Building Blocks

It's official. The Seattle Kraken are Stanley Cup Playoff bound for the first time in franchise history. It's been an intentional journey built through key moves by general manager, Ron Francis and his team; Dave Hakstol and his coaching staff; and the players on the ice.
Let's take a look back at the milestones and memorable moments that mark the Kraken's journey to the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Matty Beniers Joins the Kraken

Drafted second overall in 2021, Matty Beniers played his first game in a Kraken sweater April 12, 2022. He notched an assist in that game against Calgary, and four days later scored his first NHL goal at home against the New Jersey Devils. Beniers scored a point in every game but one the rest of the season (10GP, 3-6-9) and would go on to be a key piece of the 2022-23 campaign. He has centered the top line with Jared McCann and Jordan Eberle most of the season, and leads all rookies in total points and goals.

Offseason Additions

Over the summer, there was no action on the on-ice, but Francis was busy off of it. The Entry Draft added 11 players to the fold, including top-tier center, Shane Wright.
Five days after the Draft, a series of savvy transactions by the general manager and company added offensive weapon Andre Burakovsky, stalwart defender Justin Schultz, and reliable goaltender Martin Jones to the team as free agent signings. Oliver Bjorkstrand would later join the Kraken via trade. Each of these veterans became lineup staple elevating Seattle's skill in all areas of the game.

New Buoy in Town

There were key additions to the Kraken off the ice, too. On Oct. 1 the Kraken mascot,
Buoy
, nephew of the Fremont troll, was introduced to the world and he wasted no time in making it his own. Known for his quick wit, love of mischief, and undying dedication to the Kraken and its fans, Buoy has become a much-loved icon.

Confidence in Calgary

The Kraken were 4-4-2 as they headed into Calgary Nov. 1 to face a Flames team they had yet to defeat through four prior meetings. Joey Daccord was in net for the first time this season. The two teams entered the third period tied 2-2 but Calgary scored two goals in 16 seconds to open a two-goal lead. It would have been easy to think the game was decided. The Kraken would have disagreed with you. First Daniel Sprong scored. Then, Yanni Gourde banged home a goal short-handed before Beniers potted the final goal - the first game-winner of his NHL career. Seattle didn't stop fighting, they weren't toppled by adversity, and they'd defeated a team that was among the top in the West. The team would go on to win three more consecutive games. THIS was what the Kraken were going to be this season.

Offensive Firepower

Last season, Seattle struggled to score and ranked 29th in goals for. This year, it's a whole new story. The Kraken have been in the top five in scoring all season and that was well on display on Nov. 29 when they played the Kings in a wild back-and-forth affair that ended in a 9-8 Seattle victory. The game was the second time the Kraken had scored eight or more goals and one of six times they've scored seven or more this season. It was also a showcase of what has made Seattle so successful this season: their depth. 11 skaters had points and six different skaters scored goals.

The Wright Stuff

Newly drafted Shane Wright got a taste of what's to come for him while Seattle fans got a taste of his high-end potential. The 19-year-old played in eight Kraken games this season and earned the first NHL goal of his career in a Dec. 6 contest against the Montreal Canadiens. Wright also put up a 4-0-4 stat line in five games with the Coachella Valley Firebirds before winning gold with Team Canada at the IIHF 2023 World Junior Championship.

Seven for Seven

The Kraken had climbed to second in the Pacific Division when the Capitals came to town on Dec. 1. Washington scored the first two goals, but Seattle answered with two of their own to force overtime for the seventh time this season. But the Kraken didn't want to waste much time with that. Seven seconds after the puck dropped, Beniers had put it into the net for his second game-winning goal.

The win marked the first time in franchise history the Kraken earned seven straight victories. It wouldn't be the last.

Goalvanen

In another shrewd front office move, Seattle picked up Finnish forward Eeli Tolvanen off of waivers on Dec. 12. He'd have to wait till the Jan. 1 game versus the Islanders to make his Kraken debut. He wasted no time in making his presence known. Tolvanen scored the game winner and hasn't left the lineup since. Tolvanen has been a perfect complement to Yanni Gourde's forward line, given the Kraken another power play weapon on the right flank, and has set new career highs in goals and points.

Winter Classic Coming to Seattle

On Jan. 1, the NHL announced that the Kraken will host the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2024 Winter Classic at T-Mobile Park. The event will mark another opportunity for the Kraken organization to showcase its wonderful home in the Pacific Northwest. "These are the things we dreamed would happen," CEO Tod Leiweke told NHL.com. "But it's a great honor that in our third season, we're going to host, really, an international event."

Eight is Great

The Kraken started 2023 off with a home win, and then headed out on a tough seven-game road trip. Pundits might have said winning even half of those games would have qualified as success. The Kraken won Every. Single. One. The road-winning streak itself was a monumental accomplishment. No NHL team had ever done that before. And within the streak itself were highlights we'll not soon forget.

It's How You Respond

The last Kraken game of 2022 was a down note. On Dec. 30, Seattle fell to Edmonton by a score of 7-2 in their third straight loss. Post-game comments all reinforced the need for playing the right way and to the team's full potential. On Jan. 3, the Kraken went into Rogers Place and fell behind by two goals, just like they had four days prior. But this time things would be different. Four minutes into the second period, Beniers scored on the power play. Four more unanswered goals would follow and the Kraken earned their first win in Edmonton by a score of 5-2.

Unprecedented

The Kraken were rolling. After beating Edmonton, they won in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Buffalo. But the sixth game of the trip loomed large. Seattle was going into TD Garden to face a Boston Bruins team that sat atop the NHL standings and, to that point, had only lost three times at home. All three losses had required post-regulation time to resolve. That didn't bother the Kraken. Not only did the visitors win, they shut out the Bruins at home for the first time all season. Seattle didn't just hang with the best team in the league, they beat them and made a statement in how they did it.

Hail the Hatty

The final game of the road trip was in Chicago on Jan. 14 and it was a memorable one to be sure. There were seven goals in the opening period. Only one of those went into the Kraken's net, and the final five were scored in 3:41 of game time. Of those five, two came of the stick of Jared McCann. The first player to ever sign an extension with the Kraken added one more goal in the third period and he officially earned the first hat trick of the Kraken season and of his career.

Mr. Jones and SEA

On the heels of the historic road trip, the NHL acknowledged the contributions of Martin Jones naming him first star of the week, the first such honor given to any Kraken player. Jones was a linchpin in Seattle's success this season and stepped up in key moments for his team. Jones backstopped the Kraken in seven wins while Philipp Grubauer was out of the lineup due to injury and helped earn seven more wins during the eight-game streak, five of which qualified as quality starts.

Big Cat in Big Moments

Resiliency has been a trademark of this Kraken club all season long. As has the ability of any player on any given night to be a difference maker. Adam Larsson has been just that with his defensive play all season long, but on Mar. 21, he decided to add another play to his highlight reel by showcasing his offensive skill.
The Kraken were playing the Dallas Stars for the third time in ten days. In this final matchup, the Stars had pushed back with two late third period goals to force overtime. Play was back and forth until just shy of two minutes in, McCann gathered the puck and banked it off the side boards to Larsson in the neutral zone. Later, the blue liner would say he heard the bench yelling at him to look for the puck. He found it, and proceeded to go off on the rush before dekeing around Jake Oettinger for his first game winner of the year.

InVINCEable

On Apr. 4, Vince Dunn had two assists in an 8-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes putting him at 200 career NHL points (52-148-200). That was just one of his accomplishments in a season that saw Dunn cement himself as a top defender in the league. Playing alongside Larsson, the two earned the best goals percentage among all Kraken pairings (57.6%). Individually, Dunn set career highs in points; became the Kraken's first 60-point scorer; and ranked in the top ten among all NHL blueliners in goals, assists, and points.

Success in the Valley

The Kraken and the AHL welcomed a new team to their families this season. With Dan Bylsma behind the bench as head coach, the Coachella Valley Firebirds kicked off their inaugural season Oct. 16 with a 6-5 win over the Calgary Wranglers. That was a sign of things to come.
The Firebirds kept winning, including a 4-3 win over the Tuscon Roadrunners on Dec. 14 when they officially opened their brand-new home at beautiful Acrisure Arena. And on Mar. 15, a 4-1 win at home over the Iowa Wild secured the Firebirds first ever playoff appearance.

CLINCHED

April 6 won't be a date Kraken faithful forget. By beating the Arizona Coyotes 4-2, they didn't just set a record for the most wins by an expansion team in its second season (44) since the Original Six era (1967-68), they also secured the first-ever playoff berth in franchise history.
And the journey is just getting started…here's to more memorable moments to come!