Seattle Kraken Bring Joy to Patients, Make Special Visit to Kraken Fans

The Seattle Kraken made a special visit to Virginia Mason Medical Center (VMMC) this week, surprising patients, visitors and staff. Two Kraken players, Ben Meyers and Andre Burakovsky, along with Buoy, walked through the hospital’s halls, signing autographs and taking photos with fans and bringing joy to everyone they encountered.

Around 2 p.m. on Monday, the professional hockey players and their charismatic mascot named Buoy walked into 99-year-old Mary Dahlquist’s room. She smiled wide, her face lighting up at the unexpected sight. Mary has been a huge hockey fan since she was a little girl. She grew up in Canada and has always loved the sport, so the visit was a joyful reprieve.

Three of Mary’s children were with her in the room for the special visit. They all beamed as Buoy danced and the players chatted with them about hockey and life. It was a welcomed distraction. Their nurse found out the Kraken would be making their rounds at the hospital, and so she made sure Mary’s name was on the list for them to visit. She knew Mary was a hockey fan, and she thought it would make her day.

“Seeing them was such a highlight,” Mary said.

Erik, Mary’s son, was serendipitously wearing a Kraken sweater.

“I’m never washing this sweater again,” he teased, after both players signed it with a black sharpie marker.

“We were fans before, but now we are even bigger fans,” Erik said.

Mary was transported by ambulance to VMMC last week. She was walking with one of her sons on a trail when she suddenly fell. Emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene and brought Mary to the emergency department where she was later taken into surgery to repair her broken femur.

VMMC is a place Mary knows well. She spent more than 13 years working as a nurse at the hospital before she retired in 1993.

Being back at the hospital brings back good memories. Mary knew she wanted to be a nurse ever since she was a little girl. Today, she is the one being cared for at VMMC, and even though she didn’t expect to be back, she said she is grateful to be at the hospital – surrounded by a care team she trusts deeply.

“We feel so grateful to have such a good medical system here,” Mary said. “Virginia Mason Medical Center couldn’t be better.”

Mary’s surgery was successful, but she still has a long road to recovery.

“It was a long surgery, but she did great,” said her daughter, Lori. “She’s been doing so well.”

Mary is optimistic about her road to recovery, joking that she is excited to go to a Kraken game once her femur is healed. She said she’s looking forward to getting back out and walking, a pastime she enjoys doing daily.

“I feel so privileged we were here today. It was wonderful,” she said about meeting the Kraken players.

Her children were thankful as well. They said she’s received fantastic care, and the players and Buoy visiting made what has been a difficult time much brighter.

“This hospital has taken such great care of my mom,” said her daughter Kim.

"It's great to be able to help patients like Mary heal and recover from their injury and get them back to doing activities that they enjoy," said Alex Friedman, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at VMMC.

“This experience has been really uplifting. As of 2 p.m., I’m a Kraken fan,” joked Kim.

“We are fans for life,” they all agreed.