Kraken Development Camp keeps hockey fans entertained after historic season
By Jason Fridge, edited by Charles Hamaker
Northgate, WA - The word of the day at Kraken Community Iceplex was competition. As the echoing sounds of whistles and crashes filled the air, everyone on the ice seemed to be on the same page. Whether it was pushups, laps, or pride on the line, everyone was lacing up the skates Sunday morning with the intent to prove why they belonged in the newest hockey hotbed of the NHL on the first day of development camp.
Fresh off of their first Stanley Cup playoff run in franchise history, the Seattle Kraken opened up offseason activities with their third annual development camp for new and returning prospects. The 35 invitees suited up for camp are hoping to seize their opportunity and live out the dream of making an NHL roster. In front of hundreds of fans eager for an escape from the mid-summer sun, the team got right back to business pushing the pace with lots of transition and competition drills to let the youth energy shine on the ice.
Part of the excitement of preseason training comes with the first chance to see members of the 2023 draft class in Kraken colors. The first day of camp consisted of two sessions separating the prospects into Red and Blue groups that will eventually matchup in a three on three scrimmage later, on Wednesday July 5th. After seeing the success of previous development camp star Matty Berniers, who took home the Calder Memorial Trophy for rookie of the year this past season, Kraken fans had their notebooks out looking for who could be the next breakout star or diamond in the rough.
Setting the tone early
As players took the ice and fans settled into the stands, the coaching staff brought energy to the arena by starting in a fast paced three-on-three drill at center ice. The tight quarters and constant action was well received by the Kraken faithful in attendance, whose cheers served to ease the nerves of newcomers to the Pacific Northwest hockey scene.
The group then moved onto what would be a massive focus throughout the session, pushing the puck up the ice in transition and sparking offense through the neutral zone. In the Red group, Jagger Firkus not only drew attention from fans because of the 19 year-olds stunning mustache, but the Moose Jaw product was filling up the net and setting up his teammates well in three man breaks. Coming off of a career year for the Warriors and making his first appearance with the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the postseason, the 2022 second-round pick was all over the ice making noise.
Both the Red and Blue sessions had the same outline and switched gears with a shootout after the first round of full ice transition work. The teams, separated by white and blue jerseys, were given a spotlight to send out their best shooter and compete with a punishment on the line.
The Red group saw both the white and blue shooters denied by the goalkeepers in net resulting in two laps around the arena for both squads, but the blue group did not disappoint.
Ryan Winterton and Ty Nelson traded smooth finishes one-on-one to keep the shootout even before Justin Janicke lined up and gave the white team a lead with a stick side rocket. With the crowd locked in, Victor Ostman got them roaring with a firm glove save that put the blue team on the line for a board-to-board sprint. The Swedish prospect was invited to camp and stood tall in goal against some of the most talented shooters in his group.
Janicke not only secured the shootout winning goal for his team, but he made a lot of heads turn as the group switched into even and odd man break situations. The 2021 seventh-round pick out of Notre Dame had great poise with the puck and showed off his powerful finishing ability throughout most of the drills on the day.
The player that all cameras followed in the blue group was 2023 first-round pick Eduard Sale. The 18 year-old forward is the first Czech draftee in franchise history and coming off a silver medal finish for Czechia at the 2023 IIHF U20 World Junior Championships. Sale impressed the crowd flying around the ice and working very well as a feeder being unselfish on the break while showing off slick stick skills in tight around the goal.
All whilst competing on the ice, through the good and the bad, Sale had a massive smile across his face. Sale is expected to spend the 2023-2024 season with the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League, but his attitude around the ice was matched by fellow players and coaches. Everyone was taking the time to enjoy the opportunity to get back to work and continue building the franchise as a strong contender for the Stanley Cup.
Developing more than just the players
One of the more unique highlights of this year's Kraken development camp was the inclusion of two guest coaches to create a more diverse landscape for bench staffs across the league. Katelyn Parker and Lennie Childs are key new additions to the development camp involved with the female and BIPOC coaches development program through the NHL Coaches Association. Both of these initiatives aim to support building new coaches in skills development, leadership strategies, communication tactics, networking, and career advancement.
Parker grew up in Bellingham, WA and spent her college career in New York playing at Colgate University. A team captain during her time as a Raider, she moved behind the bench as a coach at Brown for two seasons and most recently was with the University of Connecticut (UConn) Women’s Hockey team. Parker is the Player Development Coach within the franchise while also serving as the Girl’s Hockey Ambassador for the Pacific Northwest Amateur Hockey Association.
For Childs, he spent his early playing days competing with Team Maryland before spending two years playing Junior Hockey for the Janesville Jets of the NAHL. He played collegiately at Concordia University in Wisconsin where he served as an Assistant Captain for the 2013-14 season. Childs has experience coaching in the NAHL, USPHL, USHL, and most recently was the assistant coach for Union College’s men’s hockey team. At the time of his hire in August 2022, Childs was the third active black men’s assistant coach in NCAA Division I hockey.
To the attentive fan, both Childs and Parker bring an aura of excitement that echoes how most of the Kraken faithful feel moving forward from a historic 2022-23 season. The duo can be noticed all around the ice assisting in the flow of practice and even having their own fun in between sessions working with the goalies. As they embark on their own journey soaking up as much information as they can about operating a team from behind the bench, it is a reminder that this time of year is about more than just the top names in the draft.
The offseason is a time for everyone to learn and grow, and the July heat can’t stop Seattle hockey fans from feeling the buzz of season three on the horizon with more expectations to be surpassed. While the next few days of development camp are behind closed doors, the final day on July 5th is open to the public as the Kraken will host a scrimmage and will grill out on the Kraken Community Iceplex park afterwards.
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Cover photo by Ken Lambert