Out on the gym floor of Maplewood Heights Elementary, fourth- and fifth-graders “released the Kraken” as they competed for the school’s fourth annual floor hockey championship.

Jason Keniston is the PE teacher at Maplewood Heights who he came up with the idea for the tournament — complete with team captains, draft picks and a Stanley Cup-inspired trophy and ceremony — when the Seattle Kraken hockey team donated jerseys and hockey equipment to schools throughout the Renton School District.

“Because they provided such good equipment like jerseys and goals, I thought, ‘Let’s just make it a club,’” said Keniston of the school’s floor hockey, or floorball, tournament. “Kids are interested in hockey, but most families can’t afford it, so we just found a way to make a program to make hockey into a more inclusive game.”

The two teams that made it to the 2025 championship on Tuesday, Feb. 25, were The Krushing and Hi-Tech. In three quarters, the two teams were tied 6-6, leading to overtime. The teams then had five minutes to score a goal, but the catch was that there would be no goalies to protect the goals. Hi-Tech won 7-6.

Hi-Tech team

• Miles Finlayson, 5th

• Harper Hyde, 5th

• Valentina Arteaga, 5th

• Jack Shepard, 5th

• Quinlan Curtis, 5th

• Lilena Lim, 5th

• Giuliana Mercado Mariscal, 5th

• Tyler Chinn, 4th

• Olivia Goewey, 4th

• Camden Borges, 4th

• Mya Ellis, 4th

The Krushing team

• London O’Neill, 5th

• Eleanor Thomson, 5th

• Raegan Gunderson, 5th

• Damian Hernandez, 5th

• Liam Graham, 5th

• Thea Belmontez, 5th

• Oliver Leva, 4th

• Lucas Wong, 4th

• Gunner Walker-Hardy, 4th

• Kenzi Cormier, 4th

• Evelyn Crawford, 4th

Custodian David Felcyn was the highlight of the halftime “zamboni” ride. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.

Liam Graham, Giuliana Mercado Mariscal. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.

Harher Hyde, Olivia Goeway, Lucas Wong, Jack Shepard, Oliver Leva. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.

Oliver Leva, Miles Finlayson, Camden Borges, Lilina Lim, Giuliana Mercado Mariscal, Valentina ArteagaPhoto by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.

Olivia Goewey and Jack Shephard were named MVPs of the game. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.

Quinlan, Curtis, Lilina Lim, Tyler Chinn, Jack Shepard, Harper Hyde, Miles Finlayson. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.

Lilina Lim. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.

Jack Shepard, Eleanor Thomas, Liam Graham. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.

Oliver Leva, Liam Graham, Miles Finlayson. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.