Lane-ing Down the Law (and Details)

Two hours before meeting with the local media on Monday at Kraken Community Iceplex, new head coach Lane Lambert attended the weekly all-staff team meeting, which has started the work week on the organizational calendar since mid-2019, long before NHL Seattle settled on a name. Lambert was impressed with the enthusiasm and energy in the room. It only confirmed his feeling of “wanting the job” when in Seattle a couple of weeks ago to interview in person.

“Going through the process when I came in here then, I knew within about the first three minutes of conversations with Samantha [Holloway], Ron [Francis] and Jason [Botterill] that I wanted to be here,” Lambert told the staff in a full 32 Bar & Grill. “I've been in four [NHL] organizations prior to this, and I will tell you this, I have never attended one of these [all-staff meetings]. You guys have done an amazing job, and now it's our turn, from a hockey standpoint, to take another step here, to be that consistent playoff performer.”

Media members at the subsequent packed press conference followed up on how Lambert aims for his squad to become a perennial contender. New GM Botterill was the first to explain how Lambert fits into that projection: “We wanted to find a unique combination in a head coach. Someone who had a presence, someone who could be a leader, someone to build relationships with our veteran players, while also engaging in the same interactions with our young players. Lane’s name just kept coming up ... At the end of the day, Lane’s a winner [the GM cited Lambert being part of 21 NHL playoff series since 2015]. He communicates very well. Ron and I were impressed with him from a technical standpoint and what he's going to bring to our organization.”

Lambert and Botterill fielded a half-hour of queries covering a number of topics, no doubt Kraken fans are wondering themselves. Here’s a recap to help introduce the long-time NHL coach (head, associate and assistant roles) to the challenge that starts now and gets on-ice at September’s training camp (“we’ll be ready,” said Lambert, who arrived in town Sunday night with his wife, Annie):

About the rest of the coaching staff: On Friday, Kraken assistant coach Dave Lowry and goaltending coach Steve Briere were both informed they were not being retained. Lambert clarified what’s next: “First of all, Jess [Campbell] will be back. I've had some good conversations with her. She's been integral in the development of some of our young players. She'll be back. We are currently evaluating candidates for the other positions. We're in a position right now to find the best people to add to the staff and put them in a position to have success.”

Lambert’s ties to Kraken run deep: Botterill said one standout positive about Lambert’s candidacy was his connections to Kraken veterans, such as winning the Stanley Cup with Chandler Stephenson, Andre Burakovsky and Philipp Grubauer with Washington in 2018 (plus video coach Tim Ohashi). Lambert grew close to Seattle captain Jordan Eberle (who says Lambert made him a more complete NHLer) as the New York Islanders advanced to two Eastern Conference finals in 2020 and 2022. Another tie: During Lambert’s long run as an assistant coach in Nashville, he worked daily with Kraken head equipment manager and 2025 World Championships Team USA gold medalist Jeff Camelio.

“Side note,” said Botterill. “Chandler Stevenson was his neighbor when Chandler was growing up in Saskatoon [SK]. “Lane had Chandler Stephenson running around his kitchen with dirty feet, making a mess ... but it goes even deeper with some of the young kids that we're really proud of in our organization. Berkly Catton [2024 first-rounder] and [2023 third-rounder Caden Price] were playing for Lane's brother [Dale] in youth hockey. It's amazing how it continues to go. Just the connections. There's something special about Lane coming to our organization [Lambert himself called it “a sense of family”].

At the morning staff meeting, at the behest of Botterill, Lambert provided detail about the growing legend of Lambert living two-doors down from the Stephenson family with a toddler-age Chandler riding around in the cul-de-sac neighborhood in rubber boots: “He would come over to my house when he was about four years old, right? In this little electric car. The neighborhood was brand-new. There weren’t any roads yet or anything. It was all muddy with winter and rain. Here he would come walking into my house [trailing mud on the floor], sit at the table and go, ‘got anything to eat?’"

Lambert on those NHL player connections: “Obviously Jordan, Chandler, Andre Burakovsky, Phillip Grubauer. These guys have played for me before. They know exactly what to expect. I’m pretty straightforward. I'm fair, but I'm demanding, and they know exactly what they're going to do to get there. They're aware of the detail that we will play with, and they're excited about it. And in talking to the other guys [Kraken players] I haven't coached, it seems to be the theme here is everybody's excited. We can't wait for September.”

Talking back-to-back, “good defense”, getting to the net: The Kraken were 0-12 in the second game of back-to-back games last season. Lambert said that’s going to change: “With the detail, the structure, everybody being on the same page, I think it is going to be huge. We have a back-to-back record that wasn't good last year. That's going to change because of the structure and detail.

“I'm proud of the defensive abilities that my teams [including a 61-46-20 record as head coach with the New York Islanders] have. However, in saying that, defense is about regaining possession of the puck. If you don't have the puck, you know you're in trouble. The faster you can get the puck back, the more structure you get back. Then it turns into a transition game. The transition is so important in this league. Yes, we'll be strong defensively, but we will also create offense. We'll play fast, we'll be aggressive, we'll be at the net in the offensive zone, we'll shoot pucks.”

What defines accountability for players and coaches: “You set a standard. You don't deviate from that standard. It's an everyday thing. When you do the same things every day, repetition can reveal if something isn't right. You take care of it. You have to nip it. That is the key to accountability. You can't turn a blind eye and let something slide.”