CALGARY, Alberta – There was a whole lot of symbolism going on for Jordan Eberle as he launched a sixth season for the Kraken team he captains by scoring their first goal of the 2026-27 campaign.
That’s altogether fitting for a mid-thirties veteran who led the Kraken in scoring and points a season ago, having moved to this Alberta oil town during his formative teen years, meeting his wife in 10th grade here and even scoring his very first NHL goal against the local Flames playing a few hours up the highway in Edmonton. His latest goal against the Flames on Thursday night unleashed the Kraken towards a 6-1 victory that spoiled the final season opener in the 43-year history of the Scotiabank Saddledome ahead of next year’s move to a new venue across the street.
Vince Dunn and Freddy Gaudreau also scored in that opening period and the Kraken tightened up and cruised from there in limiting the Flames to just 14 shots the opening 40 minutes. Chandler Stephenson, Matty Beniers and Kaapo Kakko then put things away in the final period as the Kraken won their second season opener in a row.
Kraken netminder Joey Daccord lost his shutout when Ryan Strome scored with 3:26 to play in a 5-0 game. Daccord wasn’t tested all that much, but came up huge when players got in alone on him, starting with Mikael Backlund in a scoreless first period and then Connor Zary early in a still-three-goal game in the third. Right after the stop on Zary, Stephenson raced up ice and leaped over a Calgary defender who’d crashed into a teammate before going in alone and beating goalie Dustin Wolf with a deke move between his pads.
That pretty much ended things and Beniers definitely sealed it soon after with a slap shot in close.
Eberle at 36 isn’t that much younger than the Saddledome itself, which he keeps an off-season home just a couple of miles from. But at his age, coming off a serious pelvic injury two seasons ago, chances to play competitive and meaningful NHL games deep into spring are starting to dwindle as he begins the first year of two on his latest contract extension.
So, the Kraken scoring three goals on six shots in an opening period ignited by Eberle’s power play marker, then a point shot blast by Dunn just 32 seconds later and a capper by Gaudreau in the frame’s final minute was about the best season start imaginable. The Kraken arrived here knowing they haven’t been picked as contenders by too many pundits, but also carrying a quiet confidence of having stayed in the playoff hunt until March of last season.
Much of what they did well in 2025-26 got lost in the aftermath of an ensuing late-season collapse. But for those who played through some of the good times beforehand, the idea of a strong start to 2026-27 is both realistic and indeed a necessity. Especially given a tough early schedule against division opponents, followed by a five-city East Coast road trip and a looming November sojourn to Finland for two games against the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes.
Sure, the Flames are rebuilding and much of what the Kraken accomplished in pumping the three early goals past onetime Everett Silvertips netminder Wolf wasn’t akin to doing so against the likes of Carolina or even the Edmonton Oilers team they’ll face Saturday night.
But the Kraken did what they needed to do. They avoided the penalty box and capitalized right away when the Flames got whistled down.
Eberle got in the way of an incoming Jared McCann blast while setting up a net front screen, only to have the puck go right to his stick in perfect position to pull a quick move on Wolf. The combo of Eberle and McCann has accounted for more goals than any two players in Kraken history and having those veterans get off to strong starts can only help a team continuing to develop an emerging young core that looked very good in this game.
Barely half a minute after Eberle’s goal, the Kraken were again positioned in front of Wolf, who couldn’t see the incoming Dunn blast to make it 2-0 midway through the period.
Eberle nearly had a second goal in the final five minutes of the middle period when Wolf left his crease to play an incoming puck, only to have it carom oddly off the boards and by him. An oncoming Eberle was staring at a wide open net when the puck arrived but Wolf scrambled back into position just in time to make a glove snare of the ensuing shot.
That could have been a rally point for the Flames, but the Kraken never really let up defensively. Ryan Winterton, part of a strong and youthful Kraken third line that included Kakko and Berkly Catton, broke up a play at his own blue line late in the middle period, raced the length of the ice and nearly scored a highlight reel goal on Wolf.
Catton played one of his stronger career games at both ends of the ice, setting up Brandon Montour for an early slap shot chance in close. And Kakko looked brilliant indeed on the late-period goal by Gaudreau, protecting the puck just long enough before flinging it cross ice right on to his veteran teammate’s stick.
