The Kent-based Seattle Thunderbirds will play the Everett Silvertips Saturday, Feb. 26 in a Western Hockey League game at the new Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.

The Thunderbirds agreed to move the scheduled Feb. 26 game from the accesso ShoWare Center in conjunction with the Seattle Kraken, Climate Pledge Arena and the Silvertips, according to a Jan. 4 T-Birds press release.

The matchup, being dubbed “Battle of the Sound,” will start at 6:05 p.m. and features the first WHL action under the roof since Dec. 30, 2008 when it was the KeyArena and the home of the T-Birds prior to their 2009 move to Kent and its new city-owned ShoWare Center.

“We are extremely excited to be back at Seattle Center and playing in Climate Pledge Arena, under the same roof that was once our home arena,” T-Birds President Colin Campbell said. “Working with the Seattle Kraken to make this possible truly fits both of our goals of continuing to grow hockey in the region.”

The Kraken are playing their first year in the NHL.

Immediately following the game will be the 23rd annual Hockey Challenge to benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Western Washington and Alaska Celebrity All-Star game. The Hockey Challenge began in 1998, when Microsoft employees took an in-house hockey rivalry public to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

“We are so excited to continue our partnership with the Seattle Thunderbirds and the Pacific Northwest hockey community,” said Vanessa Kirk Briley, director of special events at Ronald McDonald House Charities. “Hockey Challenge, along with the players and fans, has been instrumental in keeping families together while providing a warm and safe place for them to stay while their children receive critical medical care at Seattle Children’s Hospital.”

As keeping with tradition, a portion of the proceeds from the Silvertips vs Thunderbirds game will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House. The 2020 Hockey Challenge raised $200,000, making the grand total $6.6 million over the course of 22 years.

Tickets to “Battle of the Sound” will go on sale to the public Monday, Jan. 10 with a presale opportunity to the season ticket holders of the Kraken, T-Birds and Silvertips.

As of Jan. 4, Everett leads the Western Conference with 50 points followed by the Kamloops Blazers with 43 points and the T-Birds with 41. Seattle is 19-9 with three overtime losses.