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Establishment 2018-2021

The NHL Board of Governors voted unanimously to approve Seattle’s expansion team on December 4th, 2018, to begin play in the 2020-2021 season as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference. As a result, the Phoenix 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(1).

On July 23rd, 2020, the franchise announced their team name, the Seattle Kraken, as well as their team colors, branding, and home jersey. 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 Puget Sound, near Seattle(2). On April 30th, 2021, the franchise paid the final installment of the $650 million expansion fee, making the Kraken the 32nd team of the NHL(3)(4).

First seasons 2021-Present

The Kraken made their first-ever signing, Luke Henman, on May 12, 2021(5). On June 24th, the organization hired Dave Hakstol as their inaugural head coach(6). On June 28th, the Kraken announced the Charlotte Checkers as their inaugural farm team, sharing the team with the Florida Panthers(7).

An expansion draft was held on July 21st, in a similar manner to a previous expansion draft held in 2017 for the Vegas Golden Knights, who were themselves exempt from the expansion draft(8)(9). The Kraken would then select their first draft pick, Matty Beniers, as the second overall selection of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft(10). The Kraken would also sign many players. Notable signings would include goaltender Philipp Grubauer and forwards Jaden Schwartz and Alexander Wennberg(11). On October 11th, the Kraken named Mark Giordano selected in the expansion draft from the Calgary Flames, as the team’s inaugural captain(12). The captaincy would become vacant after Giordano was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 20th, 2022(13).

The Kraken played their first regular season game on October 12th, a 4-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, where Ryan Donato, would score the team’s first goal(14). The Kraken’s first win came in their second game on October 14th, when they defeated the Nashville Predators 4-3(15). Following a 6-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, goaltender Joey Daccord would be named the starter instead of the usual Philipp Grubauer in what would be a 4-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils(16). The Kraken would play their first home game at the Climate Pledge Arena on October 23rd, a 4-2 loss to the Vancouver Canuks(17). Before the game, the Kraken would retire 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(18). The Kraken would pick up their first-ever home win on October 26th, against the Montreal Canadiens(19). Goaltender Chris Driedger would make his first start with the Kraken on November 9th, in a 4-2 loss to the Golden Knights(20). The Kraken would face several losing streaks throughout the season. However, Philipp Grubauer would record the franchise’s first-ever shutout, making 19 saves in a 3-0 victory against the New York Islanders(21). The Kraken would be eliminated from playoff contention on March 30th after a 3-0 loss to the Golden Knights(22). The Kraken would finish their inaugural season in last place in the Pacific Division with a 27-49-6 record and 60 points.

The Kraken’s second season would be far better in terms of winning. On July 13th, 2022, the Kraken would sign Martin Jones to a one-year contract(23). He would make his debut with the Kraken on October 13th, notching a 4-1 victory(24). In early January, Jones would lead the Kraken through an 8-game win streak. In doing so, the Kraken became the first team to will all seven games of a road trip(25). On April 6th, the Kraken clinched their first-ever 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 and 100 points(26). On April 13th, it was announced that forward Andre Burakovsky would miss the first round of the playoffs after missing the last 33 games of the season, due to an undisclosed lower-body injury(27). On April 30th, they defeated the Colorado Avalanche, in the opening round, becoming the first expansion team in NHL history to win their first playoff series against the defending Stanley Cup champions(28). The Kraken would lose to the Dallas Stars in the second round(29). Both series lasted the full seven games. On June 26th, Matty Beniers was named the champion of the Calder Memorial Trophy for being the NHL Rookie of the Year (30)

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Friday, July 19, 2024

The Seattle Kraken

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