Seattle Kraken Announce Assistant Coaching Hires
The Seattle Kraken are no longer one of the few remaining teams with numerous vacancies on their coaching staff. The Kraken announced they’ve hired Aaron Schneekloth and Chris Taylor as assistant coaches, and Colin Zulianello as the team’s new goaltending coach.
Schneekloth’s hiring comes with little surprise, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman linked him to the Kraken’s assistant coaching vacancy a few days ago. Schneekloth was serving as the head coach of the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, taking over as the main bench boss upon Greg Cronin‘s departure after the 2022-23 campaign. He coached the Eagles to an 83-46-10-5 record over two years, guiding the team to become regular season champions of the Pacific Division and advancing to the Division Finals in the Calder Cup playoffs.
Unlike Schneekloth, Taylor won’t be a rookie coach at the NHL level. After spending eight years as the assistant coach and head coach of the AHL’s Rochester Americans, Taylor was hired by the New Jersey Devils as an assistant coach ahead of the 2020-21 season under then-head coach, Lindy Ruff. Taylor survived New Jersey’s transition from Ruff to Travis Green, and then from Green to Sheldon Keefe.
Ultimately, the Kraken decided to hire their next goaltending coach from within the organization. Zulianello has been in the same role for the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds for the last three years. He had plenty of experience with Seattle’s current starting netminder, Joey Daccord, from the 2022-23 season, and aided in the Firebirds allowing fewer than 200 goals against in two out of his three years as the team’s goaltending coach.
Kraken Linked To Aaron Schneekloth For Assistant Coach Vacancy
The Kraken are aiming to hire AHL Colorado head coach Aaron Schneekloth to fill one of their assistant coach vacancies, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on Sunday’s 32 Thoughts podcast.
Schneekloth, 46, has a 12-year coaching career spent exclusively with the Colorado Eagles club, dating back to their days as the ECHL affiliate of the Jets and Flames from 2013-14 to 2015-16. He started as an assistant coach but was promoted to head coach when the Eagles affiliated with the Avs beginning in 2016-17. He stayed on staff when the Eagles were promoted from the ECHL to the AHL for the 2018-19 season to accommodate the NHL’s expansion to Vegas, but was demoted back to an assistant role under Greg Cronin, whom the Avs hired that offseason to serve as their new minor-league bench boss.
When Cronin left Colorado in the 2023 offseason to accept the Ducks’ head coaching position, the Avs offered the internal promotion to Schneekloth. The Eagles have remained one of the AHL’s premier clubs under his watch, posting an 83-46-15 record over the last two seasons. They won the Pacific Division regular-season title for the first time since their promotion from the ECHL. However, they were eliminated in the Calder Cup Playoffs by the Abbotsford Canucks in the Division Final.
Under Schneekloth, the Eagles also won back-to-back Kelly Cups during his two seasons at the helm in the ECHL. The Calgary native has been with the organization since his playing days as a defenseman, first joining them in 2006 when they played in the now-defunct Central Hockey League. He never reached the NHL level and only got a cup of coffee in the AHL early in his career but was an elite offensive presence in the lower-level minors, including two seasons over a point per game for the Eagles and a 20-goal, 62-point campaign in 72 games in their first season in the ECHL en route to being named the league’s Defenseman of the Year. He also won a Central Hockey League championship with the Eagles in 2007 and an NCAA national title with North Dakota in 2000.
Seattle has two assistant coach vacancies they’re looking to fill. After installing Lane Lambert as their new head coach, they announced Dave Lowry and, later, Bob Woods, would not be returning to Lambert’s staff. Goalie coach Steve Briere was fired alongside Lowry as well, so only assistant coach Jessica Campbell is returning from last year’s coaching group.
Kraken Fire Assistant Coach Bob Woods
As the Seattle Kraken continue to retool their coaching staff, the team announced today that they have relieved assistant coach Bob Woods of his duties after just one season with the organization.
General manager Jason Botterill said, “As Lane Lambert continues to evaluate the coaching staff, we have made the decision to relieve Bob Woods of his duties. We appreciate all of Bob’s hard work and dedication to the Kraken and wish him luck going forward.”
Woods was hired by the team last July to serve as a veteran support for then-head coach Dan Bylsma. However, following a disappointing season in which the Kraken finished with a 35–41–6 record, placing seventh in the Pacific Division, Bylsma was fired. In his place, the Kraken recently hired Lane Lambert, who will likely seek to add a coach who shares his defensive philosophies.
Woods, who was added to Bylsma’s staff last year to help coach the defensive unit, has a history of success working with notable defensemen such as John Carlson, Ryan Suter, and Jared Spurgeon over his coaching career. However, Seattle’s defense struggled last season, allowing 265 goals, one of the highest totals in the Western Conference.
Woods began his coaching career in 1998 as a player/coach in the ECHL, and also spent time coaching in the AHL, where he won the 2009 Calder Cup as head coach of the Hershey Bears. As an assistant in the NHL, Woods has spent time with the Washington Capitals, Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres, and Minnesota Wild, in addition to his year with the Kraken.
Kraken Fire Coaches Dave Lowry And Steve Briere
New Seattle Kraken head coach Lane Lambert is taking time to reevaluate the team’s coaching staff. As such, the Kraken have relieved assistant coach Dave Lowry and goalie coach Steve Briere of their duties with the club. It appears Seattle will retain Jessica Campbell and Bob Woods as assistant coaches, and will move forward looking to fill only two vacancies behind the bench. Both Lowry and Briere joined the Kraken in the 2022-23 season.
Briere moved to Seattle after serving seven seasons as the Toronto Maple Leafs’ goalie coach. He oversaw the most consistent stretch in Toronto’s net in recent memory, presiding over Frederik Andersen in all four of his full seasons as the Leafs’ starter. Andersen fell to injury and only played 24 games in the 2020-21 campaign, opening the door for Jack Campbell to win over the starting role. But after a breakout performance in his spot starts, Campbell quickly began to cede starts to Petr Mrazek, Erik Kallgren, and Joseph Woll in the 2021-22 season. The Maple Leafs let both Campbell and Briere walk to free agency in the following summer.
Briere has since supported Joey Daccord‘s takeover of Seattle’s starting role. The Kraken were led by
Martin Jones and Philipp Grubauer in Briere’s first season, but Daccord was able to overcome both veterans last year. He cemented his role with multiple strong performances, and finished the year with a stout 19-18-11 record and .916 save percentage. His save percentage slipped to a .906 this year, but he grew his record to 27-23-5, while appearing in seven games. Now, Daccord will look to play his first 60-game season under the guidance of a new coach.
Lowry’s path to Seattle was much less linear. He was once a prominent NHL winger who earned 19 seasons in the league on the back of hefty and physical hockey. En route to a career that spanned 1,084 games, Lowry spent time with the Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, Florida Panthers, San Jose Sharks, and ultimately ended his career with the Calgary Flames. He stuck around Calgary in the years after retiring, and wound up as the head coach of the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen in the 2008-09 season. In what was his first notable head coaching role, Lowry took a Hitmen roster led by Martin Jones to the WHL Championship, only to lose out to the Kelowna Rockets.
The run to a championship series earned Lowry a reunion with the Flames in the following year. He spent the next three seasons as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Calgary, only to return to the WHL as the head coach of the Victoria Royals in 2012-13. Lowry was again a playoff mainstay in Victoria, though he wasn’t able to push the roster past the second round of the playoffs. He spent five years in Victoria, only to return to the NHL in 2017 for two seasons as an assistant with the Los Angeles Kings. Again finding little success, Lowry returned to the WHL to coach the 2019-20 Brandon Wheat Kings team that ultimately missed the postseason. He’s been back in the NHL ever since that missed performance.
Now, Lowry once again finds himself looking for new work. He’ll seemingly have NHL and WHL roles to choose from moving forward, with little more than personal preference guiding his preference for one league or the other. Lowry has been a prominent NHL name since the 1985 season, and should find ample work wherever he moves to next.
Photo courtesy of Carey Lauder-USA TODAY Sports
Biro Expected To Sign In KHL
- Pending Kraken UFA forward Brandon Biro is expected to sign with KHL Vityaz, relays Mikhail Zislis of Sport-Express. The 27-year-old signed with Seattle in free agency last summer after seeing just five NHL games with Buffalo. However, Biro didn’t see any time at the top level this season, instead collecting just six goals and 28 assists in 54 games with AHL Coachella Valley.
Kraken Sign Ben Meyers To One-Year Extension
The Seattle Kraken have announced a one-year extension for forward Ben Meyers. The contract will be one-way and carry a league-minimum salary of $775K. This deal is identical to Meyers’ last two contracts. He was previously set to expire as a Group-Six unrestricted free agent this season, with arbitration eligibility.
Meyers found a strong stride in the minor leagues this season. He led the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds in scoring with 51 points in 57 games – a hardy improvement over the 25 points he scored in 32 games last season. Meyers also appeared in eight games with Seattle this year, but didn’t record any scoring. The stint with the Kraken nonetheless continued his search for a hardy NHL role, which has spanned three clubs and four seasons. He signed his first pro deal with the Colorado Avalanche at the end of the 2021-22 campaign, and joined the NHL ranks part-time in the 2022-23 season. But despite strong scoring in the minors – 24 points in 30 games – and 39 games at the NHL level, Meyers was only able to contribute four goals to the Avalanche’s effort.
Colorado continued to supply Meyers opportunity through 2023-24, but he wasn’t able to stick as more than a top-end minor-leaguer. That prompted a move to the Anaheim Ducks partway through the year, where he added two assists in 14 more NHL games. In total, Meyers has appeared in 75 NHL games through his career, but only managed eight points.
The winds could soon be shifting, though – evidenced by his starring role with the Firebirds this season. Seattle seems confident that he’ll be an impact player somewhere throughout the organization, and reward him with a one-way deal as a result. Next season will mark a chance for Meyers to return to the star role in Coachella Valley, and hopefully find his first score as a member of the Kraken.
Kraken Sign Kaden Hammell To Entry-Level Contract
With today being the signing deadline for several prospects across the NHL, the Kraken got in a signing just before the 4 PM CT deadline. Seattle has signed defenseman Kaden Hammell to a three-year, entry-level contract, relays Curtis Crabtree of Fox 13 Seattle (Twitter link).
The 20-year-old was drafted in the fifth round back in 2023, going 148th overall. Hammell was not a big point producer throughout the bulk of his WHL career but he saved his best performance for last. He played in 59 regular season games with Everett this season, notching 10 goals and 28 assists before following that up with 13 points in as many outings in the playoffs which might have been enough to get this contract.
Hammell is eligible to return to junior for an overage season where he’d likely play a top role with the Silvertips. Alternatively, Seattle could elect to start him in the minors, either with AHL Coachella Valley or ECHL Kansas City, allowing him to get a start on his professional career. With the Kraken signing Andrei Loshko back in April, they didn’t lose the rights to any prospects at today’s deadline.
Luke Richardson Had Interest In Kraken Head Coaching Role
- Although the Seattle Kraken ultimately hired Lane Lambert as their next head coach, the team reportedly garnered interest from the Chicago Blackhawks’ former bench boss. Bill Meltzer, a contributor for the Philadelphia Flyers, reported that Luke Richardson expressed interest in the coaching vacancy in Seattle, but it is unclear whether he secured an interview. The Boston Bruins’ and Pittsburgh Penguins’ vacancies are the only two remaining for Richardson, and there’s no belief he’s a frontrunner for either.
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Seattle Kraken Sign Josh Mahura To Two-Year Contract
The Seattle Kraken announced they’ve signed defenseman Josh Mahura to a two-year contract through the 2026-27 NHL season. The announcement indicated that Mahura will earn an AAV of $907.5K during the contract, meaning the total deal will be for $1.815MM.
Mahura recently wrapped up his first season with the Kraken. The former Anaheim Duck and Florida Panther became an unrestricted free agent last offseason after the Panthers denied an opportunity to qualify him, allowing him to sign with Seattle on the third day of the free agency period.
Still, he didn’t make the Kraken out of training camp. The team passed him through waivers on October 5th, shortly before the start of the 2024-25 season. Fortunately for the team, Mahura went through unclaimed, giving the Kraken some much-needed flexibility with his one-way contract.
Mahura only had to wait until the third game of the regular season to debut with Seattle, and he enjoyed another two extended stays on the roster after. The Kraken largely used him as a depth option, tallying nine assists in 64 games with a +5 rating while averaging 13:45 of ice time per night. It was Mahura’s highest games played total since 2022-23, when he scored four goals and 16 points in 82 games with Florida.
Seattle will enter the offseason with a largely intact defensive core, so Mahura should expect much of the same next season. He’s a quality option who can play on both sides of the blue line and can hold his own on the defensive side of the puck, as evidenced by his 91.7% on-ice save percentage at even strength.
Kraken Hire Lane Lambert As Head Coach
After a long search, the Kraken have found their new bench boss. The team announced that Lane Lambert has been hired as the third head coach in franchise history. GM Jason Botterill released the following statement:
After conducting an extensive search, we’re thrilled to announce Lane as our new head coach. We cast a wide net for suitable candidates. What impressed us throughout the interview process was Lane’s strategy and vision for this team. He was an integral part of the Capitals winning the Cup and the Islanders advancing to two straight Eastern Conference finals. We have full confidence in Lane to lead this team behind the bench.
Lambert will be taking over behind the bench from Dan Bylsma who was let go after just one year. He had previously replaced Dave Hakstol who served as the head coach for the franchise’s first three seasons. The hire shouldn’t come as too much surprise as earlier this week, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Lambert had emerged as the frontrunner for the position.
This will be Lambert’s second stint leading a team. The 60-year-old spent 127 games in charge of the Islanders but was let go partway through the 2023-24 season and replaced by Patrick Roy. Over that time, the Isles put up a 61-46-20 record while making the playoffs in 2022-23 where they lost in the first round.
The playoff success Botterill alludes to in his statement came when Lambert wasn’t in the top job. He spent four years with Washington as an assistant including 2018 when the Capitals won the Stanley Cup. Lambert followed Barry Trotz to the Islanders the following year while receiving a promotion to associate coach; their two Eastern Conference Final appearances came while he was in that role. This past season, Lambert was an associate coach with Toronto who now has an opening to fill on their staff.
Lambert will now be tasked with turning around a Kraken team that impressed considerably in its sophomore season when they amassed 100 points in the regular season but has struggled since, putting up 81 and 76 over the last two. One area of focus will undoubtedly be on the back end as they went from allowing the eighth-fewest goals in 2023-24 to 24th in that category this season while their possession game took a big hit as well.
With this hiring, there are now just two head coach vacancies remaining across the NHL: Pittsburgh and Boston. The belief is that the Penguins are looking to finalize a hire before the end of the month while the Bruins have been whittling down their shortlist in recent days as well so it may not be much longer before all 32 spots are spoken for.
Photo courtesy of Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports.