Hakstol knew things wouldn’t be all rainbows and puppies coaching a first-year NHL team. Year one was about laying the foundation for a winning tradition the Kraken look to be on course for.

On April 20th, the Seattle Kraken defeated the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. 

“Guys are working hard, especially in this building, in front of the fans that have been here through thick and thin for the last six, seven months,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol told NHL.com post-game. “Because they’re working hard, they’re working together all night tonight. We got off to the start that we needed. To be able to play with the lead is really important against Colorado, and we were able to do that.”

The win was Seattle’s third consecutive win, marking the first time in franchise history the Kraken put such a streak together. The expansion team, currently playing in its first NHL season, will finish last in the Pacific Division, but their season has featured a lot of highs the team will continue building on for years to come.

Hakstol knew things wouldn’t be all rainbows and puppies coaching a first-year team, yet as he explained to TCS Founder Aaron Wilbur prior to the start of the season, it was about laying the foundation for a winning tradition the Kraken look to be on course for.

Hakstol, an Alberta-product who previously coached the Philadelphia Flyers from 2015-2019 and was an assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs prior to joining the Seattle Kraken as head coach in June of 2021, had a wildly successful coaching career with UND and is viewed as one of the most accomplished and well-respected bench bosses in NCAA hockey.

This interview with Wilbur is full of insights for coaches at every level, so do yourself a favour and book 45 minutes into your calendar to give it a watch. You won’t be disappointed.