Seattle Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer has already made a mark on the team. He signed with the Kraken as a free agent in 2021 after a three-year stint in Colorado that culminated in a third-place bid for the Vezina Trophy. Less than two years later, the former Capitals goalie would backstop the Kraken to their first-ever playoff series win against the Avs.
Grubauer discovered a love of horses while in Colorado and knew he’d want to continue in Seattle. He soon started volunteering at Save a Forgotten Equine (SAFE), a horse rescue facility in nearby Redmond, Washington.
In a recently released video from the Kraken, Grubauer goes behind the scenes to explain what makes the organization so special to him.
“It’s been an incredible getaway for me to find that happy balance between hockey and other stuff in life,” Grubauer said.
Kraken writer and broadcaster Alison Lukan joined Grubauer as he helped feed and groom the horses. The pair even shoveled manure, using a rake Grubauer compared to a hockey stick.
“Good curve too,” he joked. “Scoop and lift.”
Grubauer grew up around dairy farmers and has been a “big animal guy” from a young age. He showed off that love while taking a photo with cows during his Cup Day in his native Germany in 2018.
Grubauer first started riding at a friend’s ranch while playing for the Avalanche. The time with the horses helps with his mental balance both on and off the ice.
“I think in a lot of ways it helps me with hockey as well,” he said. “Because you’ve got to control your emotions and your feelings. If you’re too wound up inside, they absolutely feel it. If you’re nervous, they feel it. So you’ve always got to be calm and controlled and lead the way for them.”
Founded in 2005, SAFE rescues and rehabilitates horses who have been abused or neglected. More than 175 horses have been adopted out of the program, which typically cares for around 30 horses at a time.
Besides volunteering his time, Grubauer has helped with SAFE’s fundraising efforts, providing auction items and serving as co-chair of the annual Heart of the Horse event in July.
Grubauer eventually wants to run a ranch where he can train and rescue horses of his own. Though it’s a long ways away, it’s a goal worth looking forward to.
“That’s the goal besides hockey, and I think that’s that’s pretty important to have your focus on something else as well,” he said. “Obviously it can’t be too too [distracting], but I’m learning every day and that’s why I come here: to to help them and see the process.
“It’s a community and you get to meet unbelievable people and get to make connections. It’s just a different world you step into and have that kind of escape from work and life in general.”
Screenshot: Seattle Kraken/YouTube
