Seattle Kraken

National Hockey League team in Seattle, Washington

         MediaRoot Sports Northwest
Sports Radio 950 KJROwner(s)Seattle Hockey PartnersGeneral managerRon FrancisHead coachDave HakstolCaptainVacantMinor league affiliatesCoachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)
Kansas City Mavericks (ECHL)Stanley Cups0Conference championships0Presidents' Trophy0Division championships0Official websitenhl.com/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 and began play during the league's 2021–22 season. They play their home games at Climate Pledge Arena.

In December 2018, the NHL approved a proposal by Seattle Hockey Partners to grant an expansion franchise to the city of Seattle. In July 2020, the Kraken's name and branding were revealed.[4] The Kraken are the first professional ice hockey team to play in Seattle since the Seattle Totems of the Western Hockey League played their last game in 1975, and the first Seattle team to compete for the Stanley Cup since the Seattle Metropolitans, who won the Cup in 1917 and folded in 1924. On October 26, 2021, the team raised a banner commemorating the 1917 title team.[5]

History

Establishment

The NHL Board of Governors voted unanimously to approve Seattle's expansion team on December 4, 2018, to begin play in the 2021–22 season as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference. As a result, the Arizona Coyotes were shifted from the Pacific Division to the Central Division to balance out the four divisions at eight teams each. The organization hired Ron Francis as their general manager to initiate operations for the team.[6]

On July 23, 2020, the franchise announced their team name, the Seattle Kraken, as well as their team colors, branding, and home jersey.[7] The team's name comes from the mythical kraken of Scandinavian folklore and its resemblance to the native giant Pacific octopus, which is found in the waters of the Puget Sound, near Seattle.[8] On April 30, 2021, the franchise paid the final installment of the $650 million expansion fee, making the Kraken the 32nd team of the NHL.[9][10]

First seasons

On June 24, 2021, the organization hired Dave Hakstol as their inaugural head coach.[11] An expansion draft was held on July 21, 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.[12][13][14] On October 11, the Kraken named Mark Giordano as team's first captain.[15] The captaincy became vacant after Giordano was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 20, 2022.[16] The Kraken played their first regular season game on October 12, a 4–3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. Ryan Donato scored the team's first goal. The Kraken's first win came in their second game on October 14, when they defeated the Nashville Predators 4–3.[17] The Kraken finished their inaugural season in last place in the Pacific Division with a 27–49–6 record and 60 points.

In their second season, the Kraken clinched their first playoff berth, qualifying for the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs as the first wild card from the Western Conference with a record of 46–28–8. They defeated the defending champions, the Colorado Avalanche, in the opening round before losing to the Dallas Stars in the second round. Both series lasted the full seven games.[18]

Arena

The team plays home games at Climate Pledge Arena.[19][20] The arena, at Seattle Center, is a $930 million redevelopment of the former KeyArena and Seattle Center Coliseum. Amazon bought the naming rights to Climate Pledge Arena and chose to name the venue after its environmental goals.[21] The venue has 17,151 total seats in its NHL configuration;[22] 6,000 seats are reserved for half-season ticket holders, who were given the choice of packages named the "Blue Line" and "Red Line".[23] All fans holding tickets are given free transit passes to get to and from the arena, which is served by several bus routes and the Seattle Center Monorail.[24]

The Kraken Community Iceplex in Northgate serves as the team's training facility
Interior view of Climate Pledge Arena, the team's home venue, during a public open house

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.[25] A second community ice rink is proposed for a former park-and-ride lot in Kirkland on the Eastside.[26]

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, which are all home to Western Hockey League (WHL) teams. Tickets were sold by the host WHL teams.[27]

The Kraken played their first home game at Climate Pledge Arena on October 23, 2021, a 4–2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks. Vince Dunn scored the first goal in the arena's history for Seattle.[28] They won their first game in the arena on October 26, a 5–1 victory against the Montreal Canadiens.[29] Their first shutout win at home was a 3–0 victory over the San Jose Sharks on April 29, 2022, the final home game of the inaugural season.[30]

In-arena entertainment

The Kraken use the horn from the MV Hyak ferry boat as their goal horn. At the first two home games, the Hyak's horn was not yet functional, so the team played a recording of it.[31] The team plays the Nirvana song "Lithium" after every Kraken goal at home.[32]

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.[33]

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. As Climate Pledge Arena does not have an organ, Masters played music using electronic keyboards.[34] Masters retired after the 2021–22 season, and the Kraken hired 29-year-old Ben Wooley to replace him.[35]

Uniforms

The Kraken during the 2024 NHL Winter Classic wearing uniforms inspired by the Seattle Metropolitans.

The Kraken unveiled its inaugural uniforms on July 22, 2021. Deep sea blue served as the base color with ice blue, boundless blue, shadow blue and red as the accent colors.[36]

The Kraken unveiled its "Reverse Retro" uniform in 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.[37]

In the 2024 NHL Winter Classic, the Kraken wore a uniform inspired by the Seattle Metropolitans' sweaters. 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.[38] The uniform was officially unveiled on November 22, 2023, but was leaked four days earlier when players from the NBA's Utah Jazz walked to the Delta Center wearing the Kraken's Winter Classic uniform.[39]

Mascot

Seattle Kraken mascot Buoy

Buoy, a sea troll, is the Kraken's mascot. He is said to be a nephew of the Fremont Troll. Buoy was introduced prior to a preseason game against the Canucks on October 1, 2022, at Climate Pledge Arena. 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.[40] Reaction to Buoy's debut was polarized, with many observers expressing a strong like or dislike for the mascot.[41] On his Spittin' Chiclets podcast, Paul Bissonnette called Buoy "the ugliest mascot of all time".[42]

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.[43]

Broadcasting

Radio

Everett Fitzhugh serves as the team's primary radio play-by-play announcer. Fitzhugh had previously done play-by-play for the ECHL's Cincinnati Cyclones. He is the first Black full-time play-by-play announcer in NHL history.[44][45] Former NHL player and Vancouver Canucks broadcaster Dave Tomlinson served as Fitzhugh's color analyst for the first two seasons,[46] before resigning in August 2023 to take a new broadcasting job in Canada.[47] Fitzhugh tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the Kraken's first regular season road trip; on radio broadcasts, TV announcer John Forslund and veteran KJR broadcaster Ian Furness filled in on play-by-play duties.[48]

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.[49][50] The Kraken Audio Network also includes the following stations outside Seattle:[51]

Television

Kraken games are broadcast regionally on Root Sports Northwest for the team's first five seasons. Former Hartford Whalers and Carolina Hurricanes broadcaster John Forslund serves as the team's television play-by-play announcer.[45][54] J. T. Brown is the Kraken's first television analyst.[55] In August 2022, the team hired Eddie Olczyk to be a television analyst alongside Forslund and Brown. Olczyk would maintain his job at TNT as the lead color commentator and would call the Kraken's games as his schedule allowed.[56]

Alison Lukan is a studio analyst for Root Sports Northwest who filled in for Brown for a few games during the 2021–22 season and did the same for Olczyk and Piper Shaw for the 2022–23 season onward. Nick Olczyk joined her as a TV, radio, and mobile app contributor for the 2022–23 season.[57]

The telecast for the Kraken's February 17, 2022, game against the Winnipeg Jets had Fitzhugh on play-by-play and Brown on color commentary, comprising the first all-Black broadcast booth in NHL history.[58]

Television ratings

In their first season, the Kraken averaged a 0.96 Nielsen rating for games broadcast on Root Sports Northwest. By comparison, the Vegas Golden Knights averaged a 1.87 rating in their first season for games broadcast locally on AT&T Rocky Mountain.[59]

From the beginning of their second season through mid-January 2023, the Kraken averaged a 0.68 rating, in the lowest third of US NHL markets for which Nielsen ratings were available, despite a much better record than their first season at the same point. The team launched a new show, entitled What's Kraken?, on over-the-air station KCPQ, to broaden fan support during the 2022–23 season. Seattle's high percentage of "broadband only" homes, without cable or satellite TV service, and the unavailability of Root Sports Northwest on most over-the-top media services, contributed to the low ratings.[60]

During their second and third seasons, the Kraken averaged a 0.7 Nielsen rating for their October games on Root Sports Northwest. Shortly before the 2022–23 season, Comcast moved Root Sports Northwest to a higher-priced tier of service, due to the high cost and low demand for the channel.[61]

Minor league affiliates

The Coachella Valley Firebirds, the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Kraken, are based in Thousand Palms, California.[62] Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and delays in building Acrisure Arena, the Firebirds began play in the 2022–23 season.[63] The Firebirds played home games during the first two months of their 2022–23 season in the Seattle metropolitan area, including one game at Climate Pledge Arena, before playing their first game at Acrisure Arena on December 18, 2022.[64][65]

The Charlotte Checkers, the primary AHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers, also served as the AHL affiliate for the Kraken during the 2021–22 season due to the delay in the Kraken's AHL team. The Checkers, an independently owned AHL team, had been the affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes while the Kraken's general manager Ron Francis was working for the Hurricanes.[66]

For their inaugural season, the Kraken's ECHL affiliate was the Texas-based Allen Americans[67] who were replaced by the Kansas City Mavericks in that capacity for the 2022–23 season.[68]

Season-by-season record

This is a list of the seasons completed by the Kraken. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Seattle Kraken seasons.

GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season GP W L OTL Pts GF GA Finish Playoffs
2021–22 82 27 49 6 60 216 285 8th, Pacific Did not qualify
2022–23 82 46 28 8 100 289 256 4th, Pacific Lost in Second Round, 3–4 (Stars)

Players and personnel

Current roster

  • view
  • talk
  • edit

Updated March 6, 2024[69][70]

No. Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace
41 France Pierre-Edouard Bellemare C L 39 2023 Le Blanc-Mesnil, France
10 United States Matty Beniers C L 21 2021 Hingham, Massachusetts
22 Denmark Oliver Bjorkstrand RW R 28 2022 Herning, Denmark
3 United States Will Borgen D R 27 2021 Moorhead, Minnesota
95 Sweden Andre Burakovsky LW L 29 2022 Klagenfurt, Austria
35 United States Joey Daccord G L 27 2021 Boston, Massachusetts
8 United States Brian Dumoulin D L 29 2023 Biddeford, Maine
29 Canada Vince Dunn D L 27 2021 Mississauga, Ontario
7 Canada Jordan Eberle (A) RW R 33 2021 Regina, Saskatchewan
39 Canada Ryker Evans D L 22 2021 Calgary, Alberta
37 Canada Yanni Gourde (A) C L 32 2021 Saint-Narcisse, Quebec
31 Germany Philipp Grubauer G L 32 2021 Rosenheim, Germany
52 Canada Tye Kartye LW L 22 2022 Kingston, Ontario
6 Sweden Adam Larsson (A) D R 31 2021 Skellefteå, Sweden
19 Canada Jared McCann C L 27 2021 Stratford, Ontario
24 Canada Jamie Oleksiak D L 31 2021 Toronto, Ontario
17 Canada Jaden Schwartz (A) LW L 31 2021 Melfort, Saskatchewan
4 Canada Justin Schultz D R 33 2022 Kelowna, British Columbia
13 Canada Brandon Tanev LW L 32 2021 Toronto, Ontario
90 Slovakia Tomas Tatar LW L 33 2023 Ilava, Czechoslovakia
20 Finland Eeli Tolvanen RW L 24 2022 Vihti, Finland
56 United States Kailer Yamamoto RW R 25 2023 Spokane, Washington


Owners

The team is owned by Seattle Hockey Partners, an organization consisting of David Bonderman, Jerry Bruckheimer and Tod Leiweke.[71] Minority owners of the Kraken include Chris Ackerley, Ted Ackerley, Jay Deutsch, Mitch Garber, Adrian Hanauer, Samantha Holloway,[72] Andy Jassy, Marshawn Lynch, Macklemore,[73] Len Potter, Sam Slater,[74] David Wright, and Jeff Wright.[75][76][77]

Ron Francis and Dave Hakstol are serving as the Kraken franchise's first general manager and head coach, respectively

General managers

Head coaches

Team captains

Retired numbers

  • 32 was retired on October 23, 2021, immediately before the team played their first regular season home game, in recognition of the team 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.[79]
  • 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.[80]

Team and league honors

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 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.[81][82]

Pete Muldoon Award

Three Stars of the Year Award

Guyle Fielder Award

Fan Favorite Award

League awards

Calder Memorial Trophy

Franchise records

Jordan Eberle is second all-time in franchise goals, assists and points

Scoring leaders

These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.[83]

  •  *  – current Kraken player

Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game

Points
Player Pos GP G A Pts P/G
Jared McCann* C 153 67 53 120 .78
Jordan Eberle* RW 161 41 66 107 .66
Vince Dunn* D 154 21 78 99 .64
Yanni Gourde* C 155 35 61 96 .62
Alexander Wennberg* C 162 24 51 75 .46
Matty Beniers* C 90 27 39 66 .73
Jaden Schwartz* LW 108 29 34 63 .58
Ryan Donato C 145 30 28 58 .40
Adam Larsson* D 164 16 42 58 .35
Daniel Sprong RW 82 27 25 52 .63
Goals
Player Pos G
Jared McCann* C 67
Jordan Eberle* RW 41
Yanni Gourde* C 35
Ryan Donato C 30
Jaden Schwartz* LW 29
Daniel Sprong RW 27
Matty Beniers C 27
Brandon Tanev* LW 25
Alexander Wennberg* C 24
Vince Dunn* D 21
Assists
Player Pos A
Vince Dunn* D 78
Jordan Eberle* RW 66
Yanni Gourde* C 61
Jared McCann* C 53
Alexander Wennberg* C 51
Adam Larsson* D 42
Matty Beniers* RW 39
Jaden Schwartz* LW 34
Morgan Geekie C 34
Jamie Oleksiak* D 32

Individual records

  • Most goals in a season: Jared McCann, 40 (2022–23)
  • Most assists in a season: Vince Dunn, 50 (2022–23)
  • Most points in a season: Jared McCann, 70 (2022–23)
  • Most points in a season, defenseman: Vince Dunn, 64 (2022–23)
  • Most points in a season, rookie: Matty Beniers, 57 (2022–23)
  • Most penalty minutes in a season: Yanni Gourde, 76 (2022–23)
  • Best +/– in a season: Vince Dunn, +28 (2022–23)
  • Most wins in a season: Martin Jones, 27 (2022–23)
  • Most shutouts in a season: Martin Jones, 3 (2022–23)
  • Lowest GAA in a season: Philipp Grubauer, 2.85 (2022–23)
  • Highest SV% in a season: Joey Daccord, .900 (2022–23)

References

  1. ^ Condor, Bob (July 25, 2020). "Color Guardians". NHL.com/Kraken. NHL Enterprises, L.P. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  2. ^ Ayala, Erica (July 23, 2020). "No Need to Blink: Kraken are Real". NHL.com/Kraken. NHL Enterprises, L.P. Retrieved November 20, 2023. Deep-sea blue and ice blue are the primary colors of the logo. Boundless and shadow blue accent the tentacle details, and red alert serves as the color of the eye of the Kraken. The bold "S" represents authenticity to hockey in Seattle, the shades of blue represent the nobility of a city by the sea and the red represents the mystery and beast of the Kraken.
  3. ^ Cotsonika, Nicholas J. (July 23, 2020). "Seattle Kraken reveal nickname for NHL expansion team". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L.P. Retrieved November 20, 2023. The primary color is deep sea blue. The secondary colors are ice blue, shadow blue, boundless blue and red alert.
  4. ^ Condor, Bob (July 23, 2020). "Say It with Us: Release the Kraken!". NHL.com/Kraken. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  5. ^ "Kraken raise Metropolitans Stanley Cup banner at Climate Pledge Arena". NHL.com. October 27, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Quinn, Patrick (July 18, 2019). "NHL Seattle names Ron Francis as first general manager of hockey franchise". KOMO. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  7. ^ Booth, Tim (July 23, 2020). "Release the Kraken: Seattle unveils name for NHL franchise". The Washington Post. Associated Press. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  8. ^ "NHL's Seattle team unveils 'Kraken' name along with logo, jersey design". SportsNet. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  9. ^ Cotsonika, Nicholas J. (April 30, 2021). "Kraken officially join NHL after final expansion payment". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L.P. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  10. ^ "Seattle Kraken officially become NHL's 32nd team after final expansion payment". Sportsnet. April 30, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  11. ^ a b Condor, Bob (June 24, 2021). "Getting it 'Right'". NHL.com. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  12. ^ Rosen, Dan (December 4, 2018). "Seattle NHL expansion approved by Board of Governors". NHL.com. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  13. ^ Cotsonika, Nicholas J. (December 4, 2018). "Seattle expansion frequently asked questions". NHL.com. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  14. ^ Stolzenberg, Holger (December 20, 2020). "Seattle Kraken expansion draft set for July 21". MSN. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  15. ^ "Mark Giordano becomes Seattle Kraken's first team captain". king5.com. October 11, 2021.
  16. ^ "Maple Leafs Acquire Giordano And Blackwell In Trade With Seattle". March 20, 2022.
  17. ^ "Kraken get first win, hold off Predators". NHL.com. October 14, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  18. ^ Myers, Tracey (May 16, 2023). "Kraken eliminated from playoffs after playing from behind too often". NHL (News Headlines). Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  19. ^ "NHL Seattle expansion team to play at Climate Pledge Arena". NHL.com. June 25, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  20. ^ Condor, Bob (June 24, 2020). "Making the 'Climate Pledge'". NHLSeattle.com. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  21. ^ Long, Michael (June 26, 2020). "Amazon deal sees Seattle's NHL venue renamed Climate Pledge Arena". Sportspromedia.com. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  22. ^ Baker, Geoff (October 29, 2021). "Analysis: After first week, Climate Pledge Arena renovation gets a thumbs-up from Kraken fans". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  23. ^ Shefte, Kate (May 12, 2023). "Run of bad luck has some Kraken season-ticket holders feeling 'Blue'". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  24. ^ Zavala Magaña, Daisy (January 11, 2023). "Free transit passes now available for all Climate Pledge Arena events". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  25. ^ Baker, Geoff (June 30, 2021). "Seattle's NHL practice facility named Kraken Community Iceplex after partnership deal with Starbucks". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  26. ^ Oxley, Dyer (March 20, 2024). "NHL on the Eastside? New hockey arena discussed by Seattle Kraken and Kirkland". KUOW. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  27. ^ "Seattle Kraken announce preseason schedule". KING 5 News. July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  28. ^ "Expansion Kraken fall in home debut 4-2 to Vancouver". ESPN. October 23, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  29. ^ Booth, Tim (October 26, 2021). "Kraken rout: Seattle topples Montreal 5-1 for first home win". ABC News. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  30. ^ Eide, Andy (April 29, 2022). "Kraken shut out Sharks in last home game of inaugural NHL season". NHL.com. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  31. ^ Pilling, Nathan (December 17, 2021). "Ferry Hyak's whistle lives on at Climate Pledge Arena as a loud bit of history". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  32. ^ Clark, Ryan S. (October 23, 2021). "Ferry horns and Nirvana: As Kraken open Climate Pledge Arena, here's what you can expect to hear". The Athletic. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  33. ^ Wyshynski, Greg (October 28, 2021). "Seattle Kraken 'Three Stars' postgame ceremony features players tossing plush salmon to fans". ESPN. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  34. ^ Booth, Tim (March 3, 2022). "'Slap Shot' organist finds new career with expansion Kraken". Associated Press. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  35. ^ Baker, Geoff (October 14, 2022). "With an offseason to prepare, Kraken expect better game-day experience for fans". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  36. ^ "Driedger, Eberle first to model Kraken's home, away jerseys". National Hockey League. July 22, 2021. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  37. ^ "NHL Reverse Retro jerseys for all 32 teams unveiled by adidas". NHL.com. October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  38. ^ "Winter Classic jerseys for Kraken, Golden Knights unveiled". NHL.com. November 22, 2023. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  39. ^ Lukas, Paul (November 18, 2023). "Bizarre Development: Utah Jazz Apparently Leak Seattle Kraken Winter Classic Jersey". Uni-Watch. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  40. ^ Baker, Geoff (October 1, 2022). "Kraken unveil new mascot, a troll named Buoy". The Seattle Times. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
  41. ^ Clarke, Mary (October 2, 2022). "The Seattle Kraken's new unsettling troll mascot Buoy has confused hockey fans". For The Win. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  42. ^ "The Seattle Kraken's New Mascot, Buoy, Might Be The Ugliest Of All-Time". Barstool Sports. October 5, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  43. ^ Durant, Ciara (January 19, 2022). "Davy Jones Makes his Seattle Kraken Debut". Pacific Northwest Sports. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  44. ^ Douglas, William (August 7, 2020). "Kraken set to have first Black full-time NHL team play-by-play announcer". NHL.com. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  45. ^ a b Clark, Ryan S. (January 26, 2021). "Seattle Kraken hire John Forslund and announce TV broadcast deal". The Athletic. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  46. ^ Patrick Johnston (October 23, 2021). "From the Canucks to the Kraken: Dave Tomlinson jumps back into radio". The Province. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  47. ^ Baker, Geoff (August 17, 2023). "Search for new Kraken radio analyst gears up in wake of Dave Tomlinson departure". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  48. ^ Stone, Larry (October 15, 2021). "KJR's Ian Furness savors long-awaited opportunity during broadcast of Kraken's first victory". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  49. ^ "The Seattle Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena Announce Regional Partnership with iHeartMedia Seattle". PR Newswire (Press release). Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  50. ^ Baker, Geoff (March 3, 2021). "Sports Radio KJR named Kraken flagship station". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  51. ^ "Kraken Affiliate List". iheartradio.com. April 12, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  52. ^ @KPUG (July 20, 2022). "We're officially an affiliate of the @SeattleKraken! KPUG will be your one stop shop for all Kraken news, broadcast…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  53. ^ "KONP to air Seattle Kraken NHL games". MYClallamCounty.com. October 6, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  54. ^ McIntosh, Andrew (January 26, 2021). "NHL's Seattle Kraken signs multiyear TV broadcast rights deal". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  55. ^ Wyshynski, Greg (June 21, 2021). "Brown to retire, join Kraken as television analyst". ESPN. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  56. ^ "Eddie Olczyk joining Kraken's TV broadcast team". The Seattle Times. July 18, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  57. ^ Morse, Dan (August 16, 2022). "Alison Lukan & Nick Olczyk to join Kraken broadcast team this season". Davy Jones Locker Room. Vox Media. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  58. ^ Clark, Ryan S. (February 9, 2022). "How J.T. Brown and Everett Fitzhugh became the NHL's first all-Black broadcast duo". The Athletic. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  59. ^ "Sports Media: NHL sees local ratings dip in return to full season". Sports Business Journal. May 9, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  60. ^ Baker, Geoff (January 24, 2023). "Exploring why Kraken's TV ratings haven't caught up to improved play". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  61. ^ Baker, Geoff (December 5, 2023). "To grow fan base, Kraken should ditch ROOT Sports and show TV games for free". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  62. ^ "AHL expanding to Palm Springs in 2021-22". theahl.com. September 30, 2019. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
  63. ^ Powers, Shad. "'We were worried': Hockey to remain in the Coachella Valley despite arena move". The Desert Sun. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  64. ^ Powers, Shad (May 3, 2022). "Kraken GM says Firebirds will play early AHL games in Seattle while Arena is completed". Palm Springs Desert Sun. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  65. ^ Powers, Shad. "Coachella Valley Firebirds reveal where they will play their 'home' games in Seattle". The Desert Sun. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  66. ^ Pelletier, Justin (July 2, 2021). "No longer affiliated with the Canes, the AHL's Checkers now have two NHL parent clubs". The Herald-Sun. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  67. ^ "AMERICANS ENTER AFFILIATION AGREEMENT WITH SEATTLE KRAKEN". ECHL. October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  68. ^ "Mavericks announce new affiliation with the Seattle Kraken". kcmavericks.com. July 28, 2022. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  69. ^ "Seattle Kraken Roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  70. ^ "Seattle Kraken Hockey Transactions". The Sports Network. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  71. ^ Barberio, Anthony (December 24, 2019). "Who Are the Owners of Seattle's Expansion NHL Team?". The Hockey Writers. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  72. ^ Condor, Bob (March 17, 2022). "Kraken Name New Chairperson of Executive Committee". NHL. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  73. ^ Young, Jabari (April 18, 2022). "Ex-NFL star Marshawn Lynch, Macklemore join ownership group of NHL's Seattle Kraken". CNBC. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  74. ^ "President Biden Announces Ten Key Nominations". The White House. August 10, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  75. ^ "Amazon Web Services CEO Andy Jassy joins NHL ownership group aiming to bring pro hockey to Seattle". GeekWire. September 5, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  76. ^ Baker, Geoff (September 5, 2018). "NHL Seattle minority owners include Sounders owner Adrian Hanauer and family of former Sonics owner". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  77. ^ Baker, Geoff (June 7, 2019). "For Seattle NHL owner Mitch Garber, it's always been sports first". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  78. ^ "Maple Leafs acquire defenceman Mark Giordano from Kraken". Sportsnet. March 20, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  79. ^ "Kraken retire No. 32 before home opener to honor fans". NHL.com. October 23, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  80. ^ "Perfect setting: Gretzky's number retired before All-Star Game". CNN Sports Illustrated. Associated Press. February 6, 2000. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  81. ^ Condor, Bob (April 29, 2022). "Gourde, McCann, Grubauer Win First Player Awards". NHL.com. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  82. ^ Baker, Geoff (April 29, 2022). "Kraken thank the fans at Climate Pledge Arena by winning their final home game of season". The Seattle Times. Retrieved April 30, 2022.(subscription required)
  83. ^ "NHL.com – Stats". National Hockey League. Retrieved May 4, 2022.

External links

  • Official website
  • v
  • t
  • e
Seattle Kraken
Franchise
History
Personnel
Owner(s)
Seattle Hockey Partners (David Bonderman, Jerry Bruckheimer and Tod Leiweke)
General manager
Ron Francis
Head coach
Dave Hakstol
Team captain
Vacant
Current roster
Arena
Affiliates
Media
TV
Root Sports Northwest
Radio
KJR (AM)
KJAQ
Culture and lore
  • v
  • t
  • e
Events
History
Others
  • v
  • t
  • e
Sports teams based in Washington
Baseball
Basketball
Cricket
Esports
Football
Ice hockey
NHL
Seattle Kraken
WHL
Everett Silvertips
Seattle Thunderbirds
Spokane Chiefs
Tri-City Americans
Wenatchee Wild
USPHL
Bellingham Blazers
Seattle Totems
Roller derby
Rugby
Soccer
Ultimate
College
athletics
  • v
  • t
  • e
Sports teams based in and around Seattle
Baseball
Basketball
Esports
Football
Hockey
NHL
Seattle Kraken
WHL
Everett Silvertips
Seattle Thunderbirds
USPHL
Seattle Totems
Roller derby
Soccer
Rugby
Ultimate
AUDL
Seattle Cascades
WUL
Seattle Tempest
College athletics
(NCAA Div. I)
Main article: Sports in Seattle
Portals:
  • icon Ice hockey
  • flag United States