Growing Up and Growing as Kraken Together 

Though a Kraken draft class apart, prospects Berkly Catton and Caden Price have fewer than six months’ age difference, with Price one of the youngest players selected in the 2023 NHL Draft. Growing up in Saskatoon, SK, they played together at times, starting with Under-12 Peewee AA teams and last winter as Team Canada teammates during the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship. They have been opponents, too, most recently in the Western Hockey League with Catton starring for Spokane and Price a stellar defenseman for Kelowna and Lethbridge.

Over the summer, they were both participating in a Saskatoon 4-on-4 league featuring NHL players and top draft choices. But as Price tells it, his buddy Catton did not pick him when teams were being selected.

“He didn't want to take me,” said Price with a slight grin as Catton flashed a huge smile. “He passed on me. Later on, when the playoffs came around, I made sure that we won versus him ... the semifinals against his team, there's no way we're losing that game. I took it pretty personally for sure [tongue firmly in cheek]. You know we came out with the win.”

Any explanation, Berk?

“He went a little higher in the draft than we anticipated,” Catton said, still smiling. “Another friend of ours, Kevin Korchinski [the former WHL Seattle Thunderbirds star and Chicago Blackhawks prospect] and I were captains, and we couldn’t get Pricer. But I think next year, we’ll be able to get him.”

Close Friends Swap Scouting Reports

The two Saskatoon pals live within a three-minute drive of each other and are part of a long-time local friend group on their phones. While ribbing about the summer rivalry, both are happy to praise each other’s skill set and hockey mind. Plus, Price did concede Catton has the better music playlist, all discussed in the video accompanying this article.

“His vision on the ice is definitely one of the best I've seen,” said Price about Catton. “He’s a really cerebral hockey player ... He comes out of turns really well, able to hold speed, keep speed and make everybody around him a better player.”

Catton returned the favorable scouting report: “With Pricer, he's a guy you don't want to go up against ... it’s never fun. He's such a good skater and has such a good stick ... I think his offensive side is really high-end too. He can make plays.”

“He can make plays.”

Laxdal’s Take on Duo, Plus Rookie Camp Opens

Coachella Valley Firebirds head coach Derek Laxdal and his staff supervised Thursday’s opening day of Kraken Rookie Camp in the first of two practices ahead of the NHL Rookie Showcase games versus Vancouver this weekend -- Saturday at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett (6 p.m. puck drop) and Sunday at the Kraken Community Iceplex.

“We're very happy with (Wednesday’s) fitness testing with the rookie group, so we wanted to carry that energy over into the practice,” said Laxdal, who noted many players showed fitness improvement, besting numbers recorded at July’s development camp. “We had an optional 15-minute skill session before practice. All of the guys were out there. I love the energy of this group. They are focused and ready to learn, coming to this training camp trying to earn a spot. We like what we saw. We had a lot of guys on the ice. We had five lines and nine D-men, but we got through it, did some structure, and will do a little (Friday). We'll get ready for the weekend games.”

When asked about Catton and Price, Laxdal was happy to discuss both prospects but noted he’d seen more of Catton.

“‘Catts’ is a player who's got two options, right? Either sticks with Kraken or he goes back to juniors,” said Laxdal. “He has a lot of upside offensively, and he's healthy this year coming into the training camp. He looked very good this morning. I'm looking forward to seeing him through the next two games and going into Kraken Training Camp. Obviously, he's going to be a cornerstone player for the franchise going forward.”

Laxdal projects future NHL seasons for Price, who will first be playing for the coach and American Hockey League affiliate Coachella Valley this year: “Same for ‘Pricer. He went to a strong program in Kelowna and ended up with a competitive team in Lethbridge (following a midseason trade). He's a guy I'm going to have to build a book on. I’m looking forward to seeing Pricer and ‘Catts’ this weekend.”

For his part, Price said his summer was focused and productive after previous off-seasons playing in showcases and tournaments: “This summer was a bit more of an extended summer for me. The (Kraken) development camp for me was really good. I got into a groove and into a rhythm on the ice and in (off-ice) training. I feel like I have improved in a lot of areas.”

“We're very happy with the fitness testing with the rookie group [performed Wednesday], so we wanted to carry that energy over into the practice,” said Laxdal, who noted many players showed fitness testing improvement, besting numbers recorded at development camp in early July. “We had an optional 15-minute skill session before practice. All of the guys were out there. I love the energy of this group; they are focused and ready to learn, coming to this training camp, trying to earn a spot. We like what we saw. We had a lot of guys on the ice. We had five lines and nine D-men, but we got through it, did some structure, and will do a little [Friday], we'll get ready for the weekend games.”

When asked, Catton and Price, Laxdal was happy to discuss both prospects, qualifying that he has seen more of Catton than Price.

“‘Catts’ is a player who's got two options, right? Either sticks with Kraken or he goes back to juniors,” said Laxdal. “He has a lot of upside offensively, and he's healthy this year coming into the training camp. He looked very good this morning. I'm looking forward to seeing him through the next two games and going to the Kraken Training Camp [first practice Sept. 18]. Obviously, he's going to be a cornerstone player for the franchise going forward.”

Laxdal projects future NHL seasons for Price, who will first be playing for the coach and American Hockey League affiliate Coachella Valley this year: “Same for ‘Pricer. He went to a strong program in Kelowna and ended up with a competitive team in Lethbridge [midseason trade last January for the regular-season final stretch and a long playoff run]. He's a guy I'm going to have to build a book on. I’m looking forward to seeing Pricer and ‘Catts’ this weekend.”

For his part, Price said his summer was focused and productive after the previous offseason, when he was playing in showcases and tournaments. "This summer was a bit more of an extended summer for me. The [Kraken] development camp for me was really good. I got into a groove and into a rhythm on the ice and in [off-ice] training. I feel like I have improved in a lot of areas.”