Seattle SPORTs Now

Fifteen years ago, Dan Bylsma, the new Seattle Kraken head coach, was in the right place at the right time. On Feb. 15, 2009, a Pittsburgh Penguin team struggling to make the playoffs promoted Bylsma then coaching the Pens’ American Hockey League Wilkes-Barrie affiliate. Bylsma at 38, became the youngest coach in the National Hockey League. He compiled an 18-3-4 record for 40 points, the second most compiled by an NHL coach in his first 40 games. On June 12, the Penguins won the Stanley Cup making him the second mid-season coaching replacement to win a championship. No one’s expecting to Bylsma to duplicate that feat next season (although stranger things have happened) but there’s one similarity – the past two seasons, Bylsma has coached the Kraken’s AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, In fact, the Firebirds are still in action. They begin their Western Conference series final against the Milwaukee Admirals starting tonight (Mar. 29). Bylsma took time out from coaching...

While four teams are still competing in the National Hockey League playoffs – and trying to figure out what NHL refs consider a penalty- most teams, including the Seattle Kraken, are preparing for the off-season. The NHL free-agent window opens on July 1 with a flock of free-agent signees announced on that day. For the Kraken it’s an opportunity to bring back Daniel Sprong, which would delight many fans, or Alex Wennberg, which probably wouldn’t please too many Kraken followers. The Kraken are likely to dip their toes into free-agent waters, but the question is how deep are the pockets of Kraken brass. Currently the team has $1,331,742 in salary cap space with an expected cap increase of $4 million for NHL teams this summer. In non-free agent news, Rob Brind`Amour has signed a contract extension with the Carolina Hurricanes. Brind’Amour was believed to be a top choice of the Kraken in a search for their new head coach. A lack of scoring punch was the Kraken’s downfall this seas...

  The Seattle Kraken have scooped up the number-eight pick- about where the Kraken would have selected minus the lottery- in a draft that the `experts’ say is top-heavy with defensemen. A lottery was used to determine draft order, with the 11 teams who failed to make the playoffs this season, eligible to win the top pick. The NHL like most leagues goes to a lottery format to discourage blatant `tanking’ by a team trying to secure the top pick. Only the top two selections are determined by lottery, after that teams are seeded by record. The San Jose Sharks captured the number-one pick in the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft- yes, the NHL draft lottery has a sponsor. The Chicago Blackhawks, who picked `can’t-miss’ prospect Connor Bedard with last year’s number-one pick, will draft second followed by the Anaheim Ducks. The Sharks are expected to take Boston University forward Macklin Celebrini, at 17, the youngest player in Division 1 men’s hockey this season and the youngest player to...

    For Dave Hakstol, the only Seattle Kraken head coach in the team’s three seasons, the proverbial other shoe dropped yesterday afternoon. General manager Ron Francis, who by all accounts had a close relationship with Hakstol going back to their time together working with the Canadien Olympic team, announced that Hakstol’s contract had been terminated after three seasons. Assistant coach Paul McFarland, who coached the power play unit, a disappointing aspect of the Kraken season, has also been relieved of his duties. Assistant coaches Jay Leach and Dave Lowry along with goalie coach Steve Briere have been retained. “When we hired him, I thought he was a good coach and I still think he’s a good coach,” said Francis at yesterday afternoon’s press conference. “ THIS JUST IN- Emily Kaplan announced on ESPN’S hockey playoff coverage last night that Francis didn’t want to let Hakstol go, but several significant players came to Francis and said they didn’t want to return ne...

  The Seattle Kraken’s regular-season home finale with the San Jose Sharks was a microcosm of a lot of the Kraken problems this year. The home team compiled 50 shots on net but could only sneak one past a relatively unknown goalkeeper in the Sharks’ Devin Cooley. However, it was still a festive night at Climate Pledge Arena- Fan Appreciation Night- and if you didn’t win something it was your own fault. But it was also an interesting night for hard-core fans as the Kraken presented their 2023-24 awards. Here’s a look at the recipients and the folks who the awards are named after. Three Star Award: Joey Daccord given to the player who accumulates the most points in the three-star competition. One point is awarded to the number-three star, two to the second star, and three to the first star. Previous Winners- 2021-22 Philipp Grubauer 2022-23 Jared McCann Pete Muldoon, Most Valuable Player Award Jared McCann . Given to the player adjudged to be the most valuable player on the ice...

  The Seattle Kraken won’t make the National Hockey League playoffs this season but will have the opportunity to finish their home season on a high note. The Kraken play their final home tilt tomorrow night at Climate Pledge Arena when they host the lowly San Jose Sharks. Seattle has had some trouble with the Sharks on the road but usually seem to score a plethora of goals against SJ on home ice. Seattle (33-31-15) blanked the Arizona Coyotes (33-40-5) last night, 5-0, in its penultimate home game. Five different Kraken players lit the lamp- all five having fewer than ten goals this season- but Philipp Grubauer was the undisputed number-one star with 39 stops in the Kraken net. With a look towards next season, the Kraken had four rookies in the lineup – forwards Shane Wright, Ryan Winterton and Logan Morrison and defenseman Ryker Evans. Wright, who’s lately shown flashes as to why he was a valuable property coming out of junior hockey- scored his fourth goal of the campaign...

  The beginning of April has always meant one thing to me – baseball season. Along with the sport itself, a sign of warm weather on the way – the appearance of baseball cards. I bought my first package of baseball cards in 1964. A lot has changed since then. Five cards came in a wrapper, plus a slab of bubble gum, for the grand total of five cents. I remember purchasing baseball cards along with cards that commemorated TV shows like The Man From U.N.C.L.E . and Gilligan’s Island . There was also a James Bond set although in retrospect the Bond movies weren’t exactly geared towards seven-year-olds like myself. I seriously started collecting baseball cards in 1967, already moving away from other card sets and comic books. That summer coincided with my actually starting to watch baseball on television. The Boston Red Sox, the team showed on local TV (I lived about 50 miles south of Boston) captivated the area by winning the pennant after a decade of sub-.500 teams. In those da...