BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – Former Hartford Whaler great and now Seattle Kraken General Manager Ron Francis has designed the first team, and they will skate at the Climate Pledge Arena in October.
The NHL put on a show as they announced the draft selection process for the new franchise. On the banks of the Seattle, with Puget Sound as the backdrop, a beautiful summer day saw special guests and Francis announce each selection as to who the first 31 players will be to don both the home and away Seattle jersey.
THE PICKS
Veteran Mark Giordano of the Calgary Flames was chosen, and there is already talk he will wear the first C in team history. The only major surprise was that Montreal Canadiens’ future Hall-of-Famer, goaltender Carey Price, didn’t occur. However, former Hershey Bears standout goalie Vitek Vanecek of the Washington Capitals was taken.
The Kraken also selected Yanni Gourde from the two-time and current Stanley Cup champion, Tampa Bay Lightning. The New York Islanders lost forward Jordan Eberle, and the New York Rangers saw the reliable, hard-working Colin Blackwell head out west.
CONNECTICUT CONNECTIONS
The selections with Connecticut connections include Kurtis MacDermid, who was picked from the Los Angeles Kings. The 6’5, 238lb left-winger will provide the necessary team muscle. MacDermid is the son of former Hartford Whaler, Paul MacDermid.
Two-way winger, Calle Jarnkrock, the cousin of former New Haven Nighthawk, Mikael Lindholm, was taken.
The Fleury brothers, Cale (Montreal) and Haydn (Anaheim Ducks), were the first brothers taken in the same expansion draft and by the same team in NHL history. They’re just the second set of brothers taken in the 54-year history of the NHL expansion draft. The first pair was West Haven resident Gord Smith and his brother, four-time Stanley Cup-winning goaltender with the Islanders, Billy Smith.
FIRST GAME ANNOUNCED
The Kraken also announced their first home game on October 23rd against the Vancouver Canucks, creating an instant rival given that Vancouver is a two-and-a-half-hour drive up I-5. The Canadian border remains closed until August 9th.
While the event was beautifully staged and the weather cooperated, ESPN2’s national broadcast was very flawed.
FLAWED BROADCAST
There was signal interference that was not corrected during the entire 90-minute show. Host Chris Fowler was poorly prepared, and his lack of hockey knowledge was on display. It would have been a better broadcast had the TV voice of the Kraken, former Hartford Whaler/Carolina Hurricane, and Springfield Indians announcer John Forslund would have been a far better choice to be on the stage with ex-Hartford Wolf Pack/New York Ranger Dominic Moore.
Many of the pieces aired during the show’s selections, especially the one shot at the Seattle Aquarium, were greatly overproduced. The pronunciation of many of the names were brutalized by several presenters.
Lastly, one of the team’s owners, Jerry Bruckheimer, came out without wearing any Kraken gear. Not a good look.
Up next for the NHL is the Amateur Draft on Friday at 8 PM. The show will air Round 1 on ESPN2. It will also air on the NHL Network on Saturday starting at 11 AM.
OTHER NEWS AND MOVEMENTS
Ex-New Haven Nighthawk Mark Morrison, released from the Anaheim Ducks, was named the new head coach for the AHL Manitoba Moose.
The Canadiens named their new AHL head coach keeping it in the Canadiens family with the hire of Jean-François Houle, the son of ex-Habs player and GM in the mid-1990s, Réjean Houle, was named the new Laval Rocket head coach. He was an assistant with the Bakersfield Condors for the last three years.
The Canadiens named former Springfield Falcon Trevor Letowski, a long-time coach with the Windsor Spitfires (OHL), as their new assistant coach.
Former Laval assistant coach, Daniel Jacob, follows former Laval head coach ex-Wolf Pack/Bridgeport Sound Tiger Joël Bouchard to the San Diego Gulls. He also worked for Bouchard at Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL).
MORE MOVES
Several more AHL players sign in Europe.
Defenseman Janis Jaks, who played for Houle in Bakersfield, signs with HK Sochi (Russia-KHL). Meanwhile, Nick Baptiste leaves the Texas Stars and signs with Ilves Tampere (Finland-FEL), making 47 AHL’ers who signed contracts to play in Europe. As a result, 22 of the 31 AHL teams have lost at least one player.
The Reading Royals (ECHL) are back in action this year. They announced two signings. Former UCONN defenseman David Drake and former Yale Bulldog Frank DiChiara played with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (ECHL) last season. Drake sat out last year.
Grant Jozefek departs Northeastern (HE) and signs with the Worcester Railers (ECHL). That signing makes 24 players from Hockey East to sign pro deals. In addition, 77 Division-I players and 110 total college players from D-I and D-III have signed contracts in North America and Europe.
TRANSFERS
Junior Aidan Spellacy leaves the canceled Robert Morris University Colonials (AHA) program and heads to the St. Cloud St. Huskies (NCHC). He is the 63rd player to transfer from one school to another.
The new Division-III college program, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton King’s College (UCHC), got two commits, Jimmy Drevage (Danbury-NA3HL) and Michael Carducci (CT Jr. Rangers USPHL-Premier).
