Sound Of Hockey has a super fun and interesting interview this week with Seattle Kraken director of player personnel, Norm Maciver. Norm played 12 seasons in the NHL and had some fascinating stops and stories along the way. In his post-playing career, he has found success as an NHL executive, serving as assistant general manager for the Chicago Blackhawks before moving into his current role with the Kraken.
John, Andy, and Darren close out their interview with Norm by challenging him to a game of Let’s Get Quizzical about himself.
The casual hockey fan may not be paying attention to Frisco, Texas, next week, but NHL scouts will be there in force. Among that group will be the Seattle Kraken scouts to watch the top draft prospects compete in the IIHF U18 World Championships in preparation for the team’s first NHL Entry Draft in July.
Scouting the amateur, draft-eligible players this season has been rough. Covid has limited games, and in some cases canceled them altogether, and that has put NHL teams in a bind trying to get the proper amount of viewings in.
Those viewings are essential and that’s why the U18 Championships have become critical for the NHL – and Seattle Kraken – scouts.
Not every top player will be there, but for the ones who are playing, it’s a chance for NHL scouts to watch them in a setting where they’ll be competing against top competition while also playing for their country. Stocks will rise and fall, as the players look to handle the pressure on and off the ice.
Everything kicks off in Frisco on April 26 and runs through May 6.
Here are some players whose performances Kraken fans should keep track of:
Potential Kraken first-round picks at the U18 Championships
The Seattle Kraken will get a pick in the first six selections, and while we will have to wait to see how the lottery balls fall, there are some players in the U18 World Championships who potentially could end up being their first ever pick.
Canada
Dylan Guenther, F, Edmonton, WHL
Guenther is a pure scorer and busted out of the gates for the Oil Kings this season. When he left for Texas he had 24 points in 12 games. That’s some impressive production and it’s vaulted him into the top five prospects of the 2021 NHL Draft.
He has the speed, hands, and vision to score at the NHL level. He has played mostly on the wing but could be converted to center and like most players in junior, could stand to add some muscle to his frame. Guenther will be one of the top-line players for the Canadians at the U18’s.
Brandt Clarke, D, Barrie, OHL
Perhaps reading the tea leaves correctly, Clarke decided to play overseas to start his season this year and it may end up helping the defenseman. He’s been seen by NHL scouts and heads into the U18’s after playing well in a Slovakian pro league. A puck-moving defenseman, he’ll lead Canada and will most likely anchor their power play.
Brandt Clarke's sixth goal of the season. The 2021 draft prospect weaves around traffic and buries the puck top shelf.#2021NHLDraftpic.twitter.com/AtoIWKNAhc
Clarke, depending on who your favorite NHL Draft prognosticator is, should be a top-ten pick in July. The U18 Championships will give him a chance to improve his stock even more, and since his skill set is much desired by NHL clubs, he could sneak into the Kraken territory in the top six.
United States
Chaz Lucius, F, USNTDP
Another player who has been consistently ranked in the top ten but perhaps below the Kraken range, Lucius is fun to watch. He can work the puck and is a dynamic scorer who will draw attention from the defense on the ice and scouts off it. His season started slow due to injury, but he finished strong by scoring just over a point per game.
Playing in the U18 Championships gives him a chance against elite competition and if he plays well, he could creep up the draft boards, maybe even on the Kraken list. He’s committed to playing for the University of Michigan next season.
Potential later-round targets
The U18 Championship rosters are loaded, and while the bulk of the players won’t go in the top six, there are guys who could rise up or be available when the Kraken select in the later rounds.
Of all years, this one will offer the most unpredictability, so dismiss a propect at your own risk.
Here are some other players to look for at the tournament:
Sweden
Fabian Lysell, F, Lulea, SHL
The Swedes are always tough in international play and they’ll be in the mix again to win the gold medal at the U18’s. Lysell will be a top-line player for Sweden and has tons of skill, speed, and offensive creativity. He may be too good to stick around for a second Kraken pick but is still a name to keep an eye out for.
Simon Edvinsson, D, Vasteras IK, Allsvenskan
Edvinsson spent this season both with his Swedish junior team and playing up in an elite league. He’s got the size for the NHL and could be a riser. Offensively, he hasn’t exploded, but if he can show more offensive upside and potential from the blue line he could be an intriguing draft pick.
Russia
Nikita Chibrikov, F, SKA ST Petersburg, KHL
A skilled winger, Chibrikov spent 16 games in the pro KHL this season playing against older and experienced players. One of the better Russians playing in Texas this month, he has a shot to be one of the best forwards overall.
Canada
Corson Ceulemans, D, Brooks, AJHL
Committed to play for the Badgers at Wisconsin next year, Ceulemans, is a smart two-way blueliner. He may not be as dynamic a scorer as some of the higher-rated defensemen at the U18 Championships or in the draft, but he’s an NHL-level player.
Logan Stankoven, C, Kamloops, WHL
Listed at 5-foot-8, Stankoven isn’t the biggest forward on the board, but that hasn’t stopped him from scoring in the WHL. He’s got the speed and the skill and has started the season with 10 points – seven of which are goals – in the Blazers’ first six games. Could he slip to the Kraken in the second round?
Mason McTavish, F, Petersborough, OHL
Another OHLer who fled to Europe to get ice time, McTavish is an interesting prospect to watch now that he’ll be playing against elite talent. He’s a strong forward who has the size to compete.
Local players Kraken fans can root for at U18 World Championships
There are four local WHL players who will be representing their countries over the next month. They won’t be the first pick the Kraken make, but their U18 Championships performances could make them attractive picks in later rounds.
Canada
Conner Roulette, F, Seattle, WHL
After receiving an ‘A’ rating from NHL’s Central Scouting, Roulette was just heating up as he left the Thunderbirds for Texas. He’s a creative and dynamic scorer who always seems to find the puck on his stick. Roulette has played well for Canada in past tournaments and has a chance to raise his stock at the U18’s.
Thomas Milic, G, Seattle, WHL
Milic’s rookie season in the WHL was off to a great start before he left for the U18’s. He was invited to Canada’s Hlinka-Gretzky camp this summer and was one of the top goalies at last year’s U17 tournament. This year he’ll have a chance to impress NHL scouts more after not playing in the WHL last season.
Thomas Milic got off to a great start with MIlic. (Brian Liesse photo)
Olen Zellweger, D, Everett, WHL
It seems every year the Silvertips have a defenseman who garners attention from NHL scouts. This year its Zellweger and he started the season with a ‘C’ rating from the NHL. He’s a solid defenseman, responsible in his own end while being dangerous at the other. Don’t be surprised if a good U18 performance raises his ranking.
United States
Braden Holt, G, Everett, WHL
Holt’s addition to Team USA was a bit of a surprise only because he hasn’t played much with Everett. Hailing from Montana, he’s been watching and learning from Dustin Wolf and has only been in 10 games over the past year-plus. When he has played, he’s played well and the U18’s will be an even bigger chance to showcase what he is capable of.
Last week’s trade deadline was an important milestone to settle the outlook for teams’ protected lists for the fast-approaching Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft on July 21. In addition to the 50 players that changed teams prior to the trade deadline, there were three contract extensions signed, as well as two waiver claims.
We will not see nearly that amount of movement leading up to the Expansion Draft, but we should not bake our projected protected lists just yet. Here are three ways you can expect NHL rosters, and thus protected lists, to change leading up to the Expansion Draft.
Pending UFA contract extension
We do not have to look far for an example of this scenario. Late last week, Winnipeg signed Adam Lowry to a five-year contract extension that will undoubtedly signal that the Jets will be protecting him come July. This will then force a scenario where some other forward will be exposed to the Kraken.
Looking back at 2017 during the previous Expansion Draft, this scenario was not that common. Vladimír Sobotka would be the only UFA contract extension I could find where they signed him, then protected him in the Expansion Draft.
There are several pending UFAs of note, but a few of those are worth keeping an eye on for potential contract extensions: Taylor Hall (BOS), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (EDM), Brandon Saad (COL), Dougie Hamilton (CAR), and Gabriel Landeskog (COL).
As a side note, there were several scenarios in 2017 where pending restricted free agents, or “RFAs”, had signed extensions with their existing team and then were protected. In most of these cases, these players would have been protected in the Expansion Draft, regardless of whether they had signed.
Tyler Toffoli, Jonathan Drouin, and Teuvo Teräväinen are all examples of RFA players that signed and were protected. (Click here for more info on RFA)
Trading of expiring UFA signing rights, then extending
During most years, there are a few scenarios where a team trades a player that is on an expiring deal. The acquiring club then tries to re-sign the player before they enter free agency. This gives the acquiring club the sole negotiating rights to re-sign the acquired player.
In 2017, Ben Bishop was on an expiring deal with the Los Angeles Kings. On May 9, Bishop was traded to the Dallas Stars for a fourth-round pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Dallas signed Bishop to a six-year deal on May 12 and protect him for the Expansion Draft in June.
Scott Darling went through a similar process when he was traded to Carolina on April 28, 2017, from the Chicago Blackhawks. Darling signed an extension on May 5 and then was protected in the Expansion Draft in June.
It is difficult to predict trades, but here are a few players we are keeping an eye on: Chris Driedger (FLA), Ryan Murray (NJD), and Antti Raanta (ARI).
Pre-Expansion Draft trades
Offseason trades are common before the NHL Entry Draft as teams attempt to bolster their draft position or strategically shake up their roster. Leading up to the 2017 Expansion Draft, several teams also made trades of protectable players.
On June 15, 2017, three days before the Expansion Draft protection lists were announced, the Tampa Bay Lightning traded forward Jonathan Drouin to the Montreal Canadiens for defenseman Mikhail Sergachev. Sergachev was exempt from the Expansion Draft, but Drouin was protected by the Canadiens.
On June 16, 2017, the Philadelphia Flyers traded Nick Cousins and the signing rights of prospect Merrick Madsen to the Arizona Coyotes for the signing rights of prospect Brendan Warren and a fifth-round draft pick. The only player eligible for the Expansion Draft in that trade was Nick Cousins, and he was protected by the Coyotes.
On June 17, 2017, the Arizona Coyotes and Calgary Flames swapped goalies, with Chad Johnson headed to Arizona and Mike Smith headed to Calgary. Both goalies would be protected on their new teams.
Also on June 17, the San Jose Sharks traded former first-round pick Mirco Mueller to the New Jersey Devils for a few draft picks. Mueller was protected by New Jersey. If the trade had not been made, Mueller would have been exposed by San Jose.
Summary
In 2017 there were nine players that either signed an extension or were traded following the season that impacted their protection statuses in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. Those nine players would only be three percent of the total protected players across the 30 teams participating in the Expansion Draft.
That is not much, but it is something to keep an eye on since it could impact a couple players that look like leading candidates to be selected by the Seattle Kraken come July.
On Monday, Patrick Marleau will break Gordie Howe’s record for the most regular season games played in the NHL. There is no question that Marleau is the greatest NHL player to ever suit up for the Seattle Thunderbirds. He played two full seasons with the Thunderbirds in 1995-96 and 1996-97 before being drafted second overall in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.
As a tribute to the former T-Bird, I wanted to visualize some of the statistics of his 1,767 NHL regular season games.
Patrick Marleau teams and opponents
Marleau has played for three teams in his career, but most people know him as a San Jose Shark where he has played over 90% of his regular season games.
With that much time playing for the Sharks, you might be able to guess which teams he has played and scored against the most in his career to date.
Interesting to see that Marleau has scored a goal against 33 unique NHL teams. The Atlanta Thrashers and the Phoenix Coyotes are the additional two teams beyond the current 31 squads in existence.
Patrick Marleau goals scored
“Patty” has scored 566 regular season goals. 172 were power play goals, 17 were shorthanded, and 21 were empty netters.
Here is a look at which goalies he has scored on the most.
Here is who assisted the most on Marleau’s goals.
While Marleau has racked up impressive goal totals, he is a very balanced player offensively and has assisted more than he has scored with 630 career helpers through Sunday. Here are the teammates he has set up most often in his career.
Patrick Marleau bar trivia
Here are some other fun numbers about Patty’s career (so far).
4,321 – Shots on goal 527 – Penalty minutes 195 – Playoff games 177 – Number of unique goalies scored on during the regular season 125 – Number of points scored in his last year playing with the Seattle Thunderbirds 109 – Game-winning goals 72 – Playoff goals 26 – Number of NHL teams in the league when Marleau debuted 18 – Age when he entered the league 11 – Overtime goals 6 – Number of fights in his career 5 – Number of Hall of Fame goalies scored on in his career 4 – Overtime playoff goals 2 – Number of Olympic Gold Medals 1 – Stanley Cup Playoff appearance
I hope you enjoyed some of the more interesting numbers on Marleau’s journey to being the player with the most games played in the NHL. Congrats Patty!
The sun is out and the birds are chirping in the Emerald City. More than 50% of King County residents have received their first vaccine dose, and Seattle Kraken general manager Ron Francis talked to the media this week. In more ways than one, hope springs eternal. With each blooming flower, each passing day, and each little tidbit of Seattle Kraken news, we inch closer to the Expansion Draft and the arrival of the NHL’s 32nd franchise, a moment that will live on for all eternity in the hearts and souls of Seattle hockey fans.
Hope. Springs. Eternal.
If you’re wondering what is wrong with me, well, I’m just in a good mood. It’s nice as f*** out. Let’s get this Weekly One-Timer thing over with so I can go outside and promptly remove my shirt.
Seattle Kraken news
It has been a slightly more eventful week than most for the Kraken.
As I mentioned while I was waxing poetic, Ron Francis was made available to the media on Tuesday, and Sound Of Hockey partook. Check out our recap of the availability here or watch the full presser below.
On Wednesday, the team announced the hiring of four new leaders for its youth hockey and figure skating programs, which will be housed at the new Kraken Training Center. Martin Hlinka will serve as youth hockey director, while David Kyu-Ho Min and Katelyn Parker were hired as player development coaches. Chad Goodwin will be the figure skating director. Read all about the new hires here.
That same day, the team tweeted out the below photos, showing not only the concrete being poured for the ice sheets at the new three-sheet practice facility, but also the wall painted beautifully in the Kraken color scheme.
Have you ever seen such a beautiful wall inside a local hockey arena? No, you have not.
Finally, the High Tide Waitlist went live this week. The annual $250 membership guarantees the opportunity to purchase four single-game tickets and comes with some special access, contests, and content. There are 10,000 total spots on the waitlist. See the details of the program here.
We at SOH hold no opinions about the High Tide Waitlist, but would love to get your thoughts on it in the comment section.
Significant injuries
Jack Eichel suffered a neck injury on March 7 in a game against the Islanders. On March 29, Buffalo’s interim coach, Don Granato, told media he didn’t think the injury would be season-ending. Granato was apparently wrong on this topic, as Eichel has officially been ruled out for the remainder with a herniated disk.
And so, it is confirmed that playing for the Sabres really is a pain in the neck.
Also on the injury front this week, the Dallas Stars announced that neither Ben Bishop nor Alex Radulov will return this season. Bishop has not played since March 2020 due to a knee injury. He was expected to return at some point, but the Stars have now decided against pushing their starting netminder back into action. Radulov needs surgery on a core muscle.
It has been a difficult season in Dallas, where the runners-up from last year remain five points outside of the playoff picture.
Injury… swap?
Making a trade prior to Monday’s NHL Trade Deadline was apparently not the only way for the Tampa Bay Lightning to swap out players.
The Bolts have been on the brink of exceeding the salary cap all season. The only reason they were able to remain compliant is that Nikita Kucherov was placed on long-term injured reserve at the beginning of the campaign, removing his $9.5 million cap hit.
Now, Steven Stamkos, who has scored at close to a point-per-game clip this season, has been placed on LTIR with a lower body injury retroactive to April 9. That means the earliest he can return is May 3. Stamkos carries a $8.5 million cap hit.
But wait! There’s a twist! Who could have guessed this? Kucherov now appears ready to return! What a fascinating coincidence!
Nikita Kucherov is on the ice for practice. Wearing a gray practice uni. #Bolts
The Canucks have been dealing with a very serious Covid outbreak for the last couple of weeks that has resulted in as many as 25 players and staff being placed on the NHL’s Covid protocol list.
The team hasn’t played since March 24, but the league had planned to have the team return to action this week. Vancouver forward J.T. Miller spoke up, however, calling it “dangerous to a lot of players” to rush the team back.
The NHL responded by postponing Friday’s game between the Canucks and the Oilers and totally revamping the team’s schedule for the remainder of the season. The Canucks will now play until May 19 and will have 19 games in 32 days.
The CHL has officially canceled the Memorial Cup for the second consecutive season due to Covid concerns. The cancellation of the championship tournament does not come as much of a surprise. The QMJHL has had several starts and stops with teams playing varying numbers of games, the WHL is playing just 24 games with no playoffs to name a winner, and the OHL has not played at all. So determining which teams should participate, plus quarantine requirements and border closures, would have made safely pulling this off nearly impossible.
Former Seattle Thunderbird Patrick Marleau, 41, is expected to tie Gordie Howe’s career games played record on Saturday and break the record on Monday. When his Sharks take on the Wild on Saturday, it will be career game number 1,767 for Marleau, a number set by Mr. Hockey that many thought would be untouchable. What’s most impressive about Howe’s mark is that it doesn’t include the 467 games he played in the WHA from 1973 to 1979. He also returned to the NHL as a Hartford Whaler at age 52 and appeared in 80 games (those games are included in his NHL record). Still, what Marleau is about to do is truly an incredible feat.
Team USA’s roster for the Men’s Under-18 World Championship was announced this week. Everett Silvertips netminder Braden Holt made the team. The tournament will be played April 26-May 6 in Texas and is the last chance for the world’s top prospects to showcase themselves on a big stage before this summer’s NHL Entry Draft.
FYI, the Jack Hughes listed is a different Jack Hughes than the one that plays on the New Jersey Devils, which is confusing.
You don’t see that every day
One of the more fun plays in hockey is when an equipment manager gets an unofficial assist. Sidney Crosby gave his stick to a defenseman who had been rendered stickless in Pittsburgh’s zone on Thursday. With the play going the other way, Sid flew by the bench and grabbed a new stick from Penguins equipment manager Jon Taglianetti. He then raced into Philadelphia’s zone and immediately knocked home a rebound.
Please sign my petition to make equipment manager assists an official NHL stat.
Goalie Gear Corner
Tired
I’ve never been a huge fan of masks that feature nothing more than a team’s logo. Mikko Koskinen rolled out his new Oilers mask this week, which does just that. I do like the color scheme and matte finish, but it’s just a bit impersonal for my taste.
New mask for Koskinen. Same lines as yesterday. Mike Smith in starter’s net. No RNH with main group today. pic.twitter.com/ZcX0fvehyP
I might have just put my foot in my mouth a bit, because Blasty the Horse—featured prominently on Louie Domingue’s new mask—somehow gets a pass from me, even though Blasty is technically just the logo for Calgary’s third jerseys.
But Blasty hits different. Blasty has personality. Blasty is blowing fire out of his nostrils for some reason and should probably be taken to a veterinarian to get that checked out.
Logan Thompson of the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights means serious business with his all-silver getup. I’m trying to figure out exactly why I like this look so much, and I think it’s the gold lettering that does it for me. The pads are somehow both flashy and subtle simultaneously.
Still, I can’t help wondering, Who wore it better?
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.
On Tuesday, the Seattle Kraken were kind enough to make general manager Ron Francis available to the media.
Francis kept things relatively diplomatic and unsurprisingly avoided any earth-shattering revelations. However, we did get some interesting nuggets out of the presser surrounding the Kraken’s plans for the NHL Draft, their goaltenders, their first head coach, and their AHL affiliate for the upcoming inaugural season.
Here is what we at Sound Of Hockey asked Francis and his answers to our questions.
Sound Of Hockey’s questions for Seattle Kraken GM Ron Francis
Andy Eide:I had a question about the amateur draft. I’m curious about what your day-to-day involvement in that process of scouting is, and do you have a sense of the overall depth and talent of this year’s class?
Francis:Yeah, so I’ve been fairly involved. It’s tough to go to games; you can’t go to Canada because you gotta quarantine for two weeks and a lot of those leagues weren’t playing…
We’ve done a lot of homework basically via video and stuff. It’s going to be an extremely challenging draft for sure. There’s going to be players especially from the Ontario League that may have not played a game since last February or March, and you’re watching them on video; certainly challenging. Everybody is in sort of that same boat.
[Other teams] probably have a little bit more data on the players than we do. We certainly have some scouts with experience that have more data on players, but we don’t have the database that some of those other teams have, just on the fact that they’ve been in operation for two or three years.
John Barr:Obviously, you couldn’t make trades [prior to Monday’s NHL Trade Deadline], but there were trades made. There were a couple contract extensions and waiver claims. As a whole, how do you think Seattle did [Monday], and were there any surprises?
Francis:No, I mean, before the waiver claims we said there are two guys that would probably get claimed. It may not have been 100 percent on the actual team [that selected each player], but it goes by worst to best on who gets first choice on those waiver claims.
And then a lot of the guys that moved were guys for the most part that were UFA status… I think overall it wasn’t any huge surprises for us, per se, and we have already taken a look at where we think we have been affected sort of positively or negatively. And we will continue to look at that and evaluate as we move forward here and regroup as a whole and start preparing from here to July.
This is what we said all along. We can do a mock draft 12 months ago or six months ago, but until we get closer to that day and until we get to see that final list, it’s hard to project with 100 percent accuracy what we’re going to be picking from. But we’ll look at all the scenarios that we think might present themselves and be the best prepared as we possibly can be.
Darren Brown: Is there any chance whatsoever that the coach that you hire as the first coach is somebody who has not actually been a head coach in the NHL before?
Francis: I think I’m on record as saying I’d like a head coach that has been in that role before. I think it’s a tough challenge to bring everybody together in such a quick fashion and having a little bit of experience certainly would help in that regard.
Having said that, if there is somebody that hasn’t been a head coach in the NHL that auditions and interviews extremely well we’re not opposed to going that direction, but I think it is our preference to get somebody with head coaching experience if possible.
Brown: I’m wondering if you can just talk about your plans a little bit for your goaltenders; if you’re going to be using two veterans for example, or one veteran goaltender and one younger goaltender or a platoon situation. Any thoughts you might have on that?
Francis: The goaltending front is going to be interesting. You know, as we get into the last month here of the season, into the playoffs, we’re going to get a better read on some of the guys that might be available and who we think is the best fit for us. But you also have to factor in all the different options you’re going to have on different teams, and just because this [team] might have a goaltender doesn’t mean you will take that goaltender.
So ideally you get a guy that’s lights out as your starter and a great number two. Maybe you go with two ‘1-B’s,’ maybe you go with one veteran and a younger guy. I think that remains to be seen. I think we’re open to evaluating all those different scenarios and certainly our goalie scouts have been working hard in addition to our pro staff to indicate which guys we should be interested in and our analytics team is working hard behind the scenes to see if they can figure it out as well.
Doing a lot of things and hopefully we get the right two guys to stop pucks when we get to that point.
Eide: I had a question about your American Hockey League situation. How much progress has been made or is there a timeframe for identifying an affiliate for your players to play on next fall and do you prefer them to be on one team or to be spread across more than one team?
Francis: Yeah, so we’ve had a lot of conversations with different teams. Ideally we have it with one team, and we are in talks with a specific team currently; we’ll hopefully get that wrapped up sooner rather than later. And if we can do that, we put everybody in one spot ideally.
If not, then we’re probably looking at spreading some players out here and there and different things, but not having your own minor league team next year, we’re probably looking somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 players. Ideally if you can put that in one spot, it makes it a lot easier.
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.
When we last left off on our oral history of the Seattle Thunderbirds 2017 WHL Championship season, Seattle had swept the Everett Silvertips in the second round and were set to play a series with the Kelowna Rockets in the conference finals for the second time in two years.
The Thunderbirds went up early against the Rockets but would suffer an injury in Game 4 that seemed like it might sink the ship. Defenseman Ethan Bear was hit with a puck that would break a bone in his hand and force him to miss the remainder of the series.
As they had all year, the Thunderbirds managed to overcome and advance in six games.
Ethan Bear: They had a five-on-three and I think it was Reid Gardiner who came back as a 20. He was a powerhouse; he had a hard shot. Sure enough, I went down to block it and broke my finger. For me, that was pretty frightening.
Keegan Kolesar: It was a tough one because I know how he felt. No one wants to miss out, especially in the playoffs. When a player like that goes down you think about it for a second and it’s next man up. He was a huge portion of our defense.
Austin Strand: When he went down and blocked that shot, we lost a key guy. It was pretty tough there.
Donovan Neuls: That one really set us back. He was just a big part of our team and a bigger part of our power play with his shot from the point. With him in the lineup we were all really confident.
Bear: I remember going out in the warmups (in the next game) to try and get them to think I’m ready to go. I think everyone was too smart for that. They knew I was faking it. I knew I couldn’t go. I was just trying to be a decoy and get in their heads and act like I was going.
Scott Eansor: Through all these injuries Steve (Konowalchuk) did an excellent job making everyone feel they were a part of the team. Guys stepped up, all the D. They really stepped up in those key moments.
Bear: One thing I’ll always remember is the practice before Game 1 of the finals to determine if I was going to play. Barzy was saying, ‘You’re good to go, you’re good to go.’ There was one neutral zone pass where I sauced it to Gropper and all the boys were tapping their sticks saying, ‘You’re in!’
Ethan Bear recovered from a broken hand to play in the WHL Championship Series (Brian Liesse)
Kolesar: I remember the practice because their coaching staff was watching from the balcony. We knew they were watching so we mixed up everything. All our jerseys were different, different lines just so we could throw them off.
Turner Ottenbreit: He had surgery and it was up in the air. Just before the Regina series he came out in practice and somehow looked normal. I don’t know how he did it.
Strand: He was playing with a broken hand the rest of the way. Big ups for him being such a beast. I think he was even taking one-timers and they were still bombs.
Bear returns as the Thunderbirds open the Championship Series in Regina
Game 1 of the WHL Championship series was eventful. Bear played and opened the scoring when he blasted a point shot to put the Thunderbirds up 1-0.
Bear: One of my favorite goals I’ve ever scored. I didn’t know that I could take slapshots. They were giving me all the time and space and I just took it. It made them tighten up.
Matt O’Dette: It was a goosebump moment when he came back against Regina. We were wondering how much he could shoot, and he rips one bar down from the point. We knew at that point that Bearsy was back. That was a turning point, we needed Bearsy and Bearsy was back.
Eansor: Bear is like everyone’s best friend on the team, he was one of my best buddies. It was so fun having him out there and battle through that. It wasn’t easy on him, that was tough. He’s an ox and he’s still shooting one-timers with a broken bone.
Ottenbreit: Game one and ripped one top corner and it shut up everyone.
Game 1 took a turn early when Ottenbreit caught Regina star Adam Brooks with an open ice hit. Brooks left the game and would not return until Game 6.
Bear: That kind of showed Otto’s game, his dominance, his presence. He doesn’t back down from anybody and it gave us confidence. We’re a physical team and we might have 50 hits a game. It was why we win, we talked to guys we played, and they hated it.
Eansor: That’s a series-changing hit right there. You never want to see a guy hurt but Otto was massive in that series and he was a big, big part of our team.
Strand: I think that definitely worried those guys. Just losing your best players is tough and then everyone is thinking twice. It built on our confidence.
Ottenbreit: You only play those guys once a year and I don’t know if they knew what to expect. We were a big physical team and that’s part of the reason we were successful. You don’t like to see anyone get hurt.
Kolesar: I’m really tight with Brooks, we grew up together. That was a tough one to watch, but at the end of the day I wanted to win a championship and after the game I called him to see if we was ok. He was good with it; he was pissed because it was his last year. Part of me always wonders how the series would have gone because he was such a good player.
Game 1 would go into overtime and Bear once again would show his toughness. He took another big shot from the point that hit the crossbar. Neuls was there to get the rebound and Seattle took a 1-0 series lead.
Neuls: He hit the crossbar and it was just laying there. I just remember the puck sitting there and I don’t think I had two hands on my stick, I shot it like a pool stick. I remember after the game, my mom told me she couldn’t even watch the overtime.
Thunderbirds return home to a packed ShoWare Center
Seattle lost Game 2 in Regina. Tied at 1-1, the series shifted back to Seattle and the ShoWare Center. Regina won Game 3 but the Thunderbirds stormed back with two dominant wins to take control of the Championship series. Game 5 was memorable, as it was the largest crowd in ShoWare Center history and the last for the Thunderbirds core group who were now just one win away from winning the WHL Championship series.
Neuls: It was crazy. Game 5 was insane and was the loudest crowd I’ve played in. It gave me chills and they are the best fans I’ve played in front of.
Bear: Honestly, like nothing I’d ever played in. The crowd in Seattle, in Kent, is unbelievable. It was insane how loud that rink is and how loud it got. It’s some of the best memories I have. To play those final three games and win is a good memory for everybody. It was definitely hard to say goodbye.
Eansor: I just remember thinking, knowing it was my last game at the Showare, just feeling in the back of your head you’re just so thankful being able to play there. I wanted to leave a mark in my last game and that was a big thing for all of us. We loved being there and playing for Seattle. That last game and atmosphere I don’t think any of us will forget.
Kolesar: The last game, it was emotional. That was a tough one, we fell behind and battled back and finally ran away with it. During the whole game I thought, ‘This is it, the last time playing in the Showare.’ It’s hard to think about after so many games.
Ottenbreit: We always have the best fans in the league and they’re next to none. I can’t say enough good things about the fans in Seattle.
The Thunderbirds return to Regina with a chance to wrap up Championship Series
Up 3-2 in the series, the Thunderbirds headed back to Regina on the doorstep of winning a championship. The pressure was on to win the series in Game 6 and avoid an anything-goes Game 7.
Neuls: We knew we didn’t want a Game 7, we wanted to close it out.
Kolesar: Hell yeah, if you ask anyone on the team, we were pretty tapped out. With injuries, it put a lot on us, and everyone was dealing with something. We said, ‘We have to get it done, tonight.’
Eansor: We would reset after every game. That was our mindset the whole way through. Every game was just as important as the first and we wanted to win that game. No one wants to play a Game 7 with the championship on the line.
Ottenbreit: You never want to leave anything up to chance, if you have the chance you want to do it. We didn’t want them to have fresh air.
Strand: At that point, you’re exhausted and we were all exhausted. We just wanted to win it that night, just end it. There’s no point in going on.
The game was tight, and Regina scored in the third period to take a 3-1 lead late in the game. Seattle would score twice to tie and send the game to overtime.
Kolesar: It was remarkable. We went down two goals, and we were still thinking we had it. There was no panic on our bench. We were a confident group and felt like a team that could rise to any occasion.
Bear: To get the first one from Gropper who goes absolutely top cheese, we had them on their toes and when that happens, they start holding back. Sure enough, they get a penalty, and we took a timeout. This is it, let’s go, we’re not backing down. Kolesar takes that one-timer, and it magically goes in and I thought, ‘We’re not going to lose.’
Kolesar: I thought it went off Barzy and I was going to hug him. Lucky it hit someone’s skate and went in.
Eansor: We were really pumped and took one or two minutes to be satisfied, and as soon as that was over we reset. We had to win the game, nothing else mattered. Inch by inch, shift by shift, guys stepped up.
Strand: Once we got it to overtime, we knew the momentum was on our side.
Bear: In the room we were dialed in. No one was putting their head down, we were going. We didn’t have a lot of gas left; we played a lot of hockey. But it was time to empty the tanks.
Alexander True scores in overtime to vault the Thunderbirds to their first WHL Championship series win
It’s one of the biggest goals in Seattle hockey history and came in overtime. The play started with a set breakout behind the Thunderbirds net. Austin Strand had the puck and three passes later it was in the net and the Thunderbirds had won.
Strand: It’s a set play. It’s funny because we worked on that at the beginning of every practice. It was one of a couple different breakouts.
O’Dette: With any game, and playoffs especially, you never know which play might be the deciding play. Things you practice throughout the year can pay off. All those tedious, first play warmups, breakouts can pay off.
Strand: A couple weeks earlier I was talking to Oddie about the timing of it. True would come to the bottom circle near our net and get his speed going. I would get it to my D partner [Aaron] Hyman who got it to Keegs and by that time True would be at full speed.
O’Dette: If they take away your center you go D-to-D and hope your center can out-race the coverage and that’s what True did.
Kolesar: My line changed, and I was on the far side and had to stay on until it got in deep. If I changed, I didn’t know what would happen. I saw True coming, so I handed it off. When I saw him have a two-on-one I thought I could be the high guy.
Neuls: I was in the middle of the bench. I had a good angle, and I think even before he put it in the net, I had a foot over the boards.
Bear: I got off the ice just before that and my legs were cramping up, everyone was playing over 30 minutes. Everyone was starting to cramp up. I remember barely being able to jump the bench and it was one of the craziest moments of my life.
Eansor: I just remember gasping for air and then seeing we had a break and seeing he had all the time in the world to put it in and it was so slow. Just pure happiness after that, the coaches too, realizing what they did for us it was a special feeling.
O’Dette: I looked up and saw the bomb play happening and started getting excited when True had a step. I think I blacked out from there. It was mob scene.
Kolesar: I couldn’t have been more pumped. I had to take off my helmet first, I just wanted it to be off and not get choked. I ended up head butting True with his helmet on, and it hurt.
The Thunderbirds line up to await the Cup. (Photo Keith Hershmiller/Regina Pats)
Strand: I was on the ice. It was the end of my shift and I was going for a change and thought I’d go in. I just threw my gloves and ran in there; it was just hugs and screaming.
Ottenbreit: I was fully out of my gear and sitting in the training room for an hour and a half (after being kicked out of the game for a hit). When we won, I dressed as fast as I could. Last week when I watched the game it was the first time I saw the third period. I was underground when it all happened.
Strand: I was almost in tears when the Cup came out.
Eansor: To be honest I didn’t know what to do with the Cup. I didn’t know where to skate. I was bickering with Barzy during the ceremony thinking we should both lift it. He said, ‘You got it.’ It was kind of funny, it just shows he’s a great guy and good leader and he respected me. In my personal opinion it would have been great to share it with him.
Bear: I’ll never forget it. That’s something nobody will take away from you.
O’Dette: I came close as a player but lost in the finals twice in the American League. Being able to be part of a championship team as a coach it’s a different feeling but just as rewarding.
Kolesar: Those guys are my brothers, always will be. I tell everyone there won’t be a tighter group. Everything we went through that season.
Thunderbirds co-captain Scott Eansor was first to celebrate. (Keith Hershmiller/Regina Pats)
It’s yet another fun episode of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. This one focuses on the NHL Trade Deadline and everything that surrounded that big moment in the NHL season and also features Mick McHugh, legendary Seattle restaurateur who will operate the new Kraken Bar & Grill.
To cover every trade of the last week (or at least mention each one), John, Andy, and Darren play a massive game of Interesting or Carry On. Top-notch analysis in this bit.
Other bits this week include HYPEotheticals and Three Stars.
Then, Andy and Darren welcome Mick McHugh, who was recently hired by the Seattle Kraken to operate their new bar and grill, onto the show for a brief-but-fun interview. This chat will get you excited about the idea of having a college soda at the Kraken Training Center, whilst watching an event on TV or even a live Kraken practice.
Segments are light this week, with just a couple of Weekly One-Timers and Tweets of the Week.
It’s yet another fun episode of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. This one focuses on the NHL Trade Deadline and everything that surrounded that big moment in the NHL season.
To cover every trade of the last week (or at least mention each one), John, Andy, and Darren play a massive game of Interesting or Carry On. Top-notch analysis in this bit.
Other bits this week include HYPEotheticals and Three Stars.
Then, Andy and Darren welcome Mick McHugh, who was recently hired by the Seattle Kraken to operate their new restaurant and bar, onto the show for a brief-but-fun interview. This chat will get you excited about the idea of having a college soda at the Kraken Training Center, whilst watching an event on TV or even a live Kraken practice.
Segments are light this week, with just a couple of Weekly One-Timers and Tweets of the Week.
Funny enough, the Seattle Kraken had their tentacles all over the come-and-gone NHL Trade Deadline.
Sure, there were the lets-go-win-a-Cup type trades, like Taylor Hall to Boston and Nick Foligno to Toronto, but there were also plenty of deals with a sprinkle — or in some cases a downpour — of Expansion Draft considerations.
Here’s how all the wheeling and dealing in the preceding days and on the day of Monday’s noon PT deadline may have impacted the Seattle Kraken in the Expansion Draft.
Anaheim Ducks
Players in: D Haydn Fleury; F Alexander Volkov
Players out: D Ben Hutton; D Jani Hakanpaa
The Ducks, despite sitting at the bottom of the standings, added some intriguing pieces rather than fully selling.
Fleury is a player many circled as a candidate for Seattle from Carolina, and his move to Anaheim might land him on the Ducks’ protected list. He may knock off someone like Kevin Shattenkirk, who may not be as intriguing as young defensemen Josh Mahura or Brendan Guhle.
Volkov, who was almost certainly going to be protected by Tampa Bay, might wiggle his way onto the Ducks’ Expansion list, too.
Overall, the Ducks’ pair of moves limited some of the options for Seattle — at least on the surface.
Boston Bruins
Players in: F Taylor Hall; F Curtis Lazar; D Mike Reilly
Players out: F Anders Bjork
Despite taking a big swing at acquiring Hall, the pending unrestricted free agent likely won’t be protected — unless the Bruins sign him to a contract extension, which seems unlikely.
Buffalo Sabres
Players in: F Anders Bjork
Players out: F Taylor Hall; F Curtis Lazar; D Brandon Montour; F Eric Staal
Losing Hall and Staal won’t impact the Sabres too much, considering both were set to be unrestricted free agents this summer and didn’t figure much into expansion. Montour was a player we identified as being an intriguing option in the Expansion Draft, but he’s no longer an option.
Bjork likely takes Lazar’s spot on our Sabres’ protected list.
The Flames’ fractured relationship with Bennett meant he wasn’t going to ever be protected, so the Kraken lose that “take-a-gamble-on-a-first-round-pedigree” option — Bennett still should be available, only on a team with more exciting choices in Florida.
Maybe Mark Giordano is destined to don a Seattle jersey after all?
Chicago Blackhawks
Players in: F Josh Dickinson; F Adam Gaudette; F Brett Connolly; F Henrik Borgstrom; D Riley Stillman; F Vinnie Hinostroza
Players out: D Madison Bowey; F Mattias Janmark; F Carl Soderberg; F Matthew Highmore; D Lucas Carlsson; F Lucas Wallmark; F Brad Morrison
The Blackhawks made a flurry of deals along the perimeters of their roster, where there are a few interesting developments.
Carlsson is someone we identified as being a young option for Seattle, so he probably isn’t in the mix anymore. But Stillman, who we had on our watch list for Florida, fills that void quite nicely.
Wallmark was projected for protection by Sound Of Hockey. It’s likely Gaudette, who has seen his struggles in Vancouver but still harbors plenty of upside, Borgstrom, or Connolly replaces him.
Chicago’s flurry of moves is a win for Seattle because there are now far more intriguing (and young) options than there were before.
Colorado Avalanche
Players in: F Carl Soderberg; G Devan Dubnyk; F Patrik Nemeth;
Players out: D Greg Pateryn
The Avalanche’s acquisitions of a veteran forward in Soderberg and a backup goalie in Dubnyk won’t shake the Expansion Draft tree.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Players in:
Players out: F Nick Foligno; D David Savard; F Riley Nash
The Blue Jackets made some huge organizational moves, acquiring a load of draft picks for their team captain and a top-four defenseman. But both Foligno and Savard were pending free agents and weren’t going to factor into the Expansion Draft, anyway.
Detroit Red Wings
Players in: F Jakub Vrana; F Richard Panik; F Hayden Verbeek
Players out: F Patrik Nemeth; F Anthony Mantha; D Jon Merrill
The Red Wings executed one of the most impressive pieces of business at the deadline in flipping Mantha for Vrana, Panik, and picks. Vrana will undoubtedly take Mantha’s spot on the Red Wings’ protected list, while Panik will probably be available for selection, though the 30-year-old winger hasn’t been all that productive this year, anyway.
Florida Panthers
Players in: F Sam Bennett; D Brandon Montour; D Lucas Carlsson; F Lucas Wallmark
Players out: F Emil Heineman; F Brett Connolly; F Henrik Borgstrom; D Riley Stillman; F Vinnie Hinostroza
The Panthers were plenty busy at the deadline, acquiring some depth pieces to complement a dangerous core, but it will be hard for any of the quartet to move someone off Florida’s projected protected list. All four, who were potential Expansion Draft targets on their previous teams, remain so with Florida; the only issue is that Seattle only has one selection via Florida.
It’s possible Bennett replaces Connolly on Florida’s protected list, but at the moment, players like Alexander Wennberg, Carter Verhaeghe, or Mason Marchment hold the inside track until we see Bennett’s fit with the Panthers.
Los Angeles Kings
Players in: D Christian Wolanin; F Brendan Lemieux
Players out: F Jeff Carter; F Michael Amadio
Brendan Lemieux is the player to note here. The 25-year-old was one of our targeted options for the Rangers and he’s very much in the mix for protection for the Kings. Someone like Austin Wagner, Blake Lizotte, or Carl Grundstrom may be bumped off if Lemieux jells with the Kings.
Although Carter is a big name, he carries little-to-no Expansion Draft significance at this point.
Wolanin was on Ottawa’s watch list, but it’s hard to know how he stacks up with the Kings’ list of potential targets right now.
Also of note, the Kings signed Alex Iafallo to a contract extension on Monday, all but ensuring his protection in the Expansion Draft.
Montreal Canadiens
Players in: F Eric Staal; D Jon Merrill; D Erik Gustafsson;
Players out: F Hayden Verbeek
Staal, Merrill, and Gustafsson are all nice pieces, but likely won’t figure into the Canadiens’ Expansion Draft picture.
Anyway, it’s Jake Allen or bust in Montreal — hop on the train before it’s too late!
Nashville Predators
Players in: D Erik Gudbranson
Players out: D Brandon Fortunato
Nashville’s trade deadlines actions aren’t as much highlighted by what it did do, but rather what it didn’t do.
Gudbranson is an intriguing pickup for Nashville, but he likely won’t affect the Predators’ protected list because Nashville already boasts a strong and deep defensive corp.
Mattias Ekholm was a popular name as the deadline approached, but he wasn’t dealt. Nor were Erik Haula or Mikael Granlund, who are also UFAs after this season.
In fact, Predators’ general manager David Poile may have tipped his hand at the Predators’ approach to the Seattle Expansion Draft.
I asked Predators GM David Poile about how keeping Mattias Ekholm past the trade deadline could affect his approach to the expansion draft: pic.twitter.com/d6HeIJTUY9
With Ryan Ellis, Roman Josi, and Dante Fabbro all worthy of expansion protection, it would be shocking if the Predators didn’t go with a 4-4-1 approach.
New Jersey Devils
Players in: D Jonas Siegenthaler; F A.J. Greer; F Mason Jobst
Players out: D Dmirty Kulikov; F Kyle Palmieri; F Travis Zajac
Trading Palmieri answered one question about New Jersey, because we wondered if the Devils would re-sign the pending unrestricted free agent to a contract extension and protect him. One of Janne Kuokkanen, Miles Wood, or Yegor Sharangovich likely takes his spot.
Siegenthaler is an interesting pickup. PK Subban and his lofty contract always made him a candidate for exposure, and Siegenthaler, 23, could take his spot — as could Will Butcher, who has returned to regular action after starting the season mostly as a healthy scratch.
The Devils’ defensive corp is something to keep an eye on moving forward.
New York Islanders
Players in: F Kyle Palmieri; F Travis Zajac; D Braydon Coburn
Players out: F A.J. Greer; F Mason Jobst
With plenty of forwards worthy of protection and not a lot of cap space, it’s hard to see Palmieri on the Islanders’ protection list. Veterans Zajac and Coburn won’t figure into protection, either.
Players out: D Mike Reilly; D Christian Wolanin; D Erik Gudbranson; D Braydon Coburn
Reilly was likely going to be protected by Ottawa, and Wolanin’s departure means that someone like Josh Brown likely fills his spot on the protection list.
It’s slim pickings in Ottawa, folks.
Philadelphia Flyers
Players in:
Players out: F Michael Raffl; D Erik Gustafsson
Raffl and Gustafsson don’t carry much Expansion Draft significance, but the Flyers signed forward Scott Laughton to a contract extension on Monday, meaning he could knock someone like Nicholas Aube-Kubel off their protected list.
San Jose Sharks
Players in: D Greg Pateryn; F Alexander Barabanov
Players out: G Devan Dubnyk; F Stefan Noesen; F Antti Suomela; D Fredrik Claesson
San Jose was the third team brokering many deadline deals and didn’t make any very impactful additions or subtractions, other than trading a goalie away and acquiring a young forward in Barabanov that’s not eligible for selection in the Expansion Draft.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Players in: D David Savard; D Fredrik Claesson
Players out: F Alexander Volkov
As discussed above in the Anaheim section, Volkov is no longer an option in Tampa Bay’s pool of potential targets — which is already very strong.
While Savard is a nice addition to Tampa’s defensive group, the UFA won’t figure into their protected list.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Players in: D Ben Hutton; G David Rittich; F Nick Foligno; F Stefan Noesen; F Riley Nash; F Antti Suomela
Players out: F Alexander Barabanov
Toronto was keen on adding a load of depth for what it hopes to be a long playoff run, but none of the players they nabbed at the deadline will figure into the Expansion Draft.
Vancouver Canucks
Players in: D Madison Bowey; F Matthew Highmore
Players out: F Adam Gaudette; D Jordie Benn
After Vancouver inked Tanner Pearson to a three-year deal on April 8, it appeared Gaudette’s spot on the Canucks’ protected list could be numbered. Vancouver confirmed that by trading him to Chicago.
Also of note, the Canucks’ addition of Bowey provided the defenseman for exposure that’s required under the Expansion Draft rules — prior to Bowey’s arrival, the Canucks only possessed three that fit that criteria and needed at least four.
Washington Capitals
Players in: F Anthony Mantha; F Michael Raffl
Players out: F Jakub Vrana; F Richard Panik; D Jonas Siegenthaler
The Capitals’ will fill in Vrana’s spot on their protected list with Mantha, but we had Panik listed as protected as well. Now that he’s gone, it’s possible the Capitals will keep Ovechkin protected — we outlined a wink-wink type of deal that would behoove both parties a few months back — or add TJ Oshie, whose big contract is an underlying issue for the cap-strapped Caps.
We also had Siegenthaler listed for protection. He’s likely replaced by Brendan Dillon, who signed a rather large contract extension with Washington in the offseason.
The Capitals still seem ripe for a side deal.
*The Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, St. Louis Blues, and Arizona Coyotes didn’t make any trades near the deadline.
*The Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Winnipeg Jets made trades that carried no significance to the Seattle Expansion Draft.
*The Vegas Golden Knights are exempt from the Seattle Expansion Draft.
Sound Of Hockey will have additional versions of the Mock Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft in the coming weeks, so be sure to check back regularly!
Josh Horton is a freelance writer, former newspaper journalist, and former 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.
