Wright hopes experience helps pave way to playing for Kraken

SEATTLE --Shane Wright is leaning on the experience he gained in his first professional season in order to secure a spot with the Seattle Kraken this season.

The 19-year-old center played for four different teams a season ago -- eight games with the Kraken, 24 with Windsor of the Ontario Hockey League, seven in the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, where he won a gold medal with Canada, and 32 with Coachella Valley of the American Hockey League, including 24 playoff games to help the team reach the Calder Cup Finals.

This season, he would prefer to have one address -- in Seattle.

"I want to be part of this," said Wright, selected by the Kraken with the No. 4 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. "Being, I guess, only a year older, but I feel like I have a lot of experience at the pro level. To be able to be a mentor and help teach and help [this year's draftees] learn as much as I can and be a role model and be a leader here is what I really want to do."

He said the whirlwind of last season went a long way toward preparing him for this season and beyond.

"I learned a lot," Wright said. "That's probably the biggest thing. I definitely grew a lot as a person and as a player."

And did so in several different uniforms. He began last season with the Kraken, and had a goal and an assist before returning to the OHL. He was traded to Windsor by Kingston on Jan. 10, and had 37 points (15 goals, 22 assists) in 20 regular-season games and three points (one goal, two assists) in four playoff games. Following that, he was reassigned to Coachella Valley, where he had six points (four goals, two assists) in eight regular-season games and nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 24 AHL playoff games.

His crowning achievement was having seven points (four goals, three assists) in seven games for Canada in the WJC.

Wright said hearing from a variety of voices along the way helped him understand what it means to be a professional player. He wants to use that knowledge to take the next step.

He said he particularly enjoyed his experience in the Calder Cup Playoffs; his minutes were limited at first, but he gained playing time and confidence as the tournament progressed.

"I was just playing hockey," Wright said. "I was having fun. I think I was looking forward to coming to the rink every day and enjoying playing in the playoffs and being in that atmosphere."

After playing deep into June, the Kraken gave Wright the option to pass up development camp to recuperate. Instead, he chose to be on the ice during camp last week, and Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said he liked what he saw.

"Shane's always pretty comfortable with who he is," Hakstol said. "You continue to grow and mature as you go through situations; through positive situations, through challenging situations, and really that's what we're looking for not just in Shane, but in all of our players. For sure, we do see that in Shane."

Wright (6-foot, 192 pounds) has matured physically over the past year as well, and attributes his added strength to playing against older competition in the NHL and AHL.

"I think just playing at the pro level for the amount of playoffs that I did, I think that just kind of naturally, you have to adapt," he said. "You naturally grow stronger playing against those bigger, stronger guys."