We finally know where Shane Wright will finish his junior season, as the Kraken top prospect was traded from the Kingston Frontenacs to the Windsor Spitfires in exchange for a slew of draft picks and two roster players.
Wright was assigned back to Kingston by the Seattle Kraken after captaining Team Canada to a gold medal at the World Junior Championship, and rumors immediately circulated he would be traded.
Windsor was ultimately the winner of the Wright sweepstakes and added one of the best players in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) to a roster that already features four other NHL prospects.
There was some initial buzz that the London Knights were close to acquiring Wright. However, it appears London defenseman Oliver Bonk, a ‘B’ rated prospect by NHL Central Scouting, was the sticking point in the deal, at least that’s what London general manager Mark Hunter said.
London Knights GM Mark Hunter on Shane Wright talks: “We weren’t going to trade (Oliver) Bonk. Period. It wasn’t happening."
From a Seattle fan perspective, Windsor is a bit of an underwhelming landing spot for Wright, even though the Spitfires were in a great position — and are now in an even greater position — to win the CHL’s top prize, the Memorial Cup.
London would have been a desirable option to pair Wright up with Kraken prospect Ryan Winterton, who the Knights also traded for recently. North Bay seemingly made a late push, at least per reports, which would have formed a fun trio with Seattle defense prospect Ty Nelson and forward prospect Kyle Jackson.
As far as what this means for Wright, he’s virtually guaranteed top-line minutes and should embark on a long playoff run. Being back in an environment where he has already dominated — the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft posted 94 points in 63 games last season — should imbue Wright with plenty of confidence.
And above anything else, the move provides stability for Wright, who has played for three different teams — Seattle, Coachella Valley, and Team Canada — over the last three months.
Coachella Valley continues streaking
The Firebirds’ winning streak ended at seven games with a 3-2 shootout loss to the Ontario Reign Sunday, but Coachella Valley is still riding a nine-game point streak after a 3-2 shootout win over the San Jose Barracuda Tuesday.
Kole Lind tallied a goal in the latest victory. The 24-year-old forward has 11 points in his last 10 games.
Andrew Poturalski, Ryker Evans named AHL All-Stars
The Firebirds will send two representatives to the American Hockey League’s All-Star Classic in their first season.
Poturalski, a 28-year-old forward, has tallied 35 points in 33 games this season and is currently on a two-year deal with the Kraken. Evans, a second-round draft pick in 2022, has 21 points in 33 games in his first AHL season.
Poturalski and Evans will play for the Pacific Division and will be coached by Calgary head coach Mitch Love, a cult legend with the Everett Silvertips. Former Everett goaltender Dustin Wolf, who plays for Love in Calgary, will be between the pipes for the Pacific.
Jacob Melanson settling in just fine with Sherbrooke
In just his third game with the QMJHL’s Sherbrooke Phoenix since being traded by Acadie-Bathurst, the Kraken forward prospect netted a hat trick, his third of the season, in a 5-2 win over Shawinigan.
In his three games with Sherbrooke, Melanson has five goals and seven points.
Barrett Hall enjoying nice stretch in USHL
The Kraken’s sixth-round pick in 2022 is in a nice groove for the Green Bay Gamblers with seven points in his last five games, including a four-point effort on Dec. 28.
Hall is currently tied for third on the Gamblers with 20 points.
Thunderbirds make splash, Silvertips receive big haul for Zellweger at WHL deadline
The local Western Hockey League teams were uber active at the trade deadline, with the two teams heading in opposite directions.
Seattle acquired Chicago Blackhawks prospect Colton Dach from the Kelowna Rockets, had the Winnipeg Jets reassign Brad Lambert to the T-Birds — who they acquired the rights to in a trade with Saskatoon earlier this year — and obtained the rights to Dylan Guenther, who is currently in the NHL with the Arizona Coyotes, from the Edmonton Oil Kings for a load of conditional draft picks.
After the dust settled, Seattle was left with nine NHL prospects, three players on NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary players to watch list, and the starting goalie for the WJC’s gold-medal-winning Canada, Thomas Milic.
Not bad.
However, the draft pick cupboard is now bare in Seattle. If Guenther ends up reporting to Seattle by the Feb. 10 deadline for NHL teams to send players back to juniors and be eligible for the playoffs (which seems unlikely at this point), the Thunderbirds will have no picks in the first three rounds and just three in the first five rounds of the next four WHL bantam drafts.
Everett is trending in the opposite direction but completed some tidy business of their own by trading Ducks prospect Olen Zellweger and Capitals prospect Ryan Hofer for 10 draft picks, including two first-rounders, and four players.
According to Alan Caldwell, who has tracked WHL draft picks since 2015, the Silvertips have not had multiple first-round draft picks since at least 2015 — as far back as his tracker goes.
High draft picks aren’t the only way to build a successful WHL team — Everett and Seattle are prime examples of that — but it certainly helps.
Josh Horton
Josh Horton is a freelance writer, former newspaper journalist, and erstwhile Western Hockey League writer for the Everett Herald and The Spokesman-Review (Spokane). He is NOT a juggler, nor is he a former professional baseball player. Follow him on Twitter @byjoshhorton.
The World Junior Championship ended Thursday, with Shane Wright captaining Team Canada to a gold medal in Halifax and Moncton. The morning after, the Seattle Kraken reassigned Wright back to the OHL for the rest of the season.
Now, OHL trade watch begins for Wright.
Several hockey insiders have further advanced speculation that arose during World Juniors that Wright would be traded by Kingston. If that ends up being true, he would be the third Kraken prospect to be traded before the Canadian Hockey League deadline.
This past weekend, two Kraken forward prospects, Jacob Melanson and Ryan Winterton, were dealt from their respective junior teams. Melanson was acquired by the Sherbrooke Phoenix of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for a first-rounder, a second-rounder, and a prospect, and Winterton was sent to the London Knights of the OHL along with teammate Ryan Humphrey for two players and a second-round pick.
Melanson, a fifth-round pick in 2021, is 15th in the QMJHL in scoring with 25 goals and 19 assists. He’ll join a roster loaded with NHL draft prospects; Melanson is one of seven drafted players on the Phoenix, and new teammate Ethan Gauthier is projected to be a first-round pick by most public scouting rankings.
Winterton hasn’t played this season yet due to offseason shoulder surgery but is expected to make his debut on Friday against his former team, Hamilton, according to Ryan Pyette of the London Free Press. The Kraken’s third-round pick in 2021 had 46 points in 37 games last season.
New Knights F Ryan Winterton, who hasn't played yet this season while recovering from shoulder surgery, expected to make his London debut Friday against his old Hamilton mates.
Currently, the Kingston Frontenacs, who drafted Wright, hold his OHL rights and are in the middle of the pack in the standings. Ottawa, London, North Bay, Barrie, and Peterborough have been called out as teams to watch by hockey insiders.
With Shane Wright (#SeaKraken) heading back to OHL after captaining Team Canada to 🥇 at World Juniors, expect a trade from Kingston to materialize.
Front runners appear to be Barrie and Peterborough. Can't count out Ottawa, London or North Bay. Huge piece for a playoff run.
As far as Kraken prospect synergy, the best landing spots for Wright would be London (Winterton), North Bay (Ty Nelson), or Peterborough (Tucker Robertson).
The OHL trade deadline is Jan. 10 at 9 a.m. PT.
Since Wright played in only eight games for the Kraken, the first year of his entry-level contract (ELC) won’t kick in this season. Per the NHL-CHL agreement, Wright was allowed nine games in the NHL before Seattle needed to decide whether to send him back to the OHL or burn the first year of his ELC. Wright can’t play the full season in the American Hockey League, per the same agreement.
The path to playing time in Seattle was tight for Wright before World Juniors, but it became even tighter after the Kraken claimed forward Eeli Tolvanen off waivers from the Nashville Predators.
Speaking of Wright, check this out
As mentioned above, Canada won the gold medal game against Czechia, 3-2, in overtime.
Wright played a pivotal part for Canada throughout the entire tournament, centering one of the team’s top two lines and serving as captain. He put an exclamation on his tournament with a highlight-reel-worthy goal to put Canada up 2-0.
Shane Wright with a wicked toe-drag to backhand goal 😳
Wright was solid, but not overwhelming, at World Juniors. Part of that comes from 2023 top prospect Connor Bedard lighting up the tournament with nine goals and 23 points and overshadowing everyone, but Wright posted a respectable stat line with four goals and seven points in seven games.
Even though he didn’t put up eye-popping numbers, there are plenty of positives to take away from Wright’s World Junior stint, according to Lassi Alanen of Elite Prospects.
Shane Wright (SEA) didn't have the most explosive tournament on the scoresheet, but he was still one of the best overall forwards. At least above-average in every metric used in these cards, which speaks volumes about his versatility. #SeaKrakenhttps://t.co/D62yELtiWapic.twitter.com/6pwyWFbSLt
The Finns, the other team at the World Juniors with Kraken representation, were knocked out in the quarterfinals by archrival Sweden.
Kraken forward prospect Jani Nyman finished with two goals and three points in five games, and goaltender NIklas Kokko didn’t see any action for Finland.
Thomas Milic holds down Canada’s crease
The Seattle Thunderbirds netminder took over Canada’s net and performed admirably with a .932 save percentage and lots of heroic saves in the knockout rounds.
Milic, along with teammates Reid Schaefer, Kevin Korchinski, and Nolan Allen, Everett Silvertips defenseman Olen Zellweger, and head coach Dennis Williams, bring a gold medal back to the Puget Sound.
Coachella Valley Firebirds riding long winning streak
Seattle’s AHL affiliate has been scorching hot in December and January. With their 4-2 win over Colorado on Wednesday, the Firebirds have won six straight and 12 of their last 15 dating back to the start of December.
Forwards Kole Lind, Jesper Froden, and Max McCormick boast a team-leading seven goals and 16 points each during that stretch, and defense prospect Ryker Evans has been equally productive on the blue line with 11 points.
Ty Nelson packs scoring punch
Defenseman Ty Nelson is on a nice little scoring run with two goals and 10 points over his last 10 games for the OHL’s North Bay Battalion. The shot-happy blue liner is one of the most dynamic defensemen in creating offense in junior hockey, as Sound Of Hockey’s own Curtis Isacke noted on Twitter.
Ty Nelson leads the entire OHL with 191 shots on goal. 17 more than the next player… As a defenseman. The next D on the list has only 124 SOG.
As puck dominant a season as you'll see. Liked his physicality/energy in dev camp, but an adjustment coming to pro game. #SeaKraken
It’s a holiday tradition unlike any other, in certain countries anyway. The IIHF 2023 World Junior Championship gets underway on Dec. 26 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Moncton, New Brunswick.
In Canada, the tournament is must-watch television for hockey fans of all ages. It hasn’t reached that level here in the United States, and hockey fans are missing a good time.
The tournament, which features the best players under 20 years old in the world, is filled each year with compelling games that highlight top players on their way to the NHL, and this year, fans of Pacific Northwest hockey have plenty of reasons to watch and enjoy the tournament.
Seattle Kraken forward Shane Wright is playing for Canada and has been named captain of the squad. Canada also has rostered four guys who play for the Seattle Thunderbirds and Olen Zellweger of the Everett Silvertips. As well as six local players, the Canadians are coached by Everett head coach Dennis Williams. Perhaps the team should change its name to Team Puget Sound.
As the captain of Team Canada and playing in Canada, the pressure and scrutiny that Wright will experience is as great, if not greater, than what he’s faced so far in the NHL. Luckily, the guy whose locker stall in the Kraken dressing room sits next to Wright is Jordan Eberle, who is well versed on what comes along with playing for Team Canada.
“Enjoy the pressure,” Eberle said last week. “It’s a quick tournament that goes by fast. You don’t play many games so just try and sit back and enjoy the atmosphere and the energy of the games. I think for me, it’s still one of the funnest tournaments to watch. You know, just based on how hard the kids are going, to big hits, celebrations, I suppose that kind of stuff makes the viewership high, so just enjoy the experience.”
Eberle played for Team Canada twice when he was coming up in the hockey ranks. In 2008 he was part of a gold-medal winner, and in 2009 he returned to the tournament as a 19-year-old and won a silver medal.
With a flair for the dramatic, he scored one of the most memorable goals in 2008 to save Canada during a semi-final against Russia which allowed Canada to win in a shootout and ultimately win the gold medal.
That goal lives on and is cited by many of the younger players who came after Eberle. It’s a play that gets pointed to as an inspirational moment for Canadians and has spawned World Junior dreams for many.
“I look back on that tournament, and for me, it was kind of a stepping stone to get confidence to get into the NHL,” Eberle said. “I’m sure Wrighter will use it the same way. As a kid you dream of playing in the tournament so when you get the chance to do it, you want to take advantage of it and just enjoy the moment.”
Sitting in the stall on the other side of Eberle is rookie Matty Beniers who has his own World Junior Championship story.
Raised outside of Boston, Mass., Beniers played for the U.S. on the World Junior team in 2021. That tournament was in the COVID bubble at Edmonton, and Beniers was part of a team that upset the Canadians in the gold-medal game, something that seemed unlikely for the Candians who were packed with NHL first-round picks.
While Eberle grew up in Canada dreaming of playing in the tournament, it was a bit different for Beniers.
“I watched ‘er growing up,” he said. “I wasn’t a huge sports watcher outside of like Boston teams. So growing up I didn’t watch a ton of hockey and stuff like that. I just kind of watched, obviously the Bruins, but I grew up in other sports, so I didn’t watch it much, but I remember getting older, then I started watching a little bit more.”
It wasn’t a near religious experience for Beniers like it was close to being for Canadian youngsters like Eberle, but he had similar advice for Wright as he prepares to win gold for the Canadians, something they’ve done 19 times before.
“Have fun, it’s a great time,” Beniers said. “Playing for your country is always super fun. He’s playing for Canada so I don’t know if I can totally root for the team, but for him and hoping he does well, I think it’d be fun and you know the role that he’ll be in, it’s awesome.”
A quick look at Team Canada
Wright will be an obvious player to watch, especially here in Seattle but he’s far from alone. He leads the Northwest contingent and will be joined by Thunderbirds Kevin Korchinksi, Nolan Allen, Reid Schaefer, and goalie Thomas Milic.
Kevin Korchinski is one of four Seattle Thunderbirds playing for Canada at the WJC. (Photo/Brian Liesse)
Zellweger will be in the top Canadian defensive pair and on their power play so he’ll see plenty of ice time.
The Canadian team will be fun to watch for other reasons though. Wunderkind Connor Bedard, who is the presumptive first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and just 17, is a human highlight reel. So far, in their camp, Bedard has been playing on Wright’s wing, which will be fun and near impossible to stop.
Wright isn’t the only player on the roster with some NHL experience. The Los Angeles Kings have loaned defenseman Brandt Clarke, and the Arizona Coyotes sent forward Dylan Guenther, which only adds to the quality of talent they’ve assembled.
Once again, Canada will be the favorite to end up with a gold medal.
A quick look at the U.S.
The United States team this year is not devoid of star players either. They are not as loaded as the Canadians, but they can play and won’t be an easy out at the tournament for anyone, including the Canadians.
The U.S. has their share of players with NHL draft pick credentials. USA is led by defenseman Luke Hughes, who plays for the University of Michigan and was the fourth overall pick in 2021 by the New Jersey Devils. He’s not alone, as Logan Cooley, selected with the pick just prior to Wright in this past summer’s draft by Arizona, will add his speed to the U.S. top six.
Tyler Boucher, who was a first-round pick (10th overall) by the Ottawa Senators will also be a forward to watch and is the lone CHLer on the roster. He currently plays for the Ottawa 67’s of the OHL. Currently playing professionally for the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League, Chaz Lucius will be another formidable player.
The U.S. doesn’t have a Beniers-type player on its roster this year, but that doesn’t take them out of medal contention. World Juniors may not be as big a deal for American players growing up as it is for their northern counterparts, but this team will be good and a must-watch for U.S. hockey fans everywhere.
Joey Daccord made history for Seattle’s American Hockey League affiliate by recording the first shutout for Coachella Valley on Dec. 2. It took just 16 games for this bit of history to be made for the Firebirds, which debuted this season as Seattle’s top farm team.
The North Andover, Mass., native is the next man up on the Kraken’s goaltender depth chart and has played well as of late. After a slow start to the year, Daccord boasts a .925 save percentage in his last seven games played — his season percentage sits at .915.
Daccord was third in the AHL last year with a .925 save percentage for Charlotte, which Seattle shared with Florida as its top affiliate in 2021-22.
One of the looming questions surrounding Daccord is whether or not he’ll bloom into an NHL goalie or remain a more than capable AHL starter. Although Daccord is 26 and hasn’t broken into the NHL full-time, the door isn’t shut for him.
There are several examples of goaltenders, more recently with players like St. Louis’ Jordan Binnington and Seattle’s Chris Driedger, that needed several years of seasoning in the minors before getting a real shot.
However, currently blocked by Martin Jones and Philipp Grubauer, Daccord needs either an injury or a change of heart on the Kraken’s goaltending tandem to receive his chance — at least this year.
For now, we’ll track Daccord’s progress in the AHL and see if he puts any pressure on the Kraken front office.
Shane Wright scores in first game back, World Juniors next
Wright, fresh off a conditioning stint with Coachella Valley, scored in his first game back with the Seattle Kraken, a 4-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. Scoring a goal against the Canadiens, who famously snubbed Wright by not taking him No. 1 overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, had to have felt great.
HE DID IT! SHANE WRIGHT WITH HIS FIRST NHL GOAL!! #SeaKraken
Up next for Wright: The World Junior Championship. Many people expected that step in Wright’s development plan, and the Kraken officially announced Thursday that he’s set to report to Moncton.
We’ll see what lies ahead once Wright returns from international duty, but this is a great call by Seattle. It gives Wright another opportunity to shine on a big stage, and it allows the Kraken to delay their decision on whether to burn the first year of his entry-level contract this season. Remember, they can still theoretically return him to the OHL without using that first contract year, up until he has played nine NHL games. Wright has played eight so far, so the decision will have to come soon after he gets back from the WJC.
Team Canada camp starts now, and the tournament runs Dec. 26 through Jan. 5.
Jagger Firkus, Ty Nelson left off Canada’s WJC roster, but plenty of other local flavor
Unfortunately, Wright will be the only Kraken prospect at the World Juniors for Team Canada.
Kraken prospects Jagger Firkus and Ty Nelson won’t play for Team Canada at the World Junior Championship, which starts Dec. 26 and will be played in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Moncton, New Brunswick. Both skated with Team Canada’s junior team this summer but weren’t ultimately picked for its selection camp.
The roster does feature five players and one coach with ties to the Puget Sound area’s two WHL teams: Seattle’s Kevin Korchinski (defenseman, Blackhawks prospect), Nolan Allan (defenseman, Blackhawks), Reid Schaefer (forward, Oilers), and Thomas Milic (goalie); and Everett’s Olen Zellweger (defenseman, Ducks) and Dennis Williams (head coach).
Team Finland will also be a team to keep an eye on. Scott Wheeler of The Athletic projects Kraken forward prospect Jani Nyman and goalie Niklas Kokko.
We won’t quote what Wheeler said about Kokko because it’s behind a paywall, but if you’re a subscriber we recommend taking a peak.
Spotlight: David Goyette
David Goyette, the last of the Kraken’s four second-round picks in the 2022 NHL Draft, is fresh off his best statistical game of the season, notching a five-point night that included a pair of goals for the Sudbury Wolves on Sunday.
The 18-year-old center boasts 34 points (17 goals) in 24 games in the Ontario Hockey League this season.
The @Sudbury_Wolves put up a crooked number on Sunday, and @SeattleKraken prospect David Goyette got in on the production with a five-point afternoon, including his 16th and 17th goals of the season 🎥 pic.twitter.com/3H868Ag2WL
The Seattle Kraken open their second-ever training camp on Thursday, so Monday at the Kraken Community Iceplex, the day belonged to the future as the team’s first rookie camp got underway.
On the ice were most of Seattle’s prospects including Matty Beniers and Shane Wright. The one notable absence was 2021 third-round draft pick Ryan Winterton who is recovering from an injury he sustained last spring. The Kraken confirmed that Winterton would not be joining training camp this season.
Most of the rookies on the ice will be sent back to their amateur clubs for further development or to the American Hockey League’s Coachella Valley Firebirds. The on-ice session was led by Firebirds head coach Dan Bylsma to gain some familiarity with his future charges.
Ryker Evans hopeful for NHL shot
One rookie who has an outside shot of opening on the Kraken roster is defenseman Ryker Evans. Selected in the second round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Evans is coming off a superb season with the Western Hockey League’s Regina Pats. In 63 games with Regina, the almost-21-year-old scored 14 goals, 47 assists and 61 points.
“Had a bigger role with the team,” Evans said of his final year in junior hockey. “It was a lot more fun. I got more reps, and it allowed me to work on my game, allowed that to develop. Going into my last year was mostly just me playing for that contract and allowing me to show my skills and all that kind of stuff. It was a big weight lifted off my shoulders last season.”
Photo courtesy Regina Pats/Keith Hershmiller Photography
At the end of last year, he was sent to Charlotte as the Checkers prepared for the Calder Cup playoffs. He did not appear in any games but got to practice and get a taste of what the pro hockey lifestyle was about.
This summer, the focus turned to preparing for a strong show at Kraken camp.
“My goal is always to come in here and prove myself as to why I belong on the team and how I can help,” Evans said. “So, now it’s just time to show it and that was my preparation throughout the summer.”
Evans says he worked on his shot – he emphasized that he always works on his shot – as well as strength and patience with the puck to allow him to create space. Among the throng of rookies Monday, he was noticeable, although the day was mostly saved for drills and no real scrimmages.
It’s the second training camp for Evans who was also at the summer’s development camp. The familiarity has been helpful.
“It’s a lot easier this year,” Evans said. “I know a lot of the staff and the people here so it’s a lot more comforting to come in here and I kind of know the routine.”
What is a first for Evans is how long the summer lasted. The WHL is already in its preseason games, and in the past he would have already begun training camp.
Evans said this summer was the first time in six years he stayed at home this late. His father runs a skills camp in Calgary which allowed him to get on the ice.
One treat this summer for Evans was being able to see the Stanley Cup. His family has long been friendly with Cale Makar’s family, and they all celebrated Makar’s day at home with the Cup he won with the Colorado Avalanche. The big question was whether Evans touched it.
“No, I can’t do that,” he said, following the tradition of not touching hockey’s biggest prize until you win it.
Whether he cracks the Seattle roster or starts in the AHL, this will be a big transitional year for Evans. No longer will he live with a billet family in junior hockey where his meals are prepared for him. This year he will be a professional hockey player on his own.
“It’s exciting,” he said. “You kind of gotta grow up pretty quick. But no, it’ll be fun. I know how to cook breakfast and like chicken and rice, but that’s about it.”
Ryker, along with his chicken and rice, will be a player to watch as the preseason progresses. He’ll get plenty of time to show his skills and prove he’s ready. Will he do it?
Matty Beniers and Shane Wright compete
Both of Seattle’s top young centers were on the ice Monday and found themselves head to head on more than a few occasions, especially during one-on-one drills. Wright showed off some defensive prowess by knocking the puck loose from Beniers on consecutive chances.
“It’s fun to have him out here,” Beniers said. “Because after practice he’s always wanting to work on stuff, and we bounce off each other with ideas and he just likes to have fun. He likes to work hard and think I’m kind of the same way, so it works.”
Beniers looked ready on Monday, skating with poise and putting his skill on display. He says that he’s added 10-12 pounds of muscle this season to better prepare him for what will be a tough first full pro season.
“I think it’ll be a lot tougher this year,” he said. “And you gotta be ready for it. Hopefully, it’s not as bad, not as tough as it sounds.”
Mystery goalie and the circus is back in town
Kraken second-round pick Jagger Firkus is back in camp after a strong showing in the summer development camp. The sparkplug is always worth keeping an eye on, and it’s expected that he will get playing time in the preseason games that are coming up.
He’s off to a good start scoring goals, having been in training camp with the WHL Moose Jaw Warriors. Firkus has already played in two preseason games with Moose Jaw, recording three goals and five points in two games.
In goal Monday was a goalie wearing No. 1 with no name plate. There is no such goalie on the roster, and there was speculation as to who he was. Even members of the Kraken communication team were not sure who the mystery goalie was. The prevailing rumor going around was that the Kraken didn’t have enough rookie goalies available for camp so they grabbed a guy who plays recreational hockey locally.
