In this edition of Seattle Kraken News & Rumors, I’ll discuss the first-ever Kraken training camp roster, record-breaking success of the team’s jersey sales, and Philipp Grubauer and Jordan Eberle’s experience at the NHL Media Tour. With the NHL’s 32nd franchise just four days away from its preseason debut against the Vancouver Canucks, Seattle is preparing to welcome home its first team to compete for the Stanley Cup since the Seattle Metropolitans, the first American team to win hockey’s most prized possession.
Kraken Announce Inaugural Training Camp Roster
The puck drops for the first training camp in Kraken history on Thursday. It will mark the first time the NHL’s newest team hits the ice with players and coaching staff altogether. In total, 26 forwards, 13 defensemen and five goaltenders will be in attendance. Members of “The Depths” fan membership program are eligible to purchase tickets with proof of COVID-19 vaccination for all guests over the age of 12. The camp will run from Sept. 23 to Oct. 11, including six preseason matches within that time frame.
Training camp will provide Kraken fans with their first real look at the team’s inaugural roster. The wait to see fan favourites, including Grubauer, Eberle, Jaden Schwartz, Brandon Tanev, Jamie Oleksiak and many others, build on-ice chemistry is nearly over. It will be especially interesting to see how head coach Dave Hakstol runs his first camp in Seattle as he looks to build four competitive forward lines and three strong defensive pairings to represent the Kraken in their season opener at the Vegas Golden Knights on Oct. 12. The goaltending tandem of Grubauer and Chris Driedger is pretty much set in stone, but keep an eye on goalie prospect Joey Daccord as he looks to prove himself worthy of the third-string spot in hopes of someday playing in Seattle full time.
Kraken Setting NHL Records for Team Jersey Sales
According to an article by ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, the Kraken’s jersey sales “are the highest in league history for a newly released jersey in its first five days of availability.” In fact, the team was the top-selling franchise among all major sports league stores for the first 24 hours of its jersey release. Among the most popular player jerseys sold are goaltender Grubauer, forwards Tanev and Eberle, and defenseman Jamie Oleksiak.
“Vegas set a pretty high bar,” said NHL chief brand officer Brian Jennings to ESPN, in reference to the Golden Knights’ jersey release in 2017. “The Kraken are blowing through it, hourly. It’s a hot market right now.”
After a five-day exclusive window for Kraken jerseys to be sold at in-person and online team stores, they will also be available for purchase at other retail locations as of Wednesday. Clearly, the city of Seattle is extremely excited for professional hockey’s return to the Pacific Northwest. Expect Climate Pledge Arena to be filled with deep sea blue when the Kraken hit the ice for their home opener against the Canucks on Oct. 23.
Last week, Grubauer and Eberle represented the Kraken at the NHL Media Tour in Chicago. The pair participated in photo and video shoots, interviews, and even played some EA Sports NHL 22 during their time in the Windy City. Content created during the two-day event will be used across various NHL broadcast and media platforms throughout the season, including new TV partners ESPN and Turner Sports.
Now that the event is finished, Grubauer and Eberle are back in Seattle preparing for training camp. NHL Media Tour wasn’t their last day in front of cameras though, as the Kraken held its media day on Wednesday. With training camp starting up on Thursday, the Kraken goaltender and forward will surely be happy to get out of the flashing lights and put their focus back on the ice in preparation for their Seattle debuts.
The Kraken will host the Canucks in a preseason game at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena in Spokane, Washington, on Sunday at 6 p.m. PT as part of Seattle’s “3-Rink Rush” across Washington state. The team will have three full days of training camp prior to the highly-anticipated matchup.
Tom Pepper is a Seattle Kraken columnist and show host at The Hockey Writers. He joined THW in June 2020 and has been writing about the Kraken since June 2021. He also hosts the THW What’s Kraken show every week on iHeartRadio. Outside of THW, he is an undergraduate student at Ryerson University and covers U Sports hockey at the Eyeopener student newspaper. Follow him on Twitter at @TomPepper.