Seattle Kraken.
The long-anticipated start of the NHL season is finally here. For many teams, including the Seattle Kraken, today is the day their season starts.
A blank slate with new opportunities has been presented to them, and they’re ready to compete. Gone are the hot days of summer, my friends. It is time to put your sweaters back on; hockey sweaters, that is.
The Seattle Kraken open up their season with a two-game back-to-back road trip before returning to Seattle for their home opener on Saturday against the Vegas Golden Knights. They open the NHL season tonight against their Pacific Division foes, the Anaheim Ducks.
There is a lot to be excited about ahead of this contest. Here is everything you need to know to enjoy tonight’s game!
Game: Seattle Kraken @ Anaheim Ducks.
Time: 7:00 PM PDT.
Location: Anaheim, California – Honda Center.
Broadcast: ROOT SPORTS (fuboTV or DIRECTV STREAM), ESPN+, Hulu.
Broadcast Schedule: October’s broadcast schedule is located on the Seattle Kraken website.
Radio: KJR (93.3 FM).
Tickets: Ticket Master
Watching a game from the comfort of your home is always relaxing and enjoyable. On the flip side, there is nothing better than joining fellow fans and basking in each other’s excitement.
Finding ways to connect and get together can be hard. That’s why the Seattle Kraken created the Anchor Alliance as a way to help fans connect and enjoy the games.
This alliance consists of 32+ bars throughout the Seattle area and the greater Pacific Northwest devoted to bringing fans together. It’s a wonderful environment for fans to enjoy both home and away games throughout the season.
The Seattle Kraken announced their final roster ahead of opening night. There are quite a few returning players and notable additions to the team this season. Dave Hakstol has his work cut out for him but is going into the season with a stronger roster.
Highly touted forwards Matthew Beniers and Shane Wright both made the team out of training camp. The dynamic duo is gearing up for what is sure to be an exciting rookie and, hopefully, Calder-worthy season.
Watching Beniers and Wright develop and shine will be the highlight, whatever this season may bring.
Kraken GM Ron Francis made some key additions over the off-season, including a Stanley Cup Champion. Oliver Bjorkstrand, Andre Burakovsky, Martin Jones, and Justin Schultz are all set to make their Seattle Kraken debuts after signing with the team in free agency.
After short stints with the club last season, Will Borgen, Karson Kuhlman, and Daniel Sprong have the opportunity to showcase their talent on a larger scale this season. Sprong, an underdog to make the roster, impressed in training camp and will be an interesting player to watch as the season progresses.
Much of last season’s core returns to the Emerald City and will lead the way for the rest of the team. Jared McCann, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Donato, Jaden Schwartz, Alexander Wennberg, Yanni Gourde, and Morgan Geekie are ready for another season in Seattle.
On the blueline, Adam Larsson, Cale Fleury, Jamie Oleksiak, Carson Soucy, and Vince Dunn will build off of their success from last season. Philipp Grubauer will also return as the Kraken’s mainstay between the pipes.
Brandon Tanev, a fan favorite, is finally back on the ice after missing significant time last season following ACL surgery in December. Chris Driedger and Joonas Donskoi both made the final roster. However, the team placed both on injured reserve. Hopefully, they will rejoin the team later this season.
The Anaheim Ducks come into the 2022-23 season with many improvements to their roster. However, they are still a team at the tail end of a rebuild.
There are still several players the Seattle Kraken will need to keep an eye on throughout tonight’s game to maximize their chances of winning.
Trevor Zegras is the player to watch for the Anaheim Ducks. He is young but growing into the role of the Anaheim Ducks’ first-line center.
A dynamic and extremely creative playmaker, he caused plenty of uproar around the NHL last season. Zegras will be a nightmare for the Kraken if they aren’t careful.
Another player Seattle needs to keep an eye on is Troy Terry. The shootout ace finally had his break-out season in 2021-22 and is likely to continue building off that success. With the departure of former captain Ryan Getzlaf, it wouldn’t be a big surprise to see him step up and take on more of a leadership role.
2021 first round pick Mason McTavish has also made the team out of camp. He impressed the Ducks during a cup of coffee with the team last season before being sent back to the juniors.
He had a busy off-season this summer, playing in the World Junior Championship. The Ducks were concerned about whether he would need more rest, but he’s back with more passion for the game than ever before.
Veteran goalie John Gibson will pose a challenge as well. While he had his fair share of struggles last year, Gibson has had months of well-deserved rest, and a well-rested Gibby is not fun to play against.
This season will hopefully give Kraken fans more to cheer about than the last. Let’s Go, Kraken!