Kraken captain Jordan Eberle, who presented Sandler with a customized Kraken third jersey in the team dressing room, was initially reluctant about the evening. But he came around once the idea got bandied about.
“I mean, it was kind of outside the box,” Eberle said. “I’ve been a leader for a while, and generally we just rent a place or something like that. And you had to kind of think a bit about what to wear.”
But Eberle came around when he saw the positives such an event could help foster within the team. His biggest concern had been that players would merely be sitting in seats, unable to mingle with one another. After all, the team’s annual Halloween party is typically held at a home or restaurant allowing for players and their significant others to socialize.
Then, they secured the center ice owner’s suite at the arena and Eberle’s concerns were eased. The event was also the first time Eberle had ever gotten to walk the arena’s concourse, which he said was a thrill.
“Any time you can try to incorporate the team and a theme, and guys have to think a little bit, and then you get the guys together for me, it’s just team bonding,” he said. “You have a fun night out and then to be able to meet him at Climate Pledge made it a special evening too.”
The Kraken didn’t just meet Sandler. Comedian David Spade was there as well, as was fellow SNL alum Rob Schneider. But the Kraken had dressed up to be Sandler. And Eberle could see it made an impact.
“I think he was impressed,” Eberle said. “I mean, I could tell he was kind of tired after he’d just finished the show, and he wanted to get out of there. But I could tell from his face that he was like, ‘This is awesome.’
“So, yeah, it was neat. And then the guys he was with, David Spade and Rob Schneider, they were just really cool to talk to.”
Eberle dressed up as the Robbie Hart character from “The Wedding Singer” 1998 production starring Sandler.
“There were like eight guys on the team who’ve never even seen that movie and didn’t know what it was,” Eberle said. “And I was like, ‘You’re all too young.’ But it was awesome.”
Kraken alternate captain Jaden Schwartz, who dressed up as Sandler’s Henry Roth character from his “50 First Dates” movie from 2004, has met a handful of celebrities but never quite like this. Schwartz, toting a ukulele like the one used by Sandler’s movie character, was among the first Kraken players to greet the comedian with a hug as he entered the dressing room.
“That was a first for me,” Schwartz said. “He’s just got so many good movies. And you know, you could dress up as somebody else from his movies if you wanted to. We just had fun with it.”