Kraken general manager Jason Botterill was candid about the added importance each of his team’s preseason contests will carry this fall given a shortened exhibition schedule ahead of an expanded 84-game regular season.
“Everything’s going to happen extremely fast this year,” Botterill said. “We have to get down to our team very quickly.”
The Kraken on Wednesday announced the club’s 2026-27 preseason schedule, pres. by Alaska Airlines, will involve four games – down from six – all split equally over the course of a single week between the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames as opponents. The preseason opens Saturday, Sept. 19 at Climate Pledge Arena against Vancouver (7 p.m. PT), followed by a game the next night in Calgary (5 p.m. PT), a Sept. 24 home matchup versus the Flames (6:40 p.m. PT) and then a Sept. 26 road contest with the Canucks (4 p.m. PT) to complete a shortened period for which to gauge player readiness.
Meaning, there won’t be time to waste for prospects trying to make the team and regulars hoping to get in sync with one another.
“We always talk to them about the importance of coming to camp in shape and things this time are going to happen very fast,” Botterill said. “I think what you’re going to see from an evaluation standpoint is, is now going to carry over more into the regular season. I think that for a lot of the players we feel are on the cusp of either making our team or being in Coachella Valley, I can see a lot more movement between those two teams in the month of October as you get a feel for who’s improved and what the makeup of our team looks like.”
For the 2026-27 season, Kraken Season Ticket Members will continue to enjoy an enhanced experience that includes the best ticket prices and perks like 25% off food and beverage and first access to playoff priority. New locations and price options are available now. Tickets for Seattle’s two preseason home games will go on sale at a later date on SeattleKraken.com.
Botterill noted that the shortened preseason means the team’s aspiring NHL hopefuls would do best to show something initially at a two-game annual prospects showcase series between Kraken and Canucks hopefuls taking place just ahead of training camp. This year’s showcase takes place in Abbotsford, British Columbia, with exact dates and ticketing details still being finalized.
“It’s going to be important that they perform very well there,” he said.
Last year’s preseason saw Kraken forwards Berkly Catton and Ryan Winterton win full-time forward spots with the NHL club. Jani Nyman also got an initial NHL taste out of training camp before returning to Coachella Valley.
Others such as forward Jacob Melanson, who joined the team midway through last season, will be looking to make this year’s squad out of camp for the first time. Oscar Fisker Molgaard also got into a handful of Kraken games last season and hopes to see more this time, as will goalie Nikke Kokko. AHL forward prospect Jagger Firkus – who got hurt late last season – will be vying for a shot to play in his first NHL regular season game this coming campaign.
AHL defensive prospects such as Tyson Jugnauth, Ville Ottavainen and Ty Nelson will also be hoping to make an impact.
And every shift of every preseason contest will be critical compared to prior years.
“Some of these guys on the bubble in years past have gotten maybe four or five games to show what they can accomplish,” Botterill said. “And now, it’s going to be a situation where it’s one or two and then, hey, we’re going to have to make a decision.”
