It was the final practice session of Spokane Chiefs training camp on Saturday, with players as young as 15 ready to show that they had what it takes to make it and compete in the Western Hockey League. Well before the Zamboni completed its final laps, players participating in each session piled onto the bench, eagerly awaiting their turn to jump on the ice.
One of the team names from camp was Team Yamamoto, aptly named after former Chiefs assistant captain and former Seattle Kraken forward Kailer Yamamoto. While most everyone from the Yamamoto roster had crammed onto one bench like each of the teams before them had, one player was missing from the pile-up.
Where was standout forward Berkly Catton? Look no further than the opposite bench. Normally, the entrance to the opposite bench was used exclusively by Chiefs coaches throughout camp, but the Kraken’s 2024 No. 8 overall pick occupied the area by himself, a pre-season metaphor for the kind of player he is for Spokane.
If this past year has proven anything for Catton, it’s that he’s been nothing less than a star in the WHL. Catton, a native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, was putting up numbers that not many wearing a Spokane uniform had before. His 116 points in 68 games in 2023-24 were good for seventh all-time in a single season by a Chiefs player, and he accomplished that in a season he started as a 17-year-old (he turned 18 on Jan. 14).
He was a highlight machine last season, with a game-wrecking move being all but imminent every time he had the puck on his stick. He attributes a lot of his skills to watching highlights of Pavel Datsyuk, Sergei Fedorov, as well as the late Johnny Gaudreau.
One of the smoother and stronger skaters in the draft class, Catton also brought impressive agility at his smaller stature of 5-foot-10, 174 lbs. He prioritized enhancing his shooting and playmaking abilities heading into his draft year.
“I spend a lot of my summers just shooting pucks, learning that it’s not easy to score goals in this league,” Catton said back in February. “I think by doing that I’ve taken my shot to the next level.”
The summer of Catton
To begin his summer, he attended the Scouting Combine in Buffalo, N.Y., in June, where he met with many teams, including the Kraken.
“We had our meeting at the Scouting Combine and [they] touched base a little bit throughout the year,” Catton said. “They were really strong meetings. I thought at the Combine, it went really well. I think the questions that they rolled off of me, I handled them well.”
As the draft approached, despite favorable meetings with Seattle, there wasn’t much indication that the Kraken would wind up picking him; many pegged them to take a defenseman with the No. 8 pick.
“They didn’t give much of an [indication] as to where they were going,” Catton said. “Rather than some teams telling you if they liked you or they didn’t, I honestly didn’t really expect [to be picked by them].”
Much to the surprise of many draft boards, the Kraken selected him eighth overall, effectively sending Spokane fans into a frenzy.
“Living here in Washington [for three years] now, I’ve been able to see the impact that the team’s had on the state,” Catton said. “I’m just extremely excited to see that and hopefully be a part of it pretty soon.”
As a byproduct of going to Las Vegas for the draft, Catton got to hang out with former Seahawks running back and minority owner of the Kraken, Marshawn Lynch. He wasn’t that familiar with Lynch or his impact on the Seattle sports scene, but he quickly learned just how revered a figure he is in the city.
“When I initially hung out with him and met him, I probably didn’t know quite how much he did,” Catton said. “After being in Seattle, I don’t think [people] really cared I went eighth overall—they cared I hung out with Marshawn Lynch more than anything.”
Following the draft, Catton headed to Development Camp at Kraken Community Iceplex in Seattle, where he signed his entry-level contract. Though he didn’t envision the signing happening on the ice in front of hundreds of Kraken fans, he marked it as his “Welcome to Seattle” moment.
“We think he’s a really high-end skill player,” general manager Ron Francis said at the draft. “He’s got elite hockey sense, high-end speed, a real good skillset, and is highly competitive.”
The Kraken’s guiding hand
Since signing his ELC, the Kraken have been very open about communicating their goals for Catton in the coming season and beyond. Sports science and performance consultant Gary Roberts has been a big influence on Catton in terms of diet and exercise thus far. Roberts helps train many high-profile NHL stars, including Connor McDavid.
And the influence has been noticeable, with Catton seemingly gaining much more muscle tone over the summer. Bulking up even further could help bolster his transition into pro hockey.
The Kraken also talked to Catton about wanting to see improvements on the defensive side of the puck, which was one of the knocks on his game entering the draft. Among the top 10 point-getters last season in the WHL, Catton had the second-lowest plus-minus figure at +15, which is about 18 below the top-10 average.
While his struggles could probably be attributed to the Chiefs’ defense and goaltending not being optimal last season, Catton spoke with determination to wash that away and get better in that aspect of his game, as well as with high aspirations heading into Kraken training camp.
“I think going into the camp in Seattle, my goal is to try and make that team,” Catton said. “If not, come back [to Spokane] to be a leader on this team, be an offensive threat, and get a little bit better on the defensive side.”
Is there an opportunity for Catton to make the Kraken’s opening day lineup this season? There’s definitely a point to be made about finding a jolt for the Kraken offense, which finished fourth to last in goals for last season. However, throwing Catton into the NHL at 18 years old may have a negative impact on his development, especially if he doesn’t get sufficient playing time. Plus, if he plays more than nine games for the Kraken, then Seattle uses up a year of his ELC.
Also, only a handful of non-first-overall picks in recent years have managed to secure a spot on an opening night roster the season after they were drafted and stick through the entire season—Zach Benson and Cole Sillinger being a couple examples. While it’s unlikely Catton will stay with the NHL team for the full year, it is possible, and it’s also possible that he could get a few games out of camp and then get sent back. Still, the most likely outcome for him this season is a return to Spokane for another full year.
No matter where he plays this season, there’s little doubt that he will receive more attention than ever before. Over 75 percent of games the Chiefs play this year will be in the U.S., making it easy for Kraken fans and staff to follow him. Spokane is also set to be a strong team this year, one that’s sure to vie for a top seed in the WHL playoffs, assuming Catton returns. The Chiefs may even have a chance at winning the U.S. Division, something that hasn’t been done since 1999-00.
“Before [camp], I was saying to all the guys that it’s not a squeak-into-the-playoffs-type year,” Catton said. “It’s to solidify ourselves early in the year and let everyone know we’re a team you don’t want to play in the first round—to be in that 1, 2, 3, or 4 seed and have that home-ice advantage. That’s the ultimate goal.”
He doesn’t set numerical goals for himself, but he’s committed to building on last season. He has a lot to look forward to this year, including a likely invitation to the World Junior Championship and possibly being in the 60-goal conversation by season’s end.
New Chiefs head coach Brad Lauer is as optimistic as anyone about Catton’s upcoming season.
“When you have a player like Berkly, as a coach, it’s exciting,” Lauer said. “For me as a coach now, it’s about developing him and getting him to the next level.”