Head Coach Transition 2023
Seattle's NHL franchise, the Kraken, began play in 2021–22.
The Seattle Kraken are a National Hockey League (NHL) franchise based in Seattle, who began play in the 2021–22 season.
Quick Facts
- Founding head coach
- Dave Hakstol
- Tenure
- 2021-22 through 2022-23
- Franchise
- Seattle Kraken (NHL expansion, 2021)
- Transition timing
- Summer 2023, post-season
- Significance
- First head-coach change in franchise history
Lore & Background
Professional ice hockey in Seattle dates back to 1915, with the formation of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA)'s Seattle Metropolitans, the first United States–based team to win the Stanley Cup. The area has been represented by various teams in the Western Hockey League (WHL) since 1944, including the major junior Seattle Thunderbirds and Everett Silvertips. A Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) franchise, the Seattle Torrent, began play in the 2025–26 season.
Reader's Guide
The Kraken are the current NHL team in Seattle. The team's head coach history includes Dave Hakstol, who was fired on April 17, 2024, after the 2023–24 season, making his tenure 2021–22 through 2023–24. This was the first head-coach change in franchise history.
More in Club History & Eras
Elsewhere in Seattle Kraken
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