The 2021 Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft is tonight at 8 p.m.

You can watch on SN1, SN NOW and TVAS in Canada and on ESPN2 in the US. If those options don’t thrill you, you can watch Steve Dangle react to the picks:

In another Tweet, he mentions that this video should be available worldwide. I believe that one starts a little before 8 p.m.

The event is being held at Gas Works Park in Seattle:

I see where the name comes from. There’s a natural slope to the large grassy area to the left that makes it perfect for events with a stage and a big crowd. The park is considered to be an early example of sustainable landscape architecture, and was designed by Richard Haag.

This is a view of the city from the park at dusk, which should be about what attendees will see tonight after the fun. The party gets going at 5 p.m. local time, and it should be sunny and 20°.

There are expected to be 4,000 guests at the park, which sits on Lake Union, to watch the 30 choices of the Seattle Kraken revealed. It is expected that more than one drafted player will be on hand in the new Kraken jersey. Who those players are (Chris Driedger, is my bet for one) is a secret for now.

In a move reminiscent of the only fun part of the NHL’s Lake Tahoe game, boaters can watch from the water:

The selections are due to be sent to the NHL this morning at 10 a.m.,  and all contracts signed, trades made and selections from lists have to be verified by the NHL. Trades should be revealed tonight as well.

As you know if you saw the leaked video, the Kraken have filmed some selection announcements at Pike Place Market.

There will be a celebrities and hockey people, and there’s always a Leafs connection:

Chris Fowler, Dominic Moore and Kevin Weekes will be on stage to host ESPN’s first NHL TV event under the new U.S. media rights deal that begins with the 2021-22 season.

Kraken general manager Ron Francis will unveil selections with help from Seattle sports celebrities of the past and present: Sue Bird, Marshawn Lynch, Lenny Wilkens, Jordan Morris, Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Bobby Wagner and Kyle Lewis.

Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer, a member of the Kraken ownership group, will take part. So will Kraken scout Cammi Granato, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. There will be Seattle recording artist Macklemore, frontline workers from Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, construction workers from Climate Pledge Arena and more.

If you’re anxious for trades to begin, you have to wait for tomorrow for the freeze to be lifted, but rumours are eternal.

Happy Expansion Day, everyone. By this time tomorrow there will be 32 teams in the NHL.