year with a 5th place finish in the entirety of USports; beating Ottawa and Waterloo, and might’ve been able to get away with a 4th or even 3rd place finish had Montreal not beaten them in OT. Grace Elliott was far and away the straw stirring the drink for UBC: being their leading scorer by a preposterous 15 goal margin, tied for 2nd-most assists with 13, and by far UBC’s best women’s hockey player. No, I’m not kidding. She leads the all-time list for the school. She also had the most penalty minutes at 44, but I can only imagine it is because doing even basic plays with a stick at her height meant she was prone to just catching players while standing upright. With that in mind, she is extremely used to taking control of just about any and all shifts she finds herself in using her stick skill and of course, her size to her advantage. Her skating isn’t up to the comical level of speed as her cohorts, but I imagine her place in this lineup is getting to the dirty areas and actually daring the smaller players around her to move her while she takes care of business in tight with decent passing skill and shooting. She is a project, but one you could mold into a truly special player if given time and space to develop. Welcome to the Torrent, Grace! 50th overall: Grace Gilkyson – D Hometown: Calgary, Alberta Dimensions: 5’7 Position: Defense Previous Team: Yale University Draft Year Stats: 27 points (9 goals, 18 assists) in 36 games. Welcome back to the ECAC! I hope you enjoyed your quick jaunt to Canada, it’s back to getting Very Connecticut up in here. Your New-Haven Style pizza is already in the oven. Do not resist. Gilkyson comes from the Yale Bulldogs, and made a name for herself as a strong puckmover and dangerous third-fourth opportunity shooter for their squad; being second on the team in goalscoring among defenders with 9 goals. She and the Bulldogs enjoyed a tremendously strong campaign in 2025-26, finishing the year 26-10-0 and having a great showing in the ECAC tournament…before running into Emerson Jarvis and the Quinnipiac Bobcats. Won’t make that mistake again! Another player for whom good skating and mobility is a theme. I sense the Torrent want to build themselves in a specific image. Either way, welcome to the Torrent, Grace! 62nd Overall: Gabriella Durante – G Hometown: Calgary, Alberta Dimensions: 5’11 Position: Goalie Previous Team: Real Torino Draft Year Stats: 27 points (9 goals, 18 assists) in 36 games. EEEEEY OOOOOOH WE GOTTA EYE-TALIAN GOALIE OVER HERE Durante grew up in Canada but moved to Italy in order to become an Italian National Teamer in time to play for the Winter Olympics. Italy was shockingly solid at the Milan Olympics, and was one of the few goalies to try and actually test Team USA in any capacity during their meeting. Italy still lost, of course, but she absolutely played like she wanted to be in the history books; finishing with a .908 SV% in tournament play and a 1-3-0 record. She also played in the Division 1A World Championships for Italy, with a .911 SV% and a 3-2-0 record, where the team won Bronze. Meanwhile her club team; Real Torino, which has the most comical case of stolen logo I’ve seen in a good long while and has the unmitigated gall to try and explain it to their audience, benefited from her play quite a bit; finishing with a .947 SV% through 4 games with a 3-1-0 record. Given that Torino plays in a very small league in Europe with only six squads and 14 games between them before the playoffs, that’s not a bad record at all! It does however highlight that she will be coming in on the strength of her international play, which I think will translate beautifully if her work against the USA is any indication. Welcome to the Torrent, Gabriella! And there you have it! Where the Torrent got their roster absolutely sand-blasted by expansion, they seem to have re-thought their team in the simple maxim of Speed Kills. Skating speed, skating mobility, skating explosiveness, these outside of maybe one player is a major theme in their game. Will this translate? I think there’s a good chance it does, especially if their new coach Christine Bumstead is willing to embrace that identity and let the players go wild. On the other hand, you are now going to have to get ready for a lot of fan backlash regarding miss Murphy. That’s probably something the team and the league in general isn’t super-prepared for if the continued Britta-Curl booing is any indication. Only so much of that you can ignore before it becomes a longer term issue. In general it feels like a draft with a clear purpose, and obvious upgrades towards that purpose…but a real question of whether or not the team has it’s hand on the pulse of what’s going on around it. We’ll see what the rest of their offseason looks like, because there’s still plenty to be done, even if they’ve managed to lock down Mikayla Grant-Metis, Emily Brown, Aneta Tejralová, and Theresa Schafzahl. We’ll keep you updated on how that goes as the offseason moves on!
City Cast Seattle
4 days
How Can We Make Seattle Streets Safer for Cyclists? Plus, the Futures of Harborview and Harbor Island
Today on the podcast, Jane C. Hu is joined by contributors Ryan Packer and Chase Hutchinson to discuss some of their recent work. The trio discusses the latest from Ryan on Harborview Hospital’s expansion, and how costs have pushed its opening by 3 years. They also talk about the recent death of Maridee Bonadea, a 76-year-old cyclist who was struck in West Seattle, and how we can make Seattle streets safer. Finally, Chase brings the news that Harbor Island Studios has been saved for one more year, but the future is uncertain. Finally, in our Neighbors-only bonus, Sam, Liam, and Jane talk about their weekend plans, which, for some reason, include egging Liam’s house? Learn more about the sponsors of this June 18th episode: Washington State Fair Seattle Art Museum Argosy Cruises Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastSeattle on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 206-880-3931. For more Seattle news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, City Cast Seattle. Support City Cast Seattle by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm/seattle Looking to advertise on City Cast Seattle? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.