Seattle Kraken Dismiss Head Coach Dave Hakstol Following Three Seasons

Monday, April 29th, 2024

The Seattle Kraken have relieved Dave Hakstol of his coaching duties after three years with the team. Hakstol was the inaugural coach for the Kraken and managed to guide them to a 100-point season and a Western Conference semifinal appearance last year, but this season, the team did not qualify for the playoffs. The team also announced that assistant coach Paul McFarland will be leaving his post. Ron Francis, the General Manager, expressed his gratitude towards Hakstol for his commitment to the team but emphasized the need for a new direction to foster further improvement. Under Hakstol's leadership, the Kraken achieved a record of 107 wins, 112 losses, and 27 overtime losses, marking him as the second NHL coach to be dismissed this offseason, following David Quinn of the San Jose Sharks. Despite skepticism surrounding his appointment in 2021 due to his mixed results with the Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs, Hakstol initially led the Kraken through a challenging first season with a record of 27-49-6, securing Shane Wright as the fourth overall draft pick. The following season saw a remarkable improvement, with the team winning 46 games and making it to the conference semifinals, which put Hakstol in the running for the Jack Adams Award and earned him a contract extension through the 2025-26 season. That year, the team was among the league's best in shooting percentage and goals per game. Nonetheless, this season was fraught with difficulties, starting with four consecutive losses and an eight-game losing streak. Despite a notable 13-game streak where they gained points and secured a Winter Classic victory against the Vegas Golden Knights, the team's performance dipped significantly in the latter half, finishing 18th on the power play and ranking 29th in both shooting percentage and goals. Their season concluded with a record of 34-35-13, missing the playoffs by a considerable margin.

Related Links

• Seattle Kraken News & Updates
• Seattle Kraken Schedule & Scores
• NHL News