We’re back for Weekly One-Timers! It’s been a couple weeks since we’ve done this, so we recognize this has evolved into more “Occasional One-Timers,” but “Occasional One-Timers” simply doesn’t have the same ring to it. So, take what you can get on this front and give nothing back.
The Kraken had a busy week last week that saw them trade for Oliver Bjorkstrand, sign free agent Michal Kempny, and re-sign Morgan Geekie and Ryan Donato. Things were much quieter in the last four days, though, and we’re now into what is typically the slowest hockey news month. Between it being August and the fact that Seattle is getting close to the salary cap, we have a hunch the team could be largely closing down shop for the next few weeks.
Nonetheless, there was still some news around the hockey world in recent days, so we’ll tackle that in this edition of Occasional Weekly One-Timers.
Kraken have a new ECHL affiliate
The Kansas City Mavericks announced they are the new ECHL affiliate of the Seattle Kraken, replacing the Allen Americans after just one season of partnership.
— Kansas City Mavericks (@kc_mavericks) July 28, 2022
For those unfamiliar, the ECHL is one step below the AHL, and players can shuttle between the two leagues if/when the Kraken organization needs a spot for minor-league players who aren’t getting ice time with the Coachella Valley Firebirds. It’s rare that players who play in the ECHL ultimately make it to the NHL, but it is not unheard of. It’s an especially useful league for developing goalies, as there are so few opportunities for young pro netminders to get playing time.
John Klingberg signs with Ducks
Entering last week, there were two big free-agent dominoes that had not yet fallen. One of those two did find a landing spot, at least for (most of) this upcoming season. Right-shot offensive defenseman John Klingberg signed with the Anaheim Ducks for one season at $7 million. The deal came just days after Klingberg fired his longtime agent, Peter Wallen, and replaced him with Newport Sports Management. The firing indicated that Klingberg wasn’t exactly enamored by how things had gone for him in free agency, and it’s no surprise that he found a contract just a couple days later.
We thought there was a fit for Klingberg in Seattle, especially considering the team was looking to upgrade offensively and was thin on the right side of its blue line. According to Elliotte Friedman, Seattle did have discussions with Klingberg’s agent early in free agency but did not see eye-to-eye on term and/or AAV.
As things shook out for the Kraken this offseason, it became clear that general manager Ron Francis was more interested in improving the team’s forward corps by adding scorers in the $5-million range. So, in came Bjorkstrand and Andre Burakovsky. Francis did sign a more budget-friendly, right-shot puck mover in Justin Schultz at the beginning of free agency. In retrospect that probably signaled the end of the road for “Klingberg to Seattle” clamorers.
Klingberg landing in Anaheim on a one-year deal is a surprise. Viewed as one of the top free agents on the market, we figured the 29-year-old Swede would land a seven- or eight-year mega deal. But those offers either never materialized or Klingberg’s camp misplayed the market.
For the Ducks, adding Klingberg helps the team get above the salary cap floor. On the ice his signing does make Anaheim better this year, and comes on the heels of the offseason additions of Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano. The Ducks showed early season promise in 2021-22, as young players like Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras broke out. We don’t expect them to really be contenders, but this signing gives them a fighting chance and could be intended as a signal to the team that new GM Pat Verbeek wants to start contending soon. It also gives Verbeek a nice chip at the trade deadline if Anaheim isn’t in the playoff hunt.
Nazem Kadri to the Islanders?
With Klingberg finally signed, the lone remaining big domino is Nazem Kadri. But rumors of Kadri landing with the New York Islanders are certainly swirling and picked up steam with this tweet from independent scout Mark Seidel.
Just got off the phone with a guy that knows & I think that Nazem Kadri is done to @NYIslanders They have to clear out some cap room & then it’ll be announced. I’m FAR from an Insider but I’m very confident that it’s done. Great signing by NYI & Nazem Kadri deserves every penny.
— North American Central Scouting Independent Bureau (@MarkSeidel) July 31, 2022
Kadri is coming off a career year and played a key role for the Cup-winning Colorado Avalanche. The veteran center scored 87 points in 71 regular-season games for the Avs and added 15 more points in 16 playoff games.
The delayed announcement of Kadri’s destination would align with the Islanders’ recent history of waiting until the last minute to share news of their offseason signings. Keeping such announcements hidden until September gives general manager Lou Lamoriello more leverage in offseason trade talks, as opposing teams don’t actually know where New York’s cap situation stands.
David Quinn hired by Sharks
New Sharks general manager Mike Grier found his guy. Former Rangers and Boston University Terriers head coach David Quinn was named the next bench boss for San Jose, making him the 11th coach in franchise history. In 208 games with the Rangers, Quinn went 96-87-25.
The Sharks could be quite bad this season, so Quinn has his work cut out for him. After going 32-37-13 in 2021-22, San Jose traded away first-pair stalwart blueliner Brent Burns and did not make any real upgrades this offseason.
Hlinka Gretzky Cup underway
Just when you thought hockey had officially entered the quiet period of the offseason, the Hlinka Gretzky Cup dropped the puck over the weekend. The tournament is a key piece of the annual scouting puzzle for NHL teams, featuring the world’s best under-18-year-old prospects. It plays a big role in determining draft stock for participants as they enter their respective draft seasons.
Team USA got off to a hot start Sunday with a 8-1 drubbing of Germany, and will play again Monday against Finland. Canada barely squeaked out a 14-0 victory over Switzerland in its opener.
The NHL Entry Draft was fun, but even outside of that, this has been a very busy week around the NHL, with lots more excitement to come in the next few days. On this edition of Weekly One-Timers, we will take a look at several of the storylines that have been written this week and try to connect them to the Kraken. Oh, and we will give you some Kraken news, obvi.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy your One-Timers.
Seattle Kraken news
Perhaps this is hyperbole, but we think Seattle’s performance at Thursday and Friday’s draft could go down as one of those “huge moments in Kraken history” when we look back at it five or 10 years from now. We’ve had oodles of draft coverage on soundofhockey.com, so we won’t break it down too much more here, but we do want to say that we’re still in awe of the fact that Shane Wright dropped to Seattle at No. 4 overall.
Lump in Wright and other newly drafted players (like Jagger Firkus, David Goyette, Jani Nyman, et al) with last year’s picks (especially Matty Beniers, Ryker Evans, and Ryan Winterton), and the future of the Kraken is suddenly much brighter than it was just a few days ago.
The expanded Kraken prospect pool will be on full display for the team’s development camp at Kraken Community Iceplex starting Monday.
Here’s the schedule:
Monday, July 11
Doors open at 11:30 a.m., on-ice practice session approximately 12:00 p.m.-12:45 p.m.
Tuesday, July 12
Doors open at 10:45 a.m., on-ice practice session approximately 11:15 a.m.-12 p.m.
Wednesday, July 13
Doors open at 10:30 a.m., scrimmage approximately 11 a.m.-12 p.m
Thursday, July 14
Doors open at 9:45 a.m., on-ice practice session approximately 10:15 a.m.-11 a.m.
All sessions are open to the public, so swing by and be dazzled by Wright.
Filip Forsberg back to Nashville
Kraken general manager Ron Francis has indicated he intends to be aggressive in signing players that can rapidly improve his team when free agency opens on July 13. It’s debatable if now is the right time for this franchise to take swings at big-name, big-dollar players, but if Seattle is going to do that anyway, Filip Forsberg would have been our top target.
Instead, the 27-year-old star winger re-signed with the Predators for eight years at an $8.5 million cap hit on Saturday. That’s a fair deal for a guy that scored 84 points in 69 games last season, including this coast-to-coast banger against Seattle in January.
With Forsberg off the board, all eyes turn to players like Johnny Gaudreau, Nazem Kadri, and John Klingberg, who are expected to be available as of Wednesday. The Kraken are one of just a few teams with the cap space to sign big-time free agents… But should they?
Alex DeBrincat and Kirby Dach traded
The Chicago Blackhawks have made it clear they intend to be one of the worst teams in the league next season, with hopes of winning the NHL Draft Lottery and a chance to select generational talent Connor Bedard in the 2023 draft.
The returns were underwhelming, and the deals made us wonder what the plans are for veterans Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, who surely must be reaching the ends of their respective ropes.
We also wonder if Seattle inquired about DeBrincat, but the closest thing to a No. 7 pick that Francis could have given up would have been the No. 4 pick, which ultimately became Wright. So, we’re glad that didn’t happen.
Goalie market rapidly thinning
With Chris Driedger expected to miss most of the season with an ACL injury, Seattle is likely looking for a veteran backup to Philipp Grubauer. Since Driedger is under contract through 2023-24,our expectation is that the Kraken will want to find somebody reliable that will accept a one-year deal.
Scott Wedgewood and Casey DeSmith—two potential targets that could have fit that mold—re-signed with Dallas and Pittsburgh respectively, each on two-year deals. With those signings in mind, what level of quality can Seattle expect to find for just one year?
Additionally, Alexandar Georgiev was traded to Colorado, Ville Husso was traded to Detroit, former Kraken legend Vitek Vanecek was traded to New Jersey (the day before his wedding), and Marc-Andre Fleury went back to Minnesota. The MAF signing has apparently made Cam Talbot mad, but even if Talbot’s agent somehow talks Bill Guerin into trading him, there isn’t a fit for Talbot in Seattle.
So, who is left for the Kraken? We thought perhaps Braden Holtby, but there are reports out there that he may not play this season. We will discuss the backup goalie topic through a Kraken lens in more detail soon.
Around the boards
Kris Letang re-signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins for six years with a $6.1 million AAV. That’s a big contract for a 35-year-old defenseman. Some folks thought he was a fit for Seattle, but we’re glad the Kraken didn’t somehow end up making a deal like this for a player of this age.
Duncan Keith announced he will retire after 17 seasons. The two-time Norris Trophy winner notched 106 goals and 540 assists in 1,256 career games, and helped lead the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cups.
Bryan Marchment, a long-time NHLer and father of Panthers forward Mason Marchment, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in Montreal, where he was traveling with the San Jose Sharks for the draft. New Sharks GM Mike Grier gave a nice statement about Marchment prior to San Jose’s first pick on Thursday. Our condolences to the Marchment family.
Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov could be in a bad situation in Russia. Read Michael Russo’s story in The Athletic for details, but there are rumors that he is wanted in his home country for allegedly purchasing a fake military ID. It is currently unclear if he will be allowed to return to the United States for next season.
Sure, the hockey season is now officially over, but this week was anything but quiet. In this edition of Weekly One-Timers, we’ll bring you up to speed with everything you need to know from around the hockey world.
Kraken news
Big transactions coming?
Relatively speaking, things have been quiet in Krakenland, though it feels like the calm before the storm. Yes, we do believe that big things are afoot for Seattle, which currently holds 12 picks in next week’s NHL Entry Draft, including No. 4 overall pick and four second-round picks.
Chris Johnston of TSN reported on Insider Trading that the Kraken were in on Kevin Fiala before he was moved to the Los Angeles Kings (more on that in a moment), and Pierre Lebrun has now suggested Seattle as a potential landing spot for Alex DeBrincat.
The challenge in swinging a blockbuster trade like this is that Seattle—which does have draft picks coming out of its ears—does not have much of a prospect pool yet, and surely general manager Ron Francis will not want to give up the No. 4 pick. So, what do the Kraken have that could land a DeBrincat-caliber player?
Regardless of if Francis is successful on the trade market this offseason, we do expect him to make a splash in free agency, which is also right around the corner on July 13.
Gustav Olofsson re-signs
The Kraken announced that they have brought back 27-year-old Swedish defenseman Gustav Olofsson on another one-year, two-way contract worth up to $750,000. Olofsson has played in the NHL before, but had his career derailed by injuries. He has recovered well at the AHL level and will be reliable for Coachella Valley in its inaugural season. Olofsson had two goals and seven assists in 41 games for the Charlotte Checkers in 2021-22.
Avalanche win Stanley Cup, get drunk
There are few things more entertaining than the photos and videos that come out of Stanley Cup victory parades. The Colorado Avalanche held their parade on Thursday after they defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final on Sunday.
The Avs did not disappoint. From Bowen Byram almost getting kicked out of his own parade to Nicolas Aube-Kubel beer bonging through a traffic cone to Kraken legend Kurtis MacDermid taking a digger with the Cup, Colorado exceeded expectations.
A Denver police officer didn’t know who Bowen Byram was.🤣
— Hockey Players With Animals (And Other Chaos) (@animalsofhockey) July 1, 2022
Kevin Fiala traded
The first big trade of what could be a busy offseason around the NHL was consummated this week between the Minnesota Wild and the Los Angeles Kings. After the Wild bought out Zach Parise and Ryan Suter last summer, it was no surprise when they found themselves in a Fiala-related pickle, clearly lacking the cap space to re-sign the skilled winger.
The Kings dipped into their impressive prospect pool and sent University of Minnesota defenseman Brock Faber to his hometown team, along with the No. 19 overall pick in the draft. It’s a decent return for the Wild, thought they probably could have gotten more for an 85-point scorer, had it not been so obvious that they were in a bind.
The Kings get a highly skilled forward that can take over games. Fiala had an enormous year in Minnesota but went silent in the playoffs for the second consecutive season. He immediately re-signed with the Kings for seven years at $7.9 million per year, meaning he will be giving the Kraken fits for a long time to come.
Saint John Sea Dogs win Memorial Cup
The QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs defeated Kraken prospect Ryan Winterton and the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs to win the Memorial Cup on Wednesday.
The Sea Dogs, a stacked team in their own right, were actually eliminated from the QMJHL playoffs by Rimouski Oceanic in the first round. They automatically qualified for the Memorial Cup as the host of the tournament and had 39 days off while the other three participants battled it out to win championships in their respective leagues.
Winterton had three goals and three assists in six games for Hamilton, which came up just shy after winning an OHL championship earlier in June.
Brad Lambert to Seattle?
The Seattle Thunderbirds traded for the CHL rights to Brad Lambert this week, sending a fourth- and sixth-round pick in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft to Saskatoon. If Lambert signs with Seattle, the T-Birds would also send a first rounder in 2023 and a second rounder in 2024.
This is significant because Lambert is a touted prospect, ranked No. 15 on the SOH composite Big Board. If he signs, the Thunderbirds will be even more stacked next season than they already expect to be.
Some new, some old on the NHL coaching carousel
A couple familiar faces were handed the keys to NHL teams this week, as Jim Montgomery was hired as the head coach of the Boston Bruins, and Rick Bowness was named coach of the Winnipeg Jets.
Montgomery’s hiring means Kraken assistant coach Jay Leach—who was a candidate for the Boston job—will remain with Seattle, at least for now. Montgomery was most recently an assistant under Craig Berube in St. Louis, and before that was the head coach of the Dallas Stars. His time with Dallas ended initially under mysterious circumstances, but it was eventually revealed that he had been fired due to issues related to alcohol abuse. We’re glad to see that Montgomery has gotten his life back on track and is getting another opportunity as a head coach.
Interestingly, it was Bowness who replaced Montgomery behind the Dallas bench during the 2019-20 season. Bowness led the Stars to the Stanley Cup Final that season. He stepped aside from the Stars after his team was eliminated this past season. The hiring of Bowness comes on the heels of Barry Trotz turning down an offer from the Jets.
The Red Wings and Blackhawks hired first-time NHL head coaches in Derek Lalonde and Luke Richardson, respectively. Lalonde won back-to-back Stanley Cups as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning and previously was a head coach with the Iowa Wild in the AHL. Richardson spent the past four seasons as an assistant in Montreal.
Fun anecdote, I got locked out of Climate Pledge Arena with Derek Lalonde prior to morning skate when the Lightning visited Seattle this year. We had a nice chat. So, I can personally say he’s a very nice guy, and I’m glad he’s getting his shot with the Red Wings. Lalonde has paid his dues.
Brock Boeser re-upped with the Vancouver Canucks on a three-year deal with a $6.65 million annual cap hit. It’s been a tough year for the Boeser family, who lost Brock’s dad, Duke, recently, so this is some needed great news for them. Vancouver fans are surely glad to have the sharpshooter back, as well.
Nick Paul, acquired by Tampa Bay at the trade deadline, signed a seven-year extension with the Lightning worth $3.15 million per year. Paul was an absolute warrior in the playoffs and scored five goals and four assists in 23 games. Most notably, he scored both of Tampa Bay’s goals in Game 7 of the opening round against the Maple Leafs.
Believe it or not, 41-year-old Craig Anderson will be back with Buffalo for another season, after he signed a one-year deal at a $1.5 million cap hit. The guy just keeps going. Good for him!
It feels SO GOOD to be back! It’s been a long time since we’ve put pen to paper for the purpose of giving you one-timers of the weekly variety, but here we are, ready to serve up some bite-sized hockey news for you.
As is tradition in Weekly One-Timers, we shall start with some Kraken and other local news, then expand the sphere of information to include the whole hockey world. Let’s dig into it, shall we?
Kraken news… sort of
Jeremy Lauzon re-signs
Technically this isn’t Kraken news, but it is at least Kraken related. Former Seattle defenseman Jeremy Lauzon re-signed with the Nashville Predators for four years at a $2 million annual salary.
Due to injury, Lauzon only ended up playing 13 games with the Preds after being traded by the Kraken at the NHL Trade Deadline for a second-round pick in the upcoming draft. He had one goal and zero assists in that time with 14 penalty minutes.
It was not the most impressive stat line, so we were a tad surprised to see the four-year term given by general manager David Poile. Perhaps he heard people saying a second-round pick for Lauzon was too much and felt he needed to prove it was a good trade. Or perhaps he just really likes the player and wants to keep him around for a while.
Either way, we’re happy to see Lauzon get a nice payday.
Ryan Winterton headed to the Memorial Cup
Ryan Winterton, selected by the Kraken in the third round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, is headed to the CHL’s Memorial Cup after his Hamilton Bulldogs knocked off the Windsor Spitfires in Game 7 of the OHL Championship Series.
Winterton helped the Bulldogs with 19 points (7-12—19) in 18 playoff games, a nice follow-up to a regular season in which he returned from a long-term injury to rack up 46 points (20-26—46) in 37 games.
The Bulldogs celebrated their berth in the Memorial Cup by pounding a giant nail into a table using a sledgehammer.
The Seattle Thunderbirds encountered adversity through seemingly every step of their journey this season, but they just kept winning, even as the odds stacked up against them. They battled through injuries, COVID issues, and ill-timed suspensions. After cruising past Kelowna in the first round, the T-Birds faced elimination games against Portland and Kamloops, only to force Game 7’s in both series and keep themselves alive.
But the high-flying Edmonton Oil Kings, with their aggressive forecheck and star-studded lineup of future NHLers, ultimately proved to be too much in the end.
After winning Game 1 of the WHL Championship Series in Edmonton, the T-Birds lost the next three straight, including their only two home games of the series. Again on the brink of elimination, they battled back for a road win in Game 5, but finally succumbed with a 2-0 defeat in Game 6.
We attended several games of the playoffs, including both of the home games in the Championship Series, and we have to mention what an absolute treat it was to get to witness high-level hockey that deep in a postseason, and seemingly in the middle of the summer. It was such a blast to be a part of that, and we hope the kids on that T-Birds roster will remain very proud of what they accomplished this season.
Congratulations to the Oil Kings (begrudgingly), and congratulations to the Thunderbirds.
Stanley Cup Final underway
We don’t have much to share on this topic that you don’t know already, but the Avalanche and Lightning have finally linked up for a postseason showdown, a matchup that has felt like destiny for several years now.
The two perennially elite teams got off to a rip-roaring start on Thursday, with the Avs eking out a 4-3 overtime victory after the Bolts had erased a two-goal deficit.
This has the makings of an all-time great Stanley Cup Final, and the fans seem to be enjoying it so far.
The NHL coaching carousel kicked it into high gear this week. In a spring/early summer in which some well-respected coaches around the league found themselves without jobs when their teams were dispatched, it’s no surprise to see some big hires being made.
Bruce Cassidy was hired by the Vegas Golden Knights after just a few days of unemployment, and our old buddy John Tortorella has Re: Torted himself back into coaching by getting hired by the Philadelphia Flyers.
Interestingly, Barry Trotz remains without a job, though we can’t help wondering if he has quietly passed on at least one opportunity. Trotz has been tied to the Winnipeg Jets lately, and the Winnipeg Sun reports he will be in talks with them again this weekend.
Look, we’re pretty sure we’ve mentioned this about a thousand times in the past as we have inched closer and closer to training camp, but we really mean it this time… KRAKEN HOCKEY IS ON THE HORIZON!
The team officially opens camp in less than a week—Thursday, Sept. 23, to be precise—and will play its first preseason game next Sunday in Spokane. Literal, actual, honest-to-goodness Seattle Kraken hockey is just over a week away [insert “Dr. Phil Having Panic Attack” gif or “Overweight Cat Breathing Heavily” gif here]!
It… is… happening.
Seattle Kraken news
Kraken sign Ryan Donato
The Kraken have seemingly done their darndest to add as many middle-six or bottom-six forwards on one-year deals as humanly possible this offseason. This week, the club added Ryan Donato to that group with a one-way contract worth $750K. It’s an interesting addition to an already crowded corps of depth forwards, so how he slots in remains to be seen.
The fact that he would have to be paid his NHL salary even in the AHL indicates that the Kraken do intend on keeping Donato in the Emerald City when the season gets underway. And while Donato has proven that he is an NHL player, he has yet to show as a constant producer offensively, which has in turn caused his minutes to decrease as past seasons have worn on. On a $750K deal, Donato could end up being a steal if he can get some decent minutes with good linemates.
Said general manager Ron Francis of the former Harvard Crimson standout and Team USA Olympian, “Ryan’s hockey sense and ability to contribute on the scoresheet are two ingredients we are excited to add to our forward group. We like his offensive potential and believe he can add scoring depth.”
Apparently Seattle fans really were excited to get their hands on the team’s new jerseys. Home and road sweaters officially went on sale this week, and at the newly opened Kraken Community Iceplex, the third rink was temporarily turned into a jersey-focused megastore. Lines at times stretched out the door and down block, as Seattle faithful clamored for their first beloved sweater with the mean and mysterious ‘S’ on the chest.
The jerseys being sold at the megastore and at the Kraken Team Stores in Chandler’s Cove and Bellevue Square Mall feature an “Inaugural Season” patch on the right shoulder. If you’re like me and want the jersey to maintain a bit more of an evergreen look beyond this season by not having that patch, you can apparently buy them sans the patch here. That’s just a little pro tip for you.
As an aside, speaking of the Kraken Community Iceplex, I had the good fortune of playing hockey at the facility this week, and it truly is unlike any other arena in the greater Seattle area. It is a fantastic place to play.
Training camp tickets now available to members of The Depths
The heading of this section pretty much says it all, but if you’re a member of “The Depths,” you now have access to purchase tickets to training camp. Orders are limited to two tickets per member and can definitely sell out (the KCI isn’t that big), so get ’em while they’re hot!
Chris Driedger reveals goalie gear
We will have a lot more Kraken goalie gear content in the coming weeks, but for now, we wanted to make sure you at least saw Chris Driedger’s new setup from Vaughn, which is truly a work of art. Behold.
Driedger hasn’t revealed his mask just yet, but a little birdie tells us it will feature a certain villain who lives at the bottom of the sea and prefers that debts owed to him are settled with souls.
Matty Beniers named alternate captain at Michigan
Seattle’s top prospect and No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Matty Beniers, was named an alternate captain for the University of Michigan for the upcoming season.
Introducing your 2021-22 Michigan Hockey Captains!
He joins a five-man leadership group for the Wolverines, made up of Beniers, Nick Blankenburg, Jimmy Lambert, Nolan Moyle, and Mike Pastujov. Those other four players are all entering their respective senior seasons, while Beniers is only a sophomore, a huge credit to the leadership skills that he possesses.
Beniers will be a key cog in the machine that will be the Michigan Wolverines, as he, Owen Power, Luke Hughes, Kent Johnson, and Brendan Brisson set out on their odyssey for an NCAA championship. Shoutout to @Bouldergrad41 on Twitter for referring to that group as “The Frozen Fab Five,” which is a pretty solid moniker for a Michigan team.
National television schedule announced
The NHL’s new national broadcast partners, ESPN and TNT/TBS, announced their schedules for the season. The Kraken are among the league leaders with 13 nationally televised games.
Number of US National TV games this season by team (exclusively on ABC, ESPN, TNT, Hulu/ESPN+) – BOS, CHI, COL, LAK, MIN, NYR, PHI, PIT, SEA, STL, TBL, WSH all have the most with 13 – CGY, OTT, WPG have zero (0) All out of market games to be streamed on ESPN+ from local telecasts pic.twitter.com/GINw93rNlf
Seattle will be featured as part of a season-opening ESPN double-header on Oct. 12, when the Kraken play at Vegas for their first game ever. The home opener against Vancouver will also be carried nationally on ESPN+ and Hulu on Oct. 23.
Around the boards
NHL Media Tour
The NHL is currently holding its two-day National Media Tour in Chicago, which is being attended by Kraken netminder Philipp Grubauer and forward Jordan Eberle.
As a goalie, I always like to point out that five players have to make a mistake before the puck gets to me. But sometimes, just one player makes a really obvious mistake, and it’s a big enough mistake to cover for the other four.
This is a tough moment for Mikhail Mamkin of Spartak Moscow in the KHL, who not only whiffs on the outlet pass, but then follows it up by stepping on the puck, falling down, and sliding it right onto the tape of a wide-open Andrei Kuzmenko. Kuzmenko then finds Anton Burdasov for an easy tap-in.
Remember those Southwest Airlines commercials that ended in “Wanna get away?” This blooper could be one of those commercials. The spot would need nothing else, just this clip with the narrator asking that question at the end.
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at Sound Of Hockey and the host, producer, and editor of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is an inconsistent beer league goalie who believes that five players have to make a mistake before the puck gets to him. Follow him on Twitter @DarrenFunBrown or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
Things are getting very real, Kraken fans! The Kraken Community Iceplex is open, players have arrived and actually skated in front of media on Thursday, and Kraken training camp is officially set to open on Sept. 23. Oh yes, things are definitely getting real.
Here’s what you need to know from the hockey world for this past week.
Seattle Kraken news
Iceplex grand opening
The Kraken Community Iceplex had its grand opening on Thursday. As part of the event, a group of Kraken players including Jaden Schwartz, Philipp Grubauer, Alexander Wennberg, Calle Jarnkrok, and many more took the ice for an informal practice and played a scrimmage. Check out Andy Eide’s story on the event here, which features lots of great photos of the event from Brian Liesse.
We know you’re wondering, and yes, we did get a good look at Philipp Grubauer’s Kraken goalie gear.
Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer was on the ice at the Kraken Community Iceplex Thursday (Brian Liesse photo)
He has gone with a mostly white True setup, with deep sea blue and ice blue accents, while his mask is heavily branded with team logos. It’s a pretty typical setup for Grubauer and isn’t anything groundbreaking, but it’s clean and tastefully done, and it’s certainly cool to see the team’s star netminder already donning his Kraken-specific equipment.
Training camp set to open Sept. 23
Have you heard the news? Training camp is set to open Sept. 23! By my math, that’s just 12 days from now. Fans will be able to procure tickets for the event if they are members of The Depths, the online club that was recently introduced by the team to give access to pre-sales, exclusive content, and several other benefits.
Fans ages 12 and older will be required to show proof of vaccination against COVID in order to attend training camp, which will be held at the Iceplex.
Kraken requiring vaccinations
Speaking of proof of vaccination, you will need to be fully vaxxed if you want to attend games or concerts at Climate Pledge Arena.
This is a pretty big deal. Other pro sports teams wanting to show that they are taking seriously the fight against the ongoing pandemic have required either proof of vaccination or a negative test. But the Kraken—always progressive in their approach to social issues—will give only one option to fans wishing to attend, and that is to get the shot.
The team will also require proof of vaccination for its three preseason games in Spokane, Everett, and Kent.
A year ago, going to an arena of 17,000-plus screaming fans would have been a non-starter for most. But now, there will be a way to attend with relative peace of mind that everyone in the building has taken the necessary steps to stop the spread of this still scary and still very dangerous disease.
Kraken sign Dennis Cholowski
The last of the restricted free agent dominos fell for Seattle this week, as defenseman Dennis Cholowski was signed to a one-year, two-way deal worth $900K. The 23-year-old was selected by the Kraken in the Expansion Draft from the Detroit Red Wings.
Cholowski was born in Langley, B.C., and spent a year in the WHL, splitting the season between Prince George and Portland. He had a strong rookie season in Detroit in 2018-19, when he played 52 games and notched 16 points. Since then, he’s been up and down between the NHL and the AHL, and last season only got 16 games with the big club.
He’s a two-way defenseman with upside, but he also will be competing in Kraken training camp for a spot on a deep blue line and is on a two-way deal, meaning there’s a good chance he spends time in Charlotte this year.
NWHL re-brands to Premier Hockey Federation
The National Women’s Hockey League is officially changing its name to become the Premier Hockey Federation before the upcoming season. Per the league’s official announcement, the move is meant to eliminate gender inequities by lifting the word “women’s” from the name, while also providing a more inclusive environment for all of its athletes.
Ditching six years of work to build up the NWHL into a recognizable brand had to have been an enormous decision for the league and relatively new commissioner Tyler Tumminia. And while we certainly don’t doubt that inclusivity is at the heart of it, we can’t help wondering how the decision was impacted by the existence of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association.
The PWHPA’s membership features some of the world’s best players, many of whom have been vocal against the NWHL in the past. Could the change to PHF have anything to do with trying to win back some of those players? Time will tell.
Around the boards
Winter Classic jerseys revealed
The Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues unveiled their respective Winter Classic jerseys this week.
As a native of Minnesota, I can tell you that Wild fans gave a big, collective “uffda” at the revelation of these busy, excessively striped, elbow patched uniforms (yes, they have elbow patches).
St. Louis, meanwhile, played it a little safer and came up with a pretty clean, simple look that should play well on TV.
Speaking of St. Louis, David Backes got the one-day contract treatment from the organization that drafted him and employed him for 10 NHL seasons. So, he officially retires as a member of the Blues, after spending time in Boston and Anaheim the last couple years. Backes, 37, scored 248 goals and 313 assists in 965 career regular-season games. He was given quite the sendoff when he made his last visit to St. Louis as a Duck last season, so his decision to officially hang up the skates was not a surprise.
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at Sound Of Hockey and the host, producer, and editor of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is an inconsistent beer league goalie who believes that five players have to make a mistake before the puck gets to him. Follow him on Twitter @DarrenFunBrown or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
