Profile
| Conference | Western |
|---|---|
| Division | Pacific |
| Founded | 2021 |
| Home Arena | Climate Pledge Arena |
| Stanley Cup Titles | 0 |
| Conference Champion | 0 |
| President Trophy | 0 |
Introduction
The Kraken compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and began play during the league's 2021–22 season. They play their home games at Climate Pledge Arena.
In December 2018, the NHL approved a proposal by Seattle Hockey Partners to grant an expansion franchise to the city of Seattle. In July 2020, the Kraken's name and branding were revealed. The Kraken are the first professional hockey team to play in Seattle since the Seattle Totems of the Western Hockey League played their last game in 1975, and the first Seattle hockey team to compete for the Stanley Cup since the Seattle Metropolitans, who won the Cup in 1917 and folded in 1924. On October 26, 2021, the team raised a banner commemorating the 1917 title team.
1st Season
On June 24, 2021, the organization hired Dave Hakstol as their inaugural head coach. An expansion draft was held on July 21, 2021, in a similar manner to a previous expansion draft held in 2017 for the Vegas Golden Knights, who were themselves exempt from the 2021 expansion draft.
During the 2021 preseason, the Kraken played their three home games in the home arenas of three Washington state Western Hockey League teams, the Spokane Chiefs, Everett Silvertips, and Seattle Thunderbirds. On October 11, the Kraken named Mark Giordano the team's first captain. They played their first regular season game on October 12, 2021, a 4–3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. Ryan Donato scored the team's first goal. The Kraken's first win came in their second game on October 14, when they defeated the Nashville Predators 4–3.
Giordano played his 1,000th career NHL game for the Kraken on March 5, 2022, becoming the first player to reach 1,000 career games as a member of the team. The team honored him at the Kraken's next home game, shortly before trading him to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Kraken finished their inaugural season in last place in the Pacific Division with a 27–49–6 record and 60 points.
2nd Season (First Stanley Cup Playoff attempt)
In their second season, the Kraken clinched their first playoff berth, qualifying for the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the first wild card from the Western Conference with a record of 46–28–8. They defeated the defending champions Colorado Avalanche in the opening round in seven games before losing to the Dallas Stars in the second round, also in seven games.
Retired Number
- #32: (In Recognition as the 32nd team to join in NHL & in honor of the 32,000 fans who placed deposits for tickets on the first possible day.)
- #99 Wayne Gretzky: (Retired by whole NHL Teams as Honor.)
