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Seattle Kraken

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Utah Mammoth – Seattle Kraken

About the Seattle Kraken

The Seattle Kraken joined the NHL as an expansion franchise for the 2021-22 season, becoming the league's 32nd team.

The NHL approved the Seattle expansion franchise in December 2018. The team announced its name in July 2020 and paid the final installment of its US$650 million expansion fee in April 2021.

The Kraken are the first major professional hockey team in Seattle since the Seattle Metropolitans, who won the Stanley Cup in 1917 and folded in 1924. The franchise raised a banner commemorating the 1917 title team in October 2021.

Division History

The Kraken have played in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference since entering the NHL.

Championship History

Seattle played its first regular-season game on October 12, 2021, a 4-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. Ryan Donato scored the first goal in franchise history, and the Kraken won their first game two days later, 4-3 over the Nashville Predators.

Mark Giordano was the team's first captain. He played his 1,000th NHL game with Seattle on March 5, 2022, becoming the first player to reach that milestone as a member of the Kraken.

The Kraken finished their inaugural season in last place in the Pacific Division with a 27-49-6 record and 60 points.

Seattle improved dramatically in 2022-23. The Kraken finished 46-28-8 with 100 points and qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the first wild card in the Western Conference.

They defeated the Colorado Avalanche in seven games in the first round before losing a seven-game second-round series to the Dallas Stars. It remains the only playoff run in franchise history.

The Kraken missed the playoffs in 2023-24 with 81 points and again in 2024-25 with a 35-41-6 record. Jordan Eberle was named the second captain in franchise history in October 2024, and the team hired Jessica Campbell as an assistant coach in July 2024, making her the first woman to hold a coaching position in the NHL.

Seattle missed the playoffs again in 2025-26 under head coach Lane Lambert. The Kraken opened the season with the best 10-game start in franchise history but finished 34-37-11 with 79 points, sixth in the Pacific Division, after winning only seven of their final 23 games.

The Kraken are still searching for their first division championship, conference championship and Stanley Cup.

Home of the Kraken

The Kraken play their home games at Climate Pledge Arena at Seattle Center.

The arena is a renovation of the former KeyArena. Amazon purchased the naming rights in June 2020 and renamed the building Climate Pledge Arena in recognition of its environmental goals. The renovated arena opened in time for the Kraken's first season.

Climate Pledge Arena has a hockey capacity of 17,151.

Notable Kraken

Mark Giordano became the first captain in franchise history before Seattle's inaugural season. The veteran defenseman gave the Kraken experience and leadership during their first campaign and was the first player to reach 1,000 career NHL games with the team.

Jordan Eberle was selected by Seattle in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft and became the team's second captain in October 2024.

Matty Beniers became the face of the franchise's young core after Seattle selected him second overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, the first draft pick in team history. He won the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year following the 2022-23 season.

Jaden Schwartz led Seattle with 26 goals in 2024-25 and remains one of the team's most experienced forwards.

Berkly Catton, the Kraken's 2024 first-round pick, and Jani Nyman made an impact on NHL ice during the 2025-26 season as part of the organization's next wave of young players.

Ron Francis, the Hall of Fame center and Carolina Hurricanes legend, has been central to the franchise's history as its first general manager and later president of hockey operations.

Other notable players from the franchise's early years include Yanni Gourde, Vince Dunn, Jared McCann, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Brandon Montour and Joey Daccord.