As Fan Appreciation Night Turns

Tuesday got off to a great start for Kraken fans with a morning announcement about revised ticket plans for the 2025-26 season that will reduce a high percentage of current ticket plans and add significantly more family-friendly and lower-cost tickets, plus discounts for season ticket members on concession, plus more family-oriented food options. By the nighttime puck drop at Climate Pledge Arena, the Kraken came out hard and flying in the first half of the opening period. The home squad notched 10 shots on goal, plus a penalty shot awarded to veteran center Chandler Stephenson early in the game. But Seattle couldn’t get that first goal, and the night took a wrong turn, then a right turn and, in the end, finished as a 6-5 final in LA’s favor, but not before Seattle closed the margin to one with 28 seconds left in this season finale.

The visiting Kings logged just five shots on goal in the period but four high-danger scoring chances and, sorry to report, two goals. The first one was redirected in traffic, and the second Los Angeles goal was a similar no-chance-for-Joey-Daccord on a backdoor score during the power play. It didn’t prove to be the ideal opening act for Fan Appreciation Night, though, as always, the Kraken faithful stayed loud and supportive.

Second Period Trending Up

Those loyal fans were rewarded with a pair of second-period goals to knot the matchup at 2-2. With D-man Vince Dunn in the penalty box for four minutes (two for slashing and two for unsportsmanlike conduct), Jared McCann nearly scored a shorthanded goal. A minute later, on the next penalty-kill shift, Tye Kartye did tally what hockey folks like to call a “shorty.” Kartye picked up the puck at the red line near the player benches, raced in solo on LA goalie David Rittich and ripped the puck past him.

“I’m not too much of a dangler,” said Kartye, smiling in a self-deprecating manner when asked if there can be too much time on a wide-open breakaway from center ice. “I just try to shoot it there. But, yeah, when you have too much time to think about it, sometimes you can over overthink it.”

On an ensuing Seattle power play, the first of the night after several Kraken were whistled off, official Fan Favorite (see below) Brandon Montour scored a tying goal on a signature low-rocket shot from the blue line, zipping the puck through a handful of bodies. Montour added to his already career-high for goals in a season, finishing his first year in Kraken blue with 18 goals, including a hat-trick night at Montreal earlier in the season.

“A strength of mine is offense, shooting the puck,” said Montour. It was. Nice to see some go in this year. But, I mean, it doesn't matter. I came here with one focus. That was to win and get into the playoffs. We didn't do that as a group ... I don't get to score in the playoffs, so that's all that matters. Unfortunately, we're gonna have to watch [the playoffs] from our living rooms.”

Third Period Draws Dramatic

Unfortunately, Los Angeles answered with two goals in the final four minutes and then two more in the first four minutes of the third period to make it 6-2. But there were several upturns for the worthy fans to cheer about. During warmups, Finnish-born defenseman Ville Ottavainen (2021 fourth-round) skated the coveted rookie lap to become the eighth Seattle draft choice to make his NHL debut. Less than three hours later, he picked his first NHL points, earning a secondary assist on Jaden Schwartz’s 26th goal of the year (his second-highest total in a stellar career). The 6-foot-5 Ottavainen, who logged 15-plus minutes of ice time, paired with 6-foot-7 Jamie Oleksiak, making for an imposing pair.

“My goal was just to enjoy it, have fun],” said Ottavainen post-game, who said he got the phone call Monday just when waking up. “I was obviously nervous, excited. It was late [pausing to smile]. I had a lot of time during the day and just waited. When you walk out there for the first time, it’s all the emotions, how you got here, all that. It was definitely cool.

How about that first NHL point? Another grin: “Yeah, got that one out of the way.”

It’s hard to resist not including Brandon Montour’s concise but detailed summary of the young Finn’s first NHL game: “Solid. Kept it simple. Big boy, He was physical when needed. Good stick, good outlet passes, smooth, didn't force anything. I thought he had a pretty solid game tonight.”

Later third period, young center Matty Beniers hit the 20-goal mark with a power play score with assists from Jordan Eberle and Jared McCann (his team-leading 39th). It’s worth remembering while finishing his third full season that Beniers is only 22 years old. The future is bright for him.

When Eeli Tolvanen scored the Kraken’s fifth goal (career-high 23rd) with 28 seconds left, no doubt the fans and players alike thought, why not? It wasn’t to be, but there was no quit in this team and in this crowd.

“The game was a little bit of the microcosm of our season as a whole,” said Kraken coach Dan Bylsma. “There was a positive amount of good in the in the first period for sure. But we let the game slip away a little bit and got down 2-0. Had that kill in the second period, the four minutes, and scored a shorthanded goal. Then, with 30 minutes left in the game, we tied up. I thought to myself that, ‘we've done this eight times before, where we've had to claw and scratch and come back.’

“Then we let the game slip away a little bit, and we clawed and scratched and found a way to to get some goals in what looked like a hopeless situation down by three goals ... If I was a betting man, I’d say we were going to get the sixth one and win the game in overtime. But again, it was a microcosm of our season and a disappointment not to be a playoff or a team contending for the playoffs.”

Announcing Fourth Annual Player Awards

After the season finale filled with prizes for fans, the post-game festivities allowed the players to express their thanks with raised sticks and jerseys tossed into the stands. There was lots of cheering for players who won awards, now a four-season tradition.

The four awards include the Pete Muldoon Award to honor the Kraken’s most valuable player. The MVP was voted on by Seattle-area media. The winner, announced in the post-game ceremony, is goaltender Joey Daccord, who finished the season with 27 wins and was top seven among all NHL goaltenders in the advanced analytics stat of goals saved about average (per MoneyPuck) and top 10 in several traditional categories. By any measure, this season marked Daccord as the No. 1 goaltender heading into next October and future seasons beyond.

The Fan Favorite award, rightfully and logically voted by fans, went to newcomer-turned-star Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour, who set a career-high with 18 goals and pretty much entertained and thrilled the Kraken faithful every shift with his speed, free-wheeling use of the entire ice sheet (so many joinings of the rush all year, a regular sight to see him crease-front in the offensive zone and Tuesday he even pulled off a behind-the-back pass to fellow free-agent Chandler Stephenson on the first Seattle power play of the night before electrifying the crowd with a power play score). Any walk on the plaza on game nights reveals more No. 62 jerseys than you might think, especially for a player in his first year.

The Guyle Fielder Award was established to identify the season’s player and teammates who best exemplifies “perseverance, hustle and dedication” associated with a Seattle hockey legend. Players and coaches vote on the Fielder Award. Kraken leading goal scorer and greatly admired alternate captain Jaden Schwartz. His 26-goal count on the season is his second-most goals across his long career. Schwartz was also de facto captain when Jordan Eberle was sidelined for 40 games. Fielder played 15 of his 22 pro seasons in Seattle, winning Pacific Hockey League championships with the Totems. He is No. 4 in scoring among all pro hockey players, trailing only Wayne Gretzky, Jaromir Jagr and Gordie Howe.

Daccord was a double-winner on the night, winning the Three Stars award for earning the most points in the post-game honors that come after home wins. It’s a 3-2-1 point system. All for the awardees grew high-decibel cheers from the Climate Pledge Arena crowd, with Daccord, of course, hearing the “Joey! Joey!’ chant.