The Seattle Kraken made a major coaching change on Monday afternoon, moving on from Head Coach Dave Hakstol and assistant coach Paul McFarland after three seasons.
The Seattle Kraken went into the 2023-24 season with big expectations. Just last year they won their first playoff series defeating the Colorado Avalanche, the defending Stanley Cup Champions, in Round 1. They then followed that up this season with a 34-35-13 record, sitting outside of the playoffs.
With the first round of the playoffs in full swing, the Kraken have now made their first franchise coaching change, moving on from Hakstol after 246 games.
The Seattle Kraken have just made their first coaching change in franchise history.
This is a big move for the Kraken, a team that brought Hakstol in during the early stage of their franchise. While last year's finish in the playoffs was a welcome surprise, falling short this year was enough to force a change at bench boss.
This is a big move for Genearl Manager Ron Francis and the front office. This shows to Kraken fans that the team is not going to take mediocre hockey, and with the offense and power play falling short this season this should help provide a shakeup in that regard.
“I thank Dave for his hard work and dedication to the Kraken franchise,” said Francis in a press release. “Following our end-of-the-season review, we have decided to make a change at our head coach position. These decisions are never easy, but we feel this is a necessary step to help ensure our team continues to improve and evolve. Dave is a good coach and a terrific person. We wish him and his family all the best. We will begin our search for the Kraken’s next head coach immediately.”
The Kraken's first three years in the league have relatively successful. The roster they built at the expansion draft being one few expected to make the postseason early. Now the big next step will be what this team does in the offseason to take a leap next year.