Andy Eide, whose in-depth coverage of Seattle hockey long preceded the arrival of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, passed away on Friday.
Eide suffered a stroke on March 18 before the Kraken’s game against the Edmonton Oilers at Climate Pledge Arena. He was rushed to Harborview Medical Center, where he remained in ICU through this past week.
Eide’s brother, Chris, revealed the news of his passing on the Caring Pledge site.
“If you knew Andy, you knew his laugh – it filled the room and always made you feel good,” he wrote. “We are heartbroken to have been unable to talk with him or hear him laugh these past few weeks, but we are grateful we were able to hold his hand and say our goodbyes. He was a wonderful man, brother, son, uncle, and friend. He will be missed greatly. Please don’t take your loved ones and friends for granted – give them a call, or a hug, and check-in.
“Andy passed away peacefully today at Harborview Medical Center. We are touched by all the love and support we have received these past few weeks. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Neurology Research Department at Harborview/UW.”
Perfect day to come inside for a big Pacific Division battle! pic.twitter.com/AaZPCWNXNt
— Andy Eide (@AndyEide) March 18, 2023
Eide first started writing about Seattle-area hockey in 2012, covering the Western Hockey League’s Seattle Thunderbirds. When Seattle was awarded the NHL franchise in 2018 that would become the Kraken, Eide started covering the team for NHL.com, the official Kraken website, Seattle Sports, and the Sound of Hockey podcast. He also did some work as a TV analyst for the Thunderbirds and covered the team for ESPN 710 Seattle.
Tributes from around the Seattle hockey scene poured in on Friday night after the news of Eide’s passing.
It’s with heavy hearts that we send our condolences to the family & friends of Andy Eide.
Andy, who passed away after suffering a stroke at a Kraken game, was an important member of our hockey community who spread his love of the game throughout the PNW. He will be truly missed. pic.twitter.com/ZajyVyBCgU
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) April 15, 2023
There is no easy way to share this news. Our pal @AndyEide has passed away.
He was a kind, gentle man who did so much for this hockey community, and his impact went far beyond what he did with SOH. He will be sorely missed.
He surely felt your love over these last few weeks. pic.twitter.com/WKbsiDPNwP
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) April 14, 2023
Andy Eide once gave me an education about goalkeeping while watching the NHL draft & I always felt smarter after hearing him talk hockey, reading his stuff. He knew the WHL better than anyone in the region.
RIP Andy. https://t.co/p6xDsneR0f
— Chris Daniels (@ChrisDaniels_TV) April 15, 2023
An unimaginable loss to our community. Andy Eide was a force with growing our sport, he was dedicated to covering hockey and simply loved being around the game.
Andy, you made hockey better in the PNW. You will be missed. pic.twitter.com/HBgubUkeMM
— Seattle Thunderbirds (@SeattleTbirds) April 15, 2023
https://twitter.com/PiperShawTV/status/1647045913922392065
Andy Eide, who covered hockey in Seattle for years and was our Kraken independent correspondent, died Friday.https://t.co/sB7x951wtD
— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) April 15, 2023
A GoFundMe for Eide’s medical bills has raised over $58,000 as of the time of this writing.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.