Seattle Kraken

The Seattle Kraken are a professional ice hockey team based in Seattle. The Kraken compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference. The team was founded after the NHL approved a proposal by Seattle Hockey Partners to grant an expansion franchise to the city of Seattle, and the team began play during the league's 2021–22 season. They play their home games at Climate Pledge Arena.

The Kraken qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 2023, facing off against the Colorado Avalanche in the first round. They upset the Avalanche in seven games, becoming the first team to win their inaugural playoff series against the defending Stanley Cup champion. However, they lost to the Dallas Stars in the second round, ending their sophomore season.

History

Prior to establishment

Professional ice hockey in Seattle dates back to the formation of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association's Seattle Metropolitans in 1915. Even though the 1917 Metropolitans were the first United States-based team to win the Stanley Cup, the team's arena was sold in 1924, and the team folded shortly after. The Seattle Totems (originally the Seattle Ironmen) played in the Western Hockey League from 1944 until the league's dissolution in 1975.

Expansion and relocation proposals for an NHL team to Seattle often came with a new arena proposal, especially after the Seattle SuperSonics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) were relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008. Beginning in 2012, as the NHL's interest in Seattle as a market rose, the city was considered a potential site for expansion or the relocating of a team, pending a viable arena. Multiple reports suggested Chicago Wolves owner and businessman Don Levin had expressed interest in building a new arena in nearby Bellevue that could host an NHL team. On February 16, 2012, a plan was announced to build a new arena in Seattle's SoDo district, just south of Safeco Field. An investment group, headed by hedge fund manager Chris Hansen, proposed the arena seeking a return of the SuperSonics and was interested in possibly having an NHL team as well. When Greg Jamison was unable to meet a deadline to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes on January 31, 2013, speculation began that the team would be relocated to Seattle. On June 16, 2013, it was confirmed that the Phoenix Coyotes would be moving to Seattle if an arena deal between the team and the city of Glendale was not reached. Ray Bartozek and Anthony Lanza would purchase the franchise for US$220 million and immediately begin operations in Seattle for the following season. However, on July 3, 2013, the Glendale City Council narrowly voted 4–3 to keep the Phoenix Coyotes in Glendale. A 2013 study by statistician Nate Silver concluded that Seattle had the largest number of avid ice hockey fans of any U.S. media market that did not have an NHL team.

Establishment (2017–2021)

On December 4, 2017, the Seattle City Council voted 7–1 in favor of a memorandum of understanding between the City of Seattle and Oak View Group, a sports company co-founded by Tim Leiweke, for renovations of KeyArena. Three days later, the National Hockey League (NHL) Board of Governors agreed to consider an expansion application from Seattle, with an expansion fee set at $650 million. The Seattle ownership group was represented by David Bonderman and Jerry Bruckheimer.

Exactly a year after the memorandum of understanding, the NHL Board of Governors voted unanimously to approve a Seattle expansion team being added to the league. In mid-2019, the organization hired Ron Francis as their general manager to initiate operations for the team. Francis later stated that three things he wanted to prioritize in the Kraken's roster were speed, character, and competitiveness. In July 2020, the franchise announced their team name—the Seattle Kraken—as well as their team colors, branding, and home jersey.

Nine months later, on April 30, 2021, the franchise paid the final installment of the US$650 million expansion fee, officially making the Seattle Kraken the 32nd team of the NHL. The Kraken signed their first player, Luke Henman, on May 12. More than a month later, the organization hired Dave Hakstol to be their inaugural head coach. On July 19, a three-day period began where the Kraken could talk to unrestricted free agents before any other team could. The Kraken used this period to sign Adam Larsson, Jamie Oleksiak, and Chris Driedger. An expansion draft was held three days later at Gas Works Park in front of more than 4,000 spectators and fans. The draft was held in a similar manner to a previous expansion draft held in 2017 for the Vegas Golden Knights, who were themselves exempt from the 2021 expansion draft. Larsson, Oleksiak, and Driedger counted as the pick from their respective teams (Edmonton, Dallas, and Florida, respectively). Two days later, the first round of the 2021 NHL entry draft took place. The Kraken used their second-overall pick to select Matty Beniers, a center from the University of Michigan. The previous season, Beniers had scored 24 points throughout 24 games, and his 10 goals ranked first among goals for first-time draft-eligible NCAA players.

First seasons (2021–present)

The Kraken started their inaugural free agency on July 28, 2021, signing forwards Alexander Wennberg and Jaden Schwartz, and goaltender Philipp Grubauer. On October 11, the Kraken named Mark Giordano as the team's inaugural captain. The team also named four alternate captains— Adam Larsson, Jordan Eberle, Yanni Gourde, and Jaden Schwartz. The Kraken played their first regular season game the next day, a 4–3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, where Ryan Donato scored the first goal in team history. The franchise's first win came in their next game two days later, when they defeated the Nashville Predators 4–3. The Kraken played their first home game at Climate Pledge Arena (formerly KeyArena) on October 23 in what would be a 4–2 loss to the fellow Pacific Northwest team Vancouver Canucks. Prior to the game, the team retired jersey number 32, in recognition of the franchise being the 32nd to join the NHL and in honor of the 32,000 fans who placed deposits for tickets on the first possible day. The team picked up their first home win on October 26, against the Montreal Canadiens. On February 2, 2022, Grubauer recorded the franchise's first shutout, making 19 saves in a 3–0 victory against the New York Islanders. On March 20, the Kraken's captaincy became vacant after Giordano was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team was eliminated from playoff contention on March 30 following a 3–0 loss to the Golden Knights. The Kraken finished their inaugural season in last place of the Pacific Division with a record of 27–49–6.

The Kraken improved significantly in their second season. On July 13, 2022, the team signed goaltender Martin Jones to a one-year contract. In January 2023, Jones backstopped the Kraken through seven games of an eight-game win streak. While doing so, the franchise became the first team to win all seven games of a seven-game road trip. On April 6, the Kraken clinched their first playoff berth, qualifying for the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs. The team's record of 46–28–8 and 100 points placed the team fourth in the Pacific Division, thus achieving the first wild card playoff spot in the Western Conference. On April 30, the Kraken defeated the Colorado Avalanche in the opening best-of-seven playoff series, becoming the first expansion team in NHL history to win their first playoff series against the defending Stanley Cup champion. The team's playoff run came to an end after the second round where they lost to the Dallas Stars in seven games. On June 26, at the NHL Awards ceremony, Matty Beniers was named the winner of the Calder Memorial Trophy for being the NHL rookie of the year.

The Kraken struggled offensively in their third season, ranking 29th in the league in goals, with only 217. In December and January, following an eight-game skid, goaltender Joey Daccord started in eight out of nine games of a franchise record nine-game win streak. In the midst of the streak, Daccord started in goal for the Kraken during the 2024 Winter Classic, where he achieved the first-ever shutout in Winter Classic history with a 3–0 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. The team was eliminated from playoff contention on April 3, following a 5–2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. The Kraken finished their season with a 34–35–13 record, enough for sixth place in their division. On April 29, following the end of the season, head coach Dave Hakstol was fired, being replaced by Dan Bylsma on May 28.

In July 2024, the team made history by hiring Jessica Campbell as the NHL's first female assistant coach. In October, the Kraken named Jordan Eberle the second captain in franchise history.

Arena

The Kraken play their home games at Climate Pledge Arena. The arena, at the Seattle Center, is a redevelopment of the former KeyArena. On June 25, 2020, Amazon bought the naming rights to KeyArena and chose to rename the venue due to their environmental goals. The venue has 17,151 seats in its ice hockey configuration. Vince Dunn scored the first Kraken goal in the arena's history on October 23, 2021. The Kraken's first shutout win at home was a 3–0 victory over the San Jose Sharks on April 29, 2022, the final home game of their inaugural season.

The team's primary practice facility, named the Kraken Community Iceplex, is located at Northgate Station (formerly Northgate Mall) and was opened in September 2021. The facility has three rinks and is open to the public. In 2024, a second community ice rink was proposed for a former park-and-ride lot in Kirkland on the Eastside.

The Kraken's three home preseason games prior to the 2021–22 season were held at Spokane Arena in Spokane, Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, and the accesso ShoWare Center in Kent, arenas home to Western Hockey League (WHL) teams, in an event known as the 3-Rink Rush. Tickets for the games were sold by the host WHL teams.

Arena entertainment

The Kraken's goal horn is from the ferry boat MV ''Hyak''. The team plays the Nirvana song "Lithium" after every Kraken goal at home; the song was chosen due to Nirvana's importance to Seattle grunge culture.

After their first win at home against the Montreal Canadiens on October 26, 2021, the Kraken featured a new postgame tradition during the " Three Stars of the Game" ceremony. Instead of the honored players tossing conventional souvenir pucks or sticks to the fans, they throw a plush toy salmon into the crowd to mimic Seattle's Pike Place Market fish toss and to honor the significance of wild-caught salmon to the state of Washington.

Rod Masters, the organist from the 1977 film '' Slap Shot'', became the organist for the Kraken starting with the team's January 1, 2022, home game against the New York Islanders. As Climate Pledge Arena does not have an organ, Masters played music using electronic keyboards. Masters retired after the 2021–22 season, and the Kraken hired 29-year-old Ben Wooley to replace him.

Team identity

Logo and uniforms

On July 23, 2020, the team held an event to reveal their team branding. The franchise's promotional materials state that the team's "Kraken" name was adopted to honor the maritime culture of Seattle. The Pacific Northwest region also has a history of Scandinavian immigrants and ancestry, further connecting Seattle to the Nordic origin of the " Kraken" mythology. The colors chosen for the team's logo were ice blue, boundless blue, shadow blue and red alert. For the team's jerseys, deep sea blue served as the base color with the logo's colors as accent colors. The first time Kraken uniforms were seen on players was at the 2021 NHL expansion draft.

On October 20, 2022, the Kraken unveiled their "Reverse Retro" uniform for the 2022–23 season, featuring an ice blue base with deep sea blue striping. The design was a callback to the Seattle Ironmen, a defunct Pacific Coast Hockey League (PCHL) team that existed in the 1940s.

For the 2024 Winter Classic, the Kraken wore a uniform inspired by the Seattle Metropolitans, a former Stanley Cup-competing team which won the championship in 1917. The deep sea blue uniform features a red "S" similar to the Metropolitans' crest, but shaped to the current "S" logo of the Kraken, with the team name written inside. Ice blue, vintage white and deep sea blue stripes were added to the body and sleeves. The uniform was officially unveiled on November 22, 2023, but was leaked four days earlier when players from the National Basketball Association's Utah Jazz walked into their home arena wearing it.

Mascot

Buoy, a sea troll, is the Kraken's mascot. He is said to be a nephew of the Fremont Troll, a sculpture in Fremont. Buoy was introduced prior to a preseason home game against the Vancouver Canucks on October 1, 2022. The Kraken had intended to introduce Buoy around Christmas during the 2021–22 season, but due to game postponements related to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, the team decided to wait until prior to the 2022–23 season instead. Reaction to Buoy's debut was polarized, with many observers expressing a strong like or dislike for the mascot.

During the 2021–22 season, in the absence of an official mascot, the Kraken promoted a "team dog" named Davy Jones. The dog, a four-month-old husky mix rescue dog introduced on January 17, 2022, socialized with fans at home games as he trained to be a therapy dog.

Broadcasting

Television

Kraken games are televised through the Kraken Hockey Network (KHN), which includes over-the-air television stations in Seattle ( KING-TV and KONG), Spokane ( KREM and KSKN), and Yakima ( KAPP and KVEW), Washington; Eugene ( KEVU and KLSR-TV) and Portland (KGW), Oregon; Anchorage ( KAUU) and Juneau (KYEX-LD), Alaska; and Boise (KTVB) and Twin Falls ( KTFT), Idaho. Games can also be streamed locally on Amazon Prime Video. Games were televised regionally on Root Sports Northwest for the team's first three seasons.

Former Hartford Whalers and Carolina Hurricanes broadcaster John Forslund serves as the team's television play-by-play announcer. J. T. Brown is the Kraken's primary television color analyst. In August 2022, the team hired Eddie Olczyk to be a television analyst alongside Forslund and Brown.

The television broadcast for the Kraken's February 17, 2022, game against the Winnipeg Jets featured Everett Fitzhugh as play-by-play announcer and Brown as color commentator, making up the first all-Black broadcast duo in NHL history.

Radio

Kraken games are broadcast on KJR-FM 93.3 and KJR 950 AM, the flagship stations of the Kraken Audio Network. During a schedule conflict, some games may be heard on 96.5 KJAQ. The Kraken Audio Network also includes several other stations outside Seattle.

Everett Fitzhugh serves as the team's primary radio play-by-play announcer. He is the first Black full-time play-by-play announcer in NHL history. Former NHL player and Vancouver Canucks broadcaster Dave Tomlinson served as Fitzhugh's color analyst for the Kraken's first two seasons, before resigning in August 2023 to take a new broadcasting job in Canada. The Kraken then hired former Seattle Thunderbirds forward and Everett Silvertips commentator Al Kinisky to replace him. Mike Benton is the studio host for all radio broadcasts, serving pre-game, intermission, and post-game coverage.

Minor league affiliates

As is standard practice for NHL teams, the Kraken maintain affiliations with minor league teams for player development. The Kraken's primary affiliate plays in the American Hockey League (AHL), which feeds directly into the NHL, and have another affiliate in the ECHL, which exists a tier below in the development system.

American Hockey League

The Coachella Valley Firebirds, the AHL affiliate of the Kraken, are based in Thousand Palms, California. After the Kraken were approved into the NHL by the Board of Governors, the team's ownership group began making plans for acquiring a minor league affiliate in the AHL. By early 2019, they had narrowed it down to promoting the ECHL's Idaho Steelheads in Boise, Idaho, or a new expansion team in the area of Palm Springs, California. On June 26, 2019, it was reported the Seattle ownership group had chosen Palm Springs as the site for Seattle's AHL affiliate. The expansion franchise was approved by the AHL Board of Governors on September 30, 2019, with plans to begin play in the 2021–22 season. Delays associated with the construction of an arena in the Palm Springs area caused the team's debut to be pushed back to the 2022–23 season. On November 5, 2021, the new team revealed its name, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, as well as its logos and colors, at a ceremony held on the construction site of their new arena. The Firebirds reached the Calder Cup finals in each of their first two seasons.

As the Firebirds were not ready for the 2021–22 season, Seattle affiliated with the Charlotte Checkers, sharing the team with the Florida Panthers. After clinching their division, the Checkers advanced to the division finals of the 2022 Calder Cup playoffs, where they lost to the Springfield Thunderbirds.

ECHL

For their inaugural season, the Kraken's ECHL affiliate was the Texas-based Allen Americans. They were replaced by the Kansas City Mavericks in that capacity for the 2022–23 season.

Season-by-season record

This is a list of the seasons completed by the Kraken.

''Key: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against''

Players and personnel

Current roster

Owners

The Kraken are owned by Seattle Hockey Partners, an organization led by Jerry Bruckheimer, Tod Leiweke, and Samantha Holloway, daughter of original team founder David Bonderman. Other members of the ownership group include Adrian Hanauer (the majority owner of Seattle Sounders FC), Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, Chris Ackerley (son of one-time Seattle SuperSonics owner Barry Ackerley), and Tim Leiweke. In 2022, former Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch and rapper Macklemore joined the partnership as minority owners.

Head coaches

* Dave Hakstol, 2021–2024
* Dan Bylsma, 2024–2025
* Lane Lambert, 2025–present

General managers

* Ron Francis, 2019–2025
* Jason Botterill, 2025–present

Other personnel

* Ron Francis, 2025–present, president of hockey operations

Team captains

* Mark Giordano, 2021–2022
* Jordan Eberle, 2024–present

Retired numbers

* 32 was retired on October 23, 2021, honoring the fans for 32,000 ticket deposits in one day and for being the NHL's newest32ndteam.
* 99 was retired by the NHL for all its member teams in honor of Wayne Gretzky at the 2000 National Hockey League All-Star Game.

Team and league awards

League awards

Matty Beniers won the Calder Memorial Trophy at the end of the Kraken's sophomore season after leading all rookies in points, with 57, and tying for the lead in goals among rookies, with 24.

Calder Memorial Trophy
* 2022–23: Matty Beniers

Team awards

The Kraken have four player awards that are given after each season. The Kraken's most valuable player, as voted on by Seattle-area media, receives the Pete Muldoon Award. The player with the most mentions in the Three Stars of the Game ceremony of each Kraken home game, computed using a points system, wins the Three Stars of the Year Award. The Guyle Fielder Award goes to the teammate who best exemplifies "perseverance, hustle, and dedication" as voted upon by their teammates and coaches. The Fan Favorite Award goes to a player who wins a fan vote.

Pete Muldoon Award
* 2021–22: Jared McCann
* 2022–23: Vince Dunn
* 2023–24: Jared McCann
* 2024–25: Joey Daccord

Three Stars of the Year Award
* 2021–22: Philipp Grubauer
* 2022–23: Jared McCann
* 2023–24: Joey Daccord
* 2024–25: Joey Daccord

Guyle Fielder Award
* 2021–22: Yanni Gourde
* 2022–23: Jaden Schwartz
* 2023–24: Jaden Schwartz
* 2024–25: Jaden Schwartz

Fan Favorite Award
* 2021–22: Yanni Gourde
* 2022–23: Matty Beniers
* 2023–24: Joey Daccord
* 2024–25: Brandon Montour

Franchise records

Scoring leaders

These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.
* – current Kraken player
''Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game''

Notes

References

External links

*

{{Portal bar, Ice hockey, United States

National Hockey League teams
2018 establishments in Washington (state)
Ice hockey clubs established in 2018
Ice hockey teams in Washington (state)
Kraken in popular culture
Pacific Division (NHL)