The Travelling Hat: History, Logistics, and Ritual of the Davy Jones Hat

When the Seattle Kraken take to the road, they pack up just under 5,000 pounds of equipment and gear in 73 different cases. And somewhere in there, there is a single box weighing 15 pounds in total with some very precious cargo: the Davy Jones hat.
The Davy Jones hat is the Kraken's version of a player of the game award. Every team has one. Be it a hat, a belt, or something else, it's a talisman awarded by the players to the one among them who they feel deserves special recognition for their efforts in gaining a win.
"It's fun to have something to hand out," Yanni Gourde said. "It's fun to show appreciation to someone that had a great game. It's a good team bonding thing that goes around (the room)."

But while some teams have a small cap or item that is easily thrown into a player's bag or even into the trainers' personal bag, the Kraken have elevated their game.
The team did start with a simple hat. But when Kraken investor and esteemed movie producer Jerry Bruckheimer saw the team was using a pirate's hat, inspiration struck. On Nov. 24, after Seattle beat Carolina at home by a score of 2-1,

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With its size and intricate design, this player of the game award couldn't be stuffed in a bag, so now it lives in its very own case. And when it's time for it to be awarded to another player, assistant equipment manager Kris Stierwalt retrieves it from its "home" and puts it in the last winner's locker for them to make the next presentation.

At least that's what happens most of the time.
You never want to tempt the hockey gods, of course. Stierwalt waits to make sure the team can be confident a victory is coming before getting the prize out too early. Sometimes this means you end up a touch late.

But that doesn't happen often. Will Borgen won the hat after the Kraken's 4-0 win in Montreal. The handoff to him from Vince Dunn was seamless.
"It's always there, usually," Borgen said with a smile. "(Stierwalt) is dialed in."
And after the hat is awarded, it's up to Stierwalt to collect it and put it back in its case for safekeeping before it travels to the next destination.
But it's not just the hat and how it travels that is unique. Going into this season, the reason behind the hat itself took on new meaning.
Going into the 2022-23 campaign, some of the players got together and discussed a lot of things. Including what it meant to truly be the player of the game.
"We talked," Adam Larsson said. "(Last year) we looked at a lot of personal records when it comes to points and stuff. It's not really the way to build a team. So, (this year) we wanted more of (a team focus) in our locker room and game of play.
"I think we should emphasize a lot more of the little things in the game. Obviously, you're going to see overtime goals or whatever. Those are huge. But when you have guys who block shots every night and stand up for the team it's something we should really push for. It will drive the whole team forward."

The players went to head coach Dave Hakstol to share their idea and then addressed the team before the season started in terms of what the Davy Jones hat should be all about.
"I think it's a super good idea," Gourde said. "Everyone wants to score goals. But at the end of the day, usually, the details of defensive play are the difference in a win, and (they) are the reason why we've won. Why we've had success this year is the details and the thing that maybe are not on the scoreboard, but they mean a lot…. the details are what I look at and I'm like, 'wow, we really (have) improved, and taken a step as a team."
Larsson says that if a player doesn't know who a good candidate for player of the game might be, they can always ask what other teammates noticed in a game. And every player who receives the hat knows what it means.
"I think usually most teams go with points or something," Borgen said. "We made it to be more of doing the other things besides the points, if the points come great, but (it's about the other things).
"It's just nice (to receive it). You know you must be doing something right out there that your teammates appreciate."
When the Kraken are at home, the hat still goes back into its chest between games. Some of the shells have come off and rattle around the bottom of the Pelican case so the team wants to keep it as pristine as possible.

That's been a challenge in a year when the hat is coming out a lot more. After Saturday's record-setting win in Chicago, Seattle is one win away from matching their win total in the entirety of the 2021-22 season.

"I think it's good," Larsson said about the change in why the hat is awarded after each win. "I think if guys really want it, it's up for grabs when you do something that's valuable for the team."