When is the AquaSox home series against Spokane Indians?
The Everett AquaSox host the Spokane Indians at Funko Field for a six-game home series running Tuesday, April 21 through Sunday, April 26, 2026. Game times are 7:05 PM PT Tuesday through Saturday and 1:05 PM PT on Sunday. It’s the first time these two Northwest League rivals meet at Funko Field in 2026 after the AquaSox opened the season on the road in Spokane.

Rivalry week at Funko Field. The Everett AquaSox and Spokane Indians are back in each other’s faces for a six-game home series that runs Tuesday, April 21 through Sunday, April 26, 2026 — and if you’ve been waiting for the AquaSox to come home for a long homestand, this is the week to get to Broadway.

The Indians took the season-opening series in Spokane at Avista Stadium earlier this month, which gives this homestand an instant edge. Short-season High-A baseball doesn’t always generate grudge series, but this one has the bones of one.

Series Schedule

• Tuesday, April 21 — Spokane at Everett, 7:05 PM PT
• Wednesday, April 22 — Spokane at Everett, 7:05 PM PT
• Thursday, April 23 — Spokane at Everett, 7:05 PM PT
• Friday, April 24 — Spokane at Everett, 7:05 PM PT (Fireworks Friday)
• Saturday, April 25 — Spokane at Everett, 7:05 PM PT
• Sunday, April 26 — Spokane at Everett, 1:05 PM PT

All six games are at Funko Field, 3900 Broadway in Everett. First pitch times are subject to change in the event of weather; check the AquaSox site the day of the game if the forecast looks rough.

Why This Series Matters

Early-season Northwest League baseball sets the tone for the rest of the summer. The AquaSox are a Mariners High-A affiliate, which means the names you see in the lineup card this month are the names you’ll see in Seattle lineups in 2028 and 2029. The Indians are a Colorado Rockies affiliate — and the same rule applies. These are the prospects both organizations want to evaluate under Northwest League lights, and every inning counts against the prospect-on-prospect matchups that make High-A ball worth watching.

It’s also the first real test of the AquaSox’s home field advantage in 2026. Funko Field is one of the most fan-friendly parks in the Northwest League, and the AquaSox front office has put together what looks like a strong early-season promotional calendar around this homestand.

AquaSox Prospects to Watch

The 2026 AquaSox roster is loaded with Mariners farm-system names worth keeping tabs on as the season builds. The front-office goal of a High-A affiliate is to keep the pipeline moving, and this group is built to do exactly that.

Watch how the starting rotation handles a full six-game series against the same opponent — it’s a different test than opening against a fresh team every week, and how the AquaSox adjust game-to-game against Spokane’s lineup is worth paying attention to. On the position-player side, at-bats against the same pitching staff over six games will separate the guys who are making real adjustments from the guys who are getting by on talent alone.

Funko Field: The Fan Experience

If you haven’t been to Funko Field in a while, it’s still one of the most underrated fan experiences in the Puget Sound region. The ballpark seats about 3,500, which means there isn’t a bad seat in the house. The concessions lean hard into the “local” side of minor league baseball: Everett-brewed beers from Scuttlebutt and other Snohomish County breweries, a solid food lineup, and the general atmosphere of a small ballpark where the players’ families are in the stands and you can hear the infield chatter from behind home plate.

The downtown stadium conversation continues to build around the AquaSox’s long-term future home, but for 2026, Funko Field is the show. And the show is very much worth your Tuesday night.

Getting to Funko Field

Funko Field is at 3900 Broadway in Everett. Parking is free on site. If you’re coming from downtown Everett, it’s a 10-minute drive or a 15-minute bus ride on Everett Transit. Gates typically open an hour before first pitch. Tickets are available through the team’s website, Ticketmaster, or the box office on game day.

Kids under 5 are free, and the AquaSox’s family-friendly atmosphere — on-field games between innings, in-game contests, post-game autographs on select nights — makes this one of the best affordable family outings in Snohomish County.

Spokane Indians: Who’s Coming to Town

The Indians are the Rockies’ High-A affiliate and bring a handful of top-30 organizational prospects into Everett for this series. They were strong in the season-opening set in Spokane and will want to keep that momentum rolling into this homestand. The Indians and AquaSox see each other several more times in 2026, but early-season head-to-head sets up the pecking order for the rest of the summer.

What to Watch For This Series

• Tuesday: Which rotation arm the AquaSox send out to open the homestand — early-season starting-pitcher usage tells you a lot about organizational plans.
• Wednesday-Thursday: How both lineups adjust after seeing each other’s top arms. Minor league scouting reports evolve fast.
• Friday (Fireworks): The marquee night of the series. Expect the biggest crowd of the homestand and the best atmosphere at Funko Field so far this season.
• Saturday-Sunday: Bullpen usage and depth. Six games in six days asks a lot of the relief corps in both organizations.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the AquaSox-Spokane series start?

Tuesday, April 21, 2026, first pitch at 7:05 PM PT at Funko Field.

Is the whole series at Funko Field?

Yes. All six games, April 21-26, are home games for the AquaSox at Funko Field.

What time are the games?

7:05 PM PT Tuesday through Saturday, 1:05 PM PT on Sunday.

Is there a fireworks night?

Friday, April 24 is the traditional Fireworks Friday night, typically the most-attended game of each home series.

Where is Funko Field?

3900 Broadway, Everett, WA. Parking is free on-site.

How can I get tickets?

Through the AquaSox team website, Ticketmaster, or the Funko Field box office on game day.

Who are the AquaSox affiliated with?

The Seattle Mariners. The AquaSox are the Mariners’ High-A affiliate in the Northwest League.

When and where is Silvertips vs. Penticton Vees Game 1?
Game 1 of the 2026 WHL Western Conference Final is Thursday, April 23, 2026, at 7:05 PM PT at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett. Game 2 is Saturday, April 25, at 6:30 PM PT, also in Everett. The Silvertips host the expansion Penticton Vees in a best-of-seven series, with the winner advancing to the WHL Final and a Memorial Cup berth in Kelowna.

Two wins away from the WHL Final. Four wins away from the Memorial Cup in Kelowna. And it all starts Thursday night at Angel of the Winds Arena.

The Everett Silvertips open the Western Conference Final at home against the Penticton Vees on Thursday, April 23, 2026, at 7:05 PM PT. Game 2 follows Saturday, April 25, at 6:30 PM PT. Both games are at Angel of the Winds Arena in downtown Everett, and if you’ve been waiting all season for the playoff run to come home, this is the weekend to be there.

How the Silvertips Got Here

Everett’s road to the Western Conference Final started with the best regular season a WHL team has posted in more than a decade. The Silvertips finished 57-8-2-1 with 117 points — the most a WHL club has recorded in 12 years — and captured the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as the league’s regular-season champion.

They carried that form straight into the playoffs. Round 1 against the Prince George Cougars was a sweep. Round 2 against the Kelowna Rockets went five games and ended with one of the most memorable goals of the Silvertips’ season: defenseman Landon DuPont walking off Kelowna with an overtime winner 29 seconds into the extra frame, sending Everett through 4-1 in the series.

Carter Bear broke the deadlock in that Game 5 with a shorthanded goal in the third period. Raymond Miller stopped 30 of 31 shots. And DuPont — a finalist for WHL Defenseman of the Year — added another chapter to what is becoming a trophy-case season.

Meet the Penticton Vees

The Vees are the first-year WHL expansion team, and nothing about their first postseason has looked tentative. They beat the Prince George Cougars in six games in the Western Conference Semifinal, closing out the series in overtime on a goal from Jacob Kvasnicka, a New York Islanders prospect and Penticton’s only NHL draft pick.

Head-to-head in the regular season, Everett took three of four from Penticton, including both games in Penticton at the South Okanagan Events Centre. DuPont led the Silvertips scoring against the Vees with six points in those four games. Kvasnicka piled up eight points (1 goal, 7 assists) against Everett and is the guy Silvertips fans should be watching every shift.

But regular season head-to-head means exactly what it always means in playoff hockey: a little, and not nearly as much as you’d like. The Vees already took down a top team in Prince George. They’ve earned the right to be called a threat.

Silvertips Players to Watch

Through two playoff rounds, Carter Bear and Landon DuPont each had 10 goals in the 2026 WHL playoffs — among the league leaders. Bear’s six-goal outburst in Round 1 against Kelowna was the kind of performance that rewrites an NHL Draft evaluation in real time. DuPont has been a complete player: offense, defense, and now overtime heroics.

Goaltender Raymond Miller has been steady through two rounds, including the 30-save performance in Game 5 that held a 2-1 lead against Kelowna when it mattered most. And shout-out to Steve Hamilton, a finalist for WHL Coach of the Year, who has this team playing the best hockey in the league from October through April.

What’s on the Line

The winner of this series heads to the WHL Final against either Prince Albert or Medicine Hat. The winner of that series heads to Kelowna for the 2026 Memorial Cup — the Canadian Hockey League championship and the biggest stage in junior hockey. The Silvertips have been to the WHL Final before. They have not won a Memorial Cup. A 117-point regular season and two decisive playoff rounds say this is the year to finish the job.

Tickets, Parking, and Getting to the Game

Game 1 and Game 2 tickets are available through Ticketmaster and the Angel of the Winds Arena box office. Puck drop is 7:05 PM PT Thursday, 6:30 PM PT Saturday. The arena is at 2000 Hewitt Avenue in downtown Everett, and downtown parking fills up early on big playoff nights — plan to be there by 6:15 PM for Thursday’s game if you want to grab a pre-game bite at one of the Hewitt Avenue spots first.

If you’re new to Silvertips playoffs: the atmosphere at Angel of the Winds Arena on a big night is one of the best sports environments in the Puget Sound region. Loud. Local. Kids in hockey jerseys. The orange towels come out. If you’ve been telling yourself all year that you’d get to a game, this is the one.

Series Schedule

• Game 1: Thursday, April 23 — Penticton at Everett, 7:05 PM PT
• Game 2: Saturday, April 25 — Penticton at Everett, 6:30 PM PT
• Game 3: Wednesday, April 29 — Everett at Penticton (if necessary)
• Game 4: Friday, May 1 — Everett at Penticton (if necessary)
• Game 5: Saturday, May 2 — Penticton at Everett (if necessary)
• Game 6: Wednesday, May 6 — Everett at Penticton (if necessary)
• Game 7: Friday, May 8 — Penticton at Everett (if necessary)

Schedule per Silvertips and WHL. Game times for later games in the series may shift slightly; confirm before heading out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who do the Silvertips play in the Western Conference Final?

The expansion Penticton Vees, who won Round 2 against the Prince George Cougars 4-2 on a Jacob Kvasnicka overtime goal.

Where is Game 1?

Angel of the Winds Arena, 2000 Hewitt Avenue, Everett, WA. Puck drop Thursday, April 23 at 7:05 PM PT.

What was Everett’s regular season record?

57-8-2-1, 117 points — the best WHL regular season in 12 years and the 2025-26 Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy.

Who should I watch on the Silvertips?

Carter Bear and Landon DuPont each had 10 playoff goals through two rounds. DuPont is a finalist for WHL Defenseman of the Year. Raymond Miller in net has been sharp.

What’s at stake?

The series winner goes to the WHL Final for a chance at the 2026 Memorial Cup in Kelowna — the Canadian Hockey League championship.

How did Everett and Penticton fare in the regular season?

Everett won three of four meetings, including both games in Penticton. DuPont led Everett scoring; Kvasnicka led Penticton.

Where can I buy tickets?

Ticketmaster or the Angel of the Winds Arena box office. Both Thursday and Saturday tickets are on sale now.

Quick answer: As of February 20, 2026, VFW Veterans Service Officers no longer hold weekday hours inside the Everett Vet Center at 1010 SE Everett Mall Way. Veterans seeking VA claims help in Snohomish County now have three primary in-person options: monthly visits from VBA staff at the Vet Center (by appointment), the Snohomish County Veterans Assistance Program at 3000 Rockefeller Avenue in Everett, and the VFW Department of Washington office one suite over at 1010 SE Everett Mall Way, Suite 101.

If you’re a veteran in Everett or anywhere in north Snohomish County and you’ve been used to walking into the Vet Center on a weekday to get help filing a VA claim, you may have noticed the signs and the schedule changed earlier this spring. The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Veterans Service Officers who used to hold regular weekday hours inside the Everett Vet Center on Everett Mall Way are no longer there during the workweek. The change took effect February 20, 2026, and the Vet Center has updated its public information to reflect a new claims-support pattern: monthly visits from Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) staff at the same location, available by appointment.

For most veterans this is a manageable change. For some it is a real wrinkle. The point of this guide is to make sure no one in Snohomish County misses a benefit they earned because they showed up at the wrong door on the wrong day.

What actually changed

The Everett Vet Center, located at 1010 SE Everett Mall Way, Suite 207, is part of the national Vet Center program run by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Vet Centers exist primarily to provide readjustment counseling — confidential, no-cost mental health and family support for combat veterans, survivors of military sexual trauma, and family members of service members who died on active duty. Counseling is the Vet Center’s core mission.

In addition to that core mission, the Everett facility had hosted VFW-credentialed Veterans Service Officers (VSOs) on weekdays as a partner service. A VSO is an accredited representative who can sit down with a veteran, walk through the VA disability claim or appeal process, prepare documents, and submit them on the veteran’s behalf — at no charge. Walk-in or scheduled VSO appointments at the Vet Center had been a quiet but heavily used resource for years, especially for veterans north of Seattle who don’t want to drive to the VA medical center on Beacon Hill.

According to the Vet Center’s current public-facing information, that arrangement ended February 20, 2026. VFW VSOs are no longer staffing the Everett Vet Center on weekdays. In its place, VBA staff — federal employees of the Veterans Benefits Administration — visit the Vet Center monthly to take claims appointments. Walk-ins for benefits help should not be assumed; the Vet Center publishes its updated visit schedule and recommends calling ahead.

The counseling services at the Vet Center are not affected. PTSD counseling, military sexual trauma counseling, family and couples therapy, bereavement support, and the existing veteran group programs continue on the same Monday-through-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. schedule. Non-traditional hours are available by arrangement, and the after-hours Vet Center Call Center remains 877-927-8387.

What changed is specifically the day-to-day, walk-in-style availability of trained claims help inside that building.

Why this matters in Snohomish County

The Everett Vet Center serves a wide chunk of north Snohomish, Skagit, and Island Counties. For a sizable population of veterans living in Marysville, Lake Stevens, Mill Creek, Mukilteo, and the Smokey Point/Arlington corridor, the Vet Center is the closest VA-affiliated building they ever set foot in. The Everett VA Outpatient Clinic on Smokey Point Boulevard handles primary and mental health care, but it is not a benefits office. The full VA Regional Office is in Seattle. The Snohomish County Veterans Services office is downtown, which is fine if you live in Everett proper but not as convenient if you live to the north.

For veterans without reliable transportation, with mobility limitations, or with PTSD-related anxiety about new environments, the loss of a familiar, non-clinical place to walk in and ask for claims help is a real friction point. The fix is not to give up on filing — the fix is to know where to go now.

The three best in-person options today

There are three places in Snohomish County where a veteran can sit down with an accredited person, in a familiar Everett-area setting, and get free claims help. They are listed below in order of how most veterans should think about them.

Option 1: VBA monthly visits at the Everett Vet Center (by appointment)

This is the closest direct replacement for what used to be there. VBA — the part of VA that processes disability claims, appeals, education benefits, home loan certificates, and survivor benefits — sends staff to the Everett Vet Center on a recurring monthly schedule. These are appointment-based visits, not drop-in hours.

• Location: Everett Vet Center, 1010 SE Everett Mall Way, Suite 207, Everett, WA 98208
• Best for: Existing VA benefits questions, claim status checks, eligibility questions, help understanding a decision letter
• How to schedule: Call the Everett Vet Center to confirm the next VBA visit date and reserve a slot
• Cost: Free

If your situation is straightforward — you need to ask a clarifying question about a recent claim, you got a decision letter you don’t fully understand, you want to confirm whether something qualifies for an appeal — the monthly VBA visit is often the right first call.

Option 2: VFW Department of Washington — Everett Office (Suite 101, same building)

Veterans who specifically want a VFW-accredited Service Officer experience can still get one in the same building, just downstairs. The VFW Department of Washington maintains a Service Officer presence at 1010 SE Everett Mall Way, Suite 101 — one suite over on the ground floor of the same complex that houses the Vet Center.

• Location: 1010 SE Everett Mall Way, Suite 101, Everett, WA 98208
• Phone: (425) 740-2706
• Best for: Filing a new VA disability claim, preparing an appeal, getting an accredited VSO to represent you
• How to schedule: Call ahead. The VFW operates by appointment as a rule
• Cost: Free; no VFW membership requirement to receive accredited claims help

For veterans who started a claim with a VFW VSO, who already have a VFW representative on file with VA, or who simply prefer working with a veteran-led service organization, this is the most direct continuity.

Option 3: Snohomish County Veterans Assistance Program

Snohomish County operates its own Veterans Assistance Program out of the Drewel Building on the county campus in downtown Everett. This is a county-funded program separate from VA, and it is the Swiss Army knife of veteran help in this county. The Veterans Assistance Program has accredited staff who help veterans and dependents file VA claims, file appeals, request rating upgrades, and navigate emergency financial assistance, food assistance, homelessness services, and senior or disabled veteran case management.

• Address: Snohomish County Campus, 3000 Rockefeller Avenue, Lower Level, Drewel Building (Administration Building East), Everett, WA 98201
• Intake line: 425-388-7255
• Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Best for: Veterans who need claims help PLUS another type of support (utility assistance, emergency vouchers, housing help, food, employment support, or case management)
• Cost: Free for eligible Snohomish County veterans and dependents

If your situation is layered — say, you’re trying to file a disability claim while also dealing with an eviction notice or a utility shutoff — the County program is built for exactly that. They can do both pieces in one visit instead of sending you to three different offices.

Counseling at the Vet Center is unchanged

It’s worth restating clearly because the schedule change can be confusing. The Everett Vet Center still does what Vet Centers across the country are designed to do: confidential, no-cost readjustment counseling.

Services available there continue to include individual counseling for combat-related PTSD, depression, and anxiety; military sexual trauma counseling; couples and family counseling with licensed marriage and family therapists onsite; bereavement counseling for survivors of service members who died on active duty; substance use disorder referrals; and group programs including art therapy, meditation, and Vietnam veteran groups.

Eligibility is broad. Veterans and current service members do not need to be enrolled in VA health care to use the Vet Center. They do not need a service-connected disability rating. Family members of eligible veterans, and surviving family members of service members who died on active duty, also qualify.

The Vet Center building itself still has a large, well-lit parking area in front, and is on regular Community Transit lines. The phone is (425) 252-9701 during business hours and 877-927-8387 for the 24/7 national Vet Center Call Center.

What to bring to a claims appointment

Whichever of the three options above you choose, the appointment goes faster and the chance of getting an answer that day goes up if you bring documentation. A short checklist:

• DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), or DD-215 if amended
• A photo ID
• Any VA decision letters you have received (denials, ratings, appeal responses)
• A list of medical conditions you believe are connected to service, with approximate dates of onset
• Names and locations of any military or VA medical providers who treated the conditions
• Any buddy statements or lay evidence you have already gathered
• For survivors: a copy of the DD-1300 (Casualty Report) or VA dependency decision

A VSO or VBA representative cannot guarantee the outcome of a claim. What they can do is make sure the claim is filed correctly, that the right evidence is attached, and that nothing on the form leaves money on the table.

A note on online and phone options

Not every veteran needs an in-person appointment. The VA has invested heavily in the va.gov claims portal, and many straightforward filings — initial disability claims, supplemental claims, increased rating requests, dependency adjustments, secondary claims — can be filed entirely online by the veteran or by a representative on the veteran’s behalf.

For veterans who are comfortable with the technology, the online path is usually the fastest. For veterans who want a person, want a second set of eyes on the form, or have a complicated situation involving an existing rating or appeal — the in-person options above are the right move.

The 24/7 VA Benefits hotline is 800-827-1000. The 24/7 Veterans Crisis Line is dial 988, then press 1, or text 838255. Both are free and confidential.

The bottom line for north Snohomish County veterans

Nothing about the February 2026 change at the Everett Vet Center reduces the benefits a veteran is entitled to. It is a process change, not a benefits change. The accredited help is still in the county; it just sits in three places now instead of one. If you’re starting a new claim, the VFW office in Suite 101 of the same Vet Center building is the most direct path. If you have an existing claim or decision letter and need a quick conversation with VA staff, the monthly VBA visit at the Vet Center — by appointment — is the right call. If you need claims help plus any other kind of support, Snohomish County’s Veterans Assistance Program at 3000 Rockefeller is built to handle both at the same time.

The Everett Vet Center itself is still what it has always been: the place to walk in for confidential counseling. That door is still open Monday through Friday.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did the Everett Vet Center close?

No. The Vet Center at 1010 SE Everett Mall Way, Suite 207 remains open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., for counseling and family support services. What changed is that VFW Veterans Service Officers no longer hold weekday office hours inside the building. Counseling, group programs, and family services are unchanged.

Where do I go now if I need to file a VA disability claim in Everett?

Three good options: schedule an appointment with a VFW Veterans Service Officer at 1010 SE Everett Mall Way, Suite 101 (call 425-740-2706); request an appointment with VBA staff during their monthly visit to the Everett Vet Center; or visit the Snohomish County Veterans Assistance Program at 3000 Rockefeller Avenue (call 425-388-7255). All three are free.

Do I have to be a VFW member to use the VFW Service Officer?

No. Accredited Veterans Service Officers — whether they work for VFW, American Legion, DAV, or another Veterans Service Organization — provide claims help at no cost to any eligible veteran, regardless of membership.

How often does VBA staff visit the Everett Vet Center?

The Vet Center’s current public information says monthly. Specific dates and slot availability vary, so the Everett Vet Center recommends calling to confirm the next visit date before you go. Call (425) 252-9701 during business hours.

Can the Snohomish County Veterans Assistance Program help with more than just claims?

Yes. In addition to VA claims and appeals support, the program offers emergency financial assistance, emergency vouchers, housing and homelessness services, case management, alcohol and drug referrals, senior and disabled veteran services, incarcerated veteran outreach, and employment support. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at 3000 Rockefeller Avenue, lower level of the Drewel Building.

Is there an after-hours number if I’m in crisis?

Yes. The Veterans Crisis Line is available 24/7: dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255. The Vet Center Call Center is also 24/7 at 877-927-8387. Both are free and confidential.

Will counseling at the Vet Center cost me anything?

No. Vet Center readjustment counseling is provided at no cost to eligible veterans, current service members, and family members. Eligibility does not require VA health care enrollment or a service-connected disability rating.

Quick answer: The Washington Wolfpack host the defending Arena Bowl champion Albany Firebirds on Saturday, May 2 at 3:00 PM at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett. It’s Week 4 of the Arena Football One season and the biggest home game on the Wolfpack’s 2026 schedule. Albany went a perfect 10-0 last season and beat Nashville 60-57 to win the Arena Crown. This is the test game for Washington’s AF1 ambitions.

Yes, There’s Professional Arena Football in Everett

If you missed it — and a lot of Everett people did — the Washington Wolfpack are the newest pro sports franchise in Snohomish County. They play at Angel of the Winds Arena. They’re in Arena Football One, the revived league that picked up where the original AFL left off. And on Saturday, May 2 at 3:00 PM, they host the team that just won the whole thing last year.

The Albany Firebirds went 10-0 in the 2025 AF1 regular season. Ten and zero. They then beat the Nashville Kats 60-57 in Arena Crown 2025 to take the championship. A perfect season ending in a three-point championship win is the kind of story that normally produces a swagger-heavy title defense. Albany is bringing that swagger into Everett in two weeks.

Why You Should Care About Arena Football

Arena football is the most fan-forward version of football that exists. The field is 50 yards long. The walls are padded. Players bounce off the boards. Scoring is relentless — most AF1 games finish in the 50-60 point range per team. If you’ve only watched outdoor football, the first thing you notice is how close you are to the action. The second thing is how much scoring there is. The third thing is the crowd. AF1 games are loud in a way that football at Lumen or Husky Stadium simply isn’t, because the crowd is right on top of the field.

Angel of the Winds Arena for a Wolfpack game is a different building than Angel of the Winds Arena for a Silvertips game. Same seats, same layout — totally different feel. Touchdowns every two minutes. A scoreboard that can’t keep up. Kids running wild on the concourse during timeouts. It’s a legitimately great afternoon.

The Wolfpack’s 2026 Home Schedule

• April 12 — Home Opener vs. Oregon Lightning (already played)
• May 2, 3:00 PM — vs. Albany Firebirds (defending champions)
• May 23, 3:00 PM — vs. Beaumont Renegades
• June 20 — vs. Oregon Lightning
• June 27 — vs. Michigan Arsenal
• July 3 — vs. Nashville Kats

Six home games across fifteen weeks. A home-and-home with Oregon. A back-to-back-to-back Weeks 11-13 that includes a July 3 game against Nashville — the team Albany beat in last year’s championship — the night before Independence Day. That’s a pretty smart schedule from the Wolfpack front office.

What the Albany Game Tells Us About the Wolfpack

Washington is a second-year franchise. The 2025 season was about establishing the product. 2026 is about building a real football team. Playing the defending champion Firebirds in Week 4 at home, in front of a crowd that is going to be a lot bigger than the season opener, is going to tell the front office exactly where the gap is.

If the Wolfpack can keep this close — say, within a touchdown or two in the fourth quarter — that’s a signal that Washington is on a playoff-contention path in 2026. If Albany runs away, we’ll know this team needs one more offseason. Either way, it’s the most meaningful Saturday afternoon on the calendar for the franchise.

Tickets, Parking, and the Fan Experience

Tickets for Wolfpack games have been some of the best-value pro sports tickets in Snohomish County. Single-game seats can be found in the low $20s with family packs available through the Wolfpack ticket office at washingtonwolfpack.com. Angel of the Winds Arena parking is $15-20 in the attached garage and there’s ample street parking within a five-minute walk on weekend afternoons.

Gates open 90 minutes before kickoff. There’s a full tailgate-style experience outside the arena on event afternoons, and concessions inside include most of the Angel of the Winds full menu. Bring kids. This league is explicitly designed for family attendance, and the Wolfpack have leaned into that from Day 1.

Fox 13+ Broadcast

If you can’t get to the arena, Fox 13+ is broadcasting every Wolfpack game locally in 2026. That partnership alone is a big deal for a year-two franchise — it means your neighbor who won’t buy a ticket still has the chance to become a fan from the couch. Check your local listings for game-day channel information.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do the Washington Wolfpack host Albany?

Saturday, May 2 at 3:00 PM at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett.

Why does the Albany Firebirds game matter?

Albany is the defending Arena Crown champion. They finished the 2025 AF1 regular season 10-0 and beat the Nashville Kats 60-57 in the championship game. This is a test game for the Wolfpack’s 2026 ambitions.

Where can I buy Wolfpack tickets?

Tickets are available at washingtonwolfpack.com, through Ticketmaster, and at the Angel of the Winds Arena box office. Single-game prices start in the low $20s.

How do the Wolfpack games differ from Silvertips games?

The arena is reconfigured for arena football. The field is 50 yards long instead of 100, the walls are padded, and play is significantly faster with far more scoring. It’s the same building but a completely different atmosphere.

Can I watch Wolfpack games on TV?

Yes. Fox 13+ is broadcasting every Wolfpack game locally throughout the 2026 season.

How many home games do the Wolfpack have this year?

Six — Home Opener (April 12), Albany (May 2), Beaumont (May 23), Oregon (June 20), Michigan (June 27), and Nashville (July 3).

Quick answer: The Everett AquaSox open a six-game home series against the Spokane Indians on Tuesday, April 21 at Funko Field. First pitch is 7:05 PM. The series runs Tuesday through Sunday, April 26, and features Sunday’s popular Family Day doubleheader wrap. Tickets start in the low teens and every game offers the classic Funko Field experience — kid-friendly, affordable, and some of the best prospect-watching in the Pacific Northwest.

The Rematch Everett Has Been Waiting For

The AquaSox opened the 2026 season on the road at Avista Stadium in Spokane back on April 3. Everett dropped the opener 4-1. They came back the next night behind three solo home runs to take their first win of the year. And they nearly completed a historic eight-run comeback before losing the series finale 10-9 in 10 innings. Three games against Spokane, and all three were memorable.

Now the Indians come to Funko Field for the rematch, and the vibe is completely different. Everett has settled in. The pitching has started to look the way Mariners farm-system watchers thought it would. Colton Shaw went six innings with seven strikeouts and zero walks in the first Tri-City home series. The lineup is figuring out where it needs to be. This six-game stretch is going to tell us a lot about what the AquaSox actually are in 2026.

The Schedule: Six Games in Six Days

• Tuesday, April 21 — First pitch 7:05 PM
• Wednesday, April 22 — First pitch 7:05 PM
• Thursday, April 23 — First pitch 7:05 PM (Thirsty Thursday)
• Friday, April 24 — First pitch 7:05 PM (postgame fireworks)
• Saturday, April 25 — First pitch 7:05 PM
• Sunday, April 26 — First pitch 1:05 PM (Family Sunday)

Friday and Saturday nights are the ones that will feel the most electric. April in Everett is finally giving us the kind of evenings where you can walk out to Funko Field without three layers. The fireworks show after Friday’s game is one of the best events of the minor-league year in the Pacific Northwest.

Prospect Watch: Who to Watch This Week

The Seattle Mariners’ player development system has made Everett one of the best prospect stops in affiliated baseball. This series against Spokane is a great chance to see the names who are going to be at T-Mobile Park in a year or two.

Felnin Celesten, SS

One of the Mariners’ premier international signings. Smooth actions at shortstop and a bat that’s starting to come alive in his first extended taste of High-A pitching. Watch him in the 5-6 hole against Spokane right-handers.

Lazaro Montes, OF

The big left-handed power bat the entire Mariners farm system has been talking about for two years. Montes is here, he’s healthy, and Funko Field’s dimensions are going to get wrecked a few times this week if he connects.

Michael Arroyo, 2B

A disciplined middle-infield bat who’s been running into barrels early this year. Arroyo’s plate discipline is the kind that shows up at the big-league level first. Worth an at-bat-by-at-bat watch.

Colton Shaw, RHP

Shaw’s command has been the best thing about the early Everett pitching staff. His start this week is going to be one of the ones to plan your trip around.

Why Funko Field in April Is the Move

A week-night AquaSox game is a three-hour, $25-for-two-people experience where the parking is easy, the food is affordable, you can actually hear your kid yell when a ball gets put in play, and you walk out the gate at 10 PM into a 60-degree April night with the Port of Everett lights across the bluff. That is the case for showing up to Funko Field as a local.

This isn’t Mariners baseball. But it’s real baseball. The kind where you can tell who’s going to be great before the rest of the country finds out. The Mariners of the next few years — the guys who’ll be on the 40-man roster when the AL West race tightens up in 2027 and 2028 — are hitting in Everett right now. Get out to a game before the Funko Field era ends and the new downtown stadium takes over.

What the AquaSox Need This Week

Look — Spokane is a tough draw. They swept the early-season series in their building. The Indians’ pitching is deep, and their lineup is aggressive in counts. Everett needs to win the starting-pitching matchup two out of six nights, they need their bullpen to stop giving up two-out hits, and they need at least one big series from the middle of the order.

Four out of six at home is the realistic goal this week. Anything less than that and the AquaSox come out of the stretch under .500 on the year. Anything more and this team starts looking like the Northwest League playoff contender we expected.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do the AquaSox play Spokane at home?

Tuesday, April 21 through Sunday, April 26 at Funko Field. First pitch is 7:05 PM Tuesday through Saturday, and 1:05 PM on Sunday.

What’s the AquaSox’s record so far this season?

Everett has been on a mixed early-season run, splitting series with Spokane, Tri-City, and Eugene. The Tri-City home series went 4-2. The most recent trip to Eugene produced some tough losses, including a 10-inning walk-off. The team is right around .500 entering this week.

Is there a fireworks night this week?

Yes — Friday, April 24 will feature postgame fireworks. This is typically the highest-attended game of the homestand, so plan to arrive 45 minutes before first pitch for parking.

Who are the top prospects to watch?

Lazaro Montes, Felnin Celesten, Michael Arroyo, and right-handed starter Colton Shaw are the four names to circle this homestand.

Where is Funko Field?

Funko Field at Everett Memorial Stadium is located at 3900 Broadway in Everett. Parking is plentiful and free on the surrounding streets, and the concourse opens 90 minutes before first pitch.

How much are tickets?

Tickets start in the low teens for outfield seating and range up through premium box and club seats. Group and family pack pricing is available through the AquaSox ticket office.

Quick answer: The Everett Silvertips beat the Kelowna Rockets 2-1 in overtime on April 17 to close out their second-round playoff series 4-1 and punch their ticket to the WHL Western Conference Final against the Penticton Vees. Defenseman Landon DuPont scored the series-clinching goal 29 seconds into overtime. Game 1 is Thursday, April 23 at Angel of the Winds Arena.

Landon DuPont Closes It. Again.

Twenty-nine seconds into overtime. That’s all the Everett Silvertips needed on Friday night to end the Kelowna Rockets’ season and send themselves to the Western Conference Final for the first time since 2022.

Landon DuPont, the Silvertips’ 17-year-old blueliner and the player the whole hockey world is already watching, ripped a shot from the point that caught a redirection off a Kelowna defensive skate and beat Rockets goaltender Josh Banini. Game over. Series over. On to Penticton.

If you were at Angel of the Winds Arena on Friday, you know the sound that place made. Five thousand people going absolutely sideways at once. That sound only happens here when the Tips do something that matters in April, and this one absolutely mattered.

How Game 5 Went Down

This was a goaltending duel through two periods. Scoreless into the third, with Kelowna’s Banini standing on his head and Everett’s Anders Miller matching him every step of the way. Miller finished with 30 saves on 31 shots. Banini ended the night at 53 saves on 55 shots — a heroic effort that just barely wasn’t enough.

The scoring didn’t start until 11:34 of the third, when Carter Bear — the Tips’ captain and heart — broke the deadlock with a shorthanded goal. Shorthanded. In Game 5. With everything on the line. That’s the kind of moment that ends up on the highlight reel for a decade.

But Kelowna wasn’t done. With 1:13 left in regulation and their net empty, Shane Smith snuck one past Miller to tie it at 1-1 and force overtime. You could feel the arena tighten up. Twenty-four hours earlier, the Tips had coughed up a 3-0 lead in Game 4 and lost in OT to Tij Iginla. The ghost of that collapse was right there in the building.

And then DuPont ended it.

The Series in Five Lines

• Game 1 (Everett): Tips 4, Rockets 1
• Game 2 (Everett): Tips 4, Rockets 2
• Game 3 (Kelowna): Tips 4, Rockets 1
• Game 4 (Kelowna): Rockets 4, Tips 3 (OT) — the 3-0 collapse
• Game 5 (Everett): Tips 2, Rockets 1 (OT) — DuPont in overtime

Series: Everett 4, Kelowna 1. Postseason record: 9-1-0-0. The regular-season champs are playing the hockey we all thought they would.

Next Up: The Penticton Vees in the Western Conference Final

Here’s what we know about the Western Conference Championship matchup:

The Penticton Vees advanced by sweeping the Prince George Cougars in four games in their own second round. That’s the kind of detail that tells you Penticton is not a cupcake draw. Sweeping anyone in the WHL playoffs takes something real.

Game 1 is Thursday, April 23 at 7:05 PM at Angel of the Winds Arena. Game 2 is Saturday, April 25 at 6:30 PM, also in Everett. Tickets are available through the Silvertips’ playoff ticket central page. For the team that just won the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as WHL regular-season champions with a franchise-best 57-8-2-1 record, home ice advantage all the way through the Western Conference Final is exactly what you’d expect. Use it.

Why This Silvertips Team Is Different

The Landon DuPont story alone is enough to draw fans from outside the arena’s normal catchment. DuPont is playing his first season of major junior at 17 after receiving exceptional status — the same designation given to John Tavares, Connor McDavid, Shane Wright, and Connor Bedard. He has lived up to the billing and then some. The game-winners in the playoffs are becoming a pattern, not a coincidence.

Around him, Carter Bear is having the captain’s postseason that Everett fans have been waiting for. Anders Miller in net has quietly been one of the best goaltenders still playing in the WHL. And the depth that got Everett to a franchise-record regular season is showing up when it matters.

Four wins from the WHL Championship Final. Eight wins from a Memorial Cup berth. That’s where we are.

Get to the Arena

If you’ve been waiting for a reason to go see this team before the Funko Field stadium conversation, the Conference Final is it. Angel of the Winds Arena is going to be loud on the 23rd. It’s going to be louder on the 25th. If the Tips take care of business at home, we’re looking at a potential series-clinching game back in Everett by early May.

Tickets, parking, and clear bag policy details are all at everettsilvertips.com. Pregame warmups start 20 minutes before puck drop. Get there early. This is the run we’ve been waiting for.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the Silvertips-Vees Western Conference Final start?

Game 1 is Thursday, April 23 at 7:05 PM at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett. Game 2 is Saturday, April 25 at 6:30 PM, also in Everett.

Who scored the overtime winner in Game 5?

Defenseman Landon DuPont scored 29 seconds into overtime, sending the Silvertips past Kelowna 2-1 and clinching the second-round series 4-1.

What is the Silvertips’ playoff record so far?

Everett is 9-1 in the 2026 playoffs after sweeping Portland in the first round 4-0 and beating Kelowna 4-1 in the second round.

Why is Landon DuPont such a big deal?

DuPont, 17, is playing his first WHL season under exceptional status — a designation previously granted to players including John Tavares, Connor McDavid, Shane Wright, and Connor Bedard. He is widely projected as a top pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.

Did the Silvertips have home ice advantage?

Yes. Everett finished the regular season at 57-8-2-1, the best record in the WHL, and won the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy. That earned them home ice through the Western Conference Final.

How did Kelowna get eliminated?

The Rockets lost the series 4-1. After dropping the first three games, Kelowna won a wild Game 4 in overtime before losing Game 5 at Angel of the Winds Arena 2-1 in OT. Kelowna’s focus now shifts to the Memorial Cup, which they are hosting.

Where can I buy tickets for the Western Conference Final?

Tickets are available at everettsilvertips.com through the playoff ticket central page. Single-game tickets for Games 1 and 2 at Angel of the Winds Arena are on sale now.

What’s happening at Naval Station Everett April 20–28, 2026? Naval Station Everett is conducting a scheduled training exercise from April 20 through April 28, 2026. Residents in surrounding communities — including parts of Everett, Mukilteo, and the waterfront areas — may hear noise from blank ammunition during the exercise. The Navy has confirmed it is a regularly scheduled readiness drill and is not in response to any specific threat.

NAVSTA Everett Begins Eight-Day Training Exercise This Week

Naval Station Everett kicked off a scheduled training exercise on Monday, April 20, 2026, that will continue through Tuesday, April 28. Over the next nine days, residents living near the base — particularly along the Everett waterfront, in north Everett, and in parts of Mukilteo — may hear sounds associated with security drills, including blank ammunition fire, and may notice increased activity around the base perimeter.

According to the public notice issued for the exercise, the training is described as a regularly scheduled, annual readiness event designed to ensure Navy personnel are trained and prepared to respond appropriately, quickly, and with confidence to a security threat. The Navy has emphasized that the exercise is not in response to any specific threat and is built on realistic scenarios designed to increase readiness.

For neighbors who have lived near the base for years, this kind of advisory is familiar. Naval Station Everett conducts force protection and security training on a recurring basis, and the same baseline message accompanies each one: the noise is real, the scenarios are realistic, and the threat being trained against is not.

What Residents in Surrounding Communities May Notice

Based on the public advisory and on past exercises of similar scope, residents in the communities closest to Naval Station Everett can expect a few things over the eight-day window:

• Noise from blank ammunition. Blanks produce a sharp, percussive sound that can carry across the water and through downtown Everett, particularly in the early morning or late afternoon when ambient noise is lower. The rounds contain no projectile and pose no risk to people or property outside the base.
• Visible base activity. Residents and commuters along West Marine View Drive may see additional security personnel, simulated incident response, and emergency vehicles moving in and out of base gates as part of the drills.
• Possible gate impacts. During training windows, the Navy sometimes adjusts gate operations to support exercise scenarios. Drivers with base access should plan for possible delays and follow any temporary signage or instructions from base security.

None of these activities indicate an actual emergency. They are part of a planned exercise. If you see something during the exercise window that does not appear to be part of normal base operations and feels genuinely off — for example, smoke or activity that extends beyond base perimeter — local emergency services and base public affairs are still the right point of contact.

Why This Matters for Everett

Naval Station Everett is the only homeport of its kind on Puget Sound’s eastern shore, and the base’s training cycle is one of the regular rhythms of life in this part of Snohomish County. The base sits at the north end of the Everett waterfront, just a few minutes from downtown, and its presence is woven into the city’s economy, its housing market, its restaurants, and its identity.

That proximity is exactly why the Navy publishes advisories like this one. A loud, unexplained noise from a military base ten minutes from your living room is unsettling. A loud, expected noise from a base that warned you a week earlier is just Tuesday in a Navy town.

The base is currently the homeport for a group of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and serves as a Pacific Northwest support facility for fleet operations. It is also at the center of a much larger ongoing conversation about its long-term future — one that has dominated Everett military coverage over the past several months as the Constellation-class frigate program was cancelled at the federal level and as Snohomish County’s recently rebooted Military Affairs Committee has begun pushing for the base to remain a homeport for whatever the Navy builds next under the FF(X) program.

Against that backdrop, a routine training exercise is a small story. But it is also a reminder that the operational mission of the base continues regardless of program-level uncertainty. Sailors still train. Security teams still drill. The base still runs.

How NAVSTA Everett Communicates Exercises to the Public

The Navy typically announces these exercises through a standard set of channels:

• Official press releases distributed to local media and posted to Commander, Navy Region Northwest news pages
• The Naval Station Everett Facebook page, which posts community advisories about gate closures, exercises, and special events
• Coordination with local outlets including The Daily Herald, My Everett News, and the Edmonds Beacon, which carry the advisories to readers in surrounding communities
• Direct notice to local emergency services, so 911 dispatchers know to expect calls about noises that turn out to be exercise-related

This week’s exercise follows a pattern Everett residents have seen before. Earlier this year, the base participated in Exercise Citadel Shield-Solid Curtain, the Navy-wide anti-terrorism and force protection exercise that ran January 26 through February 6, 2026. That exercise, which involves nearly every Navy installation in the country, brought louder and more visible activity, including simulated explosions and emergency vehicle movement. The April 20–28 exercise appears to be smaller in scope and more locally focused, but the underlying purpose is the same: training Navy security forces to respond to scenarios they hope never to face for real.

What to Do If You Have Concerns During the Exercise

For most neighbors, the right response to exercise-related noise is simply to know that it is happening. The Navy’s standard guidance for these training windows is straightforward: residents do not need to take any action.

If you live close enough to the base that the noise is genuinely disruptive — for example, if it interferes with sleep schedules, with pets, or with someone in your household who is sensitive to sudden sounds — Naval Station Everett’s public affairs office is the appropriate point of contact for questions about timing, scope, or expected duration of specific drills.

For commuters who cross near base gates during the exercise window, allow a few extra minutes during morning and evening peak times in case temporary security adjustments are in place.

The Bigger Picture: A Community Used to Living Alongside the Fleet

Everett has been a Navy town since Naval Station Everett officially commissioned in 1994. Over three decades, residents have learned to read the rhythms of the base: when destroyers leave for deployment, when they come home, when carriers visit, when training cycles intensify. The April 20–28 exercise is a small entry in that ongoing rhythm.

The fact that the Navy publishes these advisories — and that local media run them — is itself part of what makes the relationship between the base and the city work. The base does not operate as an island. It operates as a neighbor. Neighbors warn each other when they are about to make noise.

If you hear blanks across the waterfront this week, that is what is happening. The exercise concludes Tuesday, April 28.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Naval Station Everett training exercise happening?

The exercise runs from Monday, April 20, 2026 through Tuesday, April 28, 2026 — a nine-day window covering one full work week and the surrounding weekends.

Will I hear gunfire from Naval Station Everett?

You may hear sounds from blank ammunition, which produces a sharp, percussive noise but contains no projectile. The sounds can carry across the water and through nearby neighborhoods, particularly during quieter times of day. There is no risk to people or property outside the base.

Is the exercise in response to a specific threat?

No. The Navy has explicitly stated this is a regularly scheduled training exercise and is not in response to any specific threat. It is built on realistic scenarios to ensure security personnel are prepared to respond effectively if a real situation ever arose.

Will base gates be affected during the exercise?

Gate operations may be temporarily adjusted during specific drill windows. People with base access should plan for possible delays, follow signage and instructions from base security, and allow extra time during peak commute hours.

What should I do if I hear noise from the base this week?

For most residents, no action is needed. The noise is expected. If the noise is genuinely disruptive or you have specific concerns, Naval Station Everett’s public affairs office is the appropriate point of contact for questions about the exercise.

How will I know when the exercise is over?

The exercise ends Tuesday, April 28, 2026. The Navy and local media typically publish a follow-up notice if any portion of the exercise is extended or rescheduled.

Does this exercise affect ship movements at Naval Station Everett?

The Navy does not typically share specific operational details about homeported ships during training windows. Routine ship movements continue on their own schedules independent of base security exercises.

Has Naval Station Everett held similar exercises this year?

Yes. Naval Station Everett participated in Exercise Citadel Shield-Solid Curtain, the Navy-wide anti-terrorism and force protection exercise, January 26 through February 6, 2026. That exercise was larger in scope. The April 20–28 training is a smaller, more locally focused readiness drill.