Kraken fire coach Dan Bylsma after one season

NHL: Seattle Kraken at San Jose SharksNov 29, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; Seattle Kraken head coach Dan Bylsma watches the play against the San Jose Sharks during the third period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

The Seattle Kraken fired head coach Dan Bylsma on Monday after one season on the job.

In addition, Kraken general manager Ron Francis will transition to a new role as team president and assistant GM Jason Botterill will be elevated to general manager, The Athletic reported.

Bylsma, 54, spent two seasons as the coach of the Kraken’s AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, before being promoted to lead the NHL club in May 2024 when Dave Hakstol was let go.

“We thank Dan for his commitment and the energy he brought to our organization over the past four years at the NHL and AHL levels,” Francis said in a release. “After a thorough review of the season and our expectations for next year and beyond, we’ve made the difficult decision to move in a different direction behind the bench. Dan is a great person and a respected coach. He played an important role in the development of many of our young prospects and was a big part of our early success in Coachella Valley. We sincerely wish him and his family nothing but success moving forward.”

Bylsma was best known for taking over the Pittsburgh Penguins midway through the 2008-09 season and guiding them to the 2009 Stanley Cup.

In his lone season at the helm in Seattle, the Kraken went 35-41-6 and missed the playoffs. In parts of nine seasons with the Penguins (2008-14), Buffalo Sabres (2015-17) and Kraken, Bylsma has a 355-231-61 record as a head coach.

Francis, 62, was a Hockey Hall of Fame inductee as a player and was named the expansion Kraken’s first general manager in 2019 after spending time as an executive with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Botterill, 48, served as the general manager of the Sabres from 2017-20. He had worked in Seattle’s front office since January 2021.

–Field Level Media

Related Posts

Knicks Fans Are Partying Like It’s 2000, and the Pacers Are Next on the Hit List

Flashbacks flooded Friday’s broadcast of Game 6 of an Eastern Conference semifinal between the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks, longtime rivals with decidedly polar pedigrees over the past quarter-century….

Read more

Edmonton Oilers Are Built to End Canada’s Stanley Cup Hangover and They Know It

Oil Canada. This season’s Edmonton Oilers have proven to be the best hope to end the Great White North’s Stanley Cup drought. As of now, three of the six squads…

Read more

Dodgers pumped to celebrate ‘Kershaw Day’ against Angels

Oklahoma City’s Clayton Kershaw (22) throws a pitch during the minor league baseball between the Oklahoma City Comets and the Tacoma Rainers a the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City,…

Read more

Zac Gallen, Diamondbacks look to top Rockies

May 11, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen (23) throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images…

Read more

Emerson Hancock, Mariners aim for series win against Padres

Apr 30, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starter Emerson Hancock (26) delivers a pitch during the third inning against the Los Angeles Angels at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen…

Read more

Giants ride momentum of Wilmer Flores’ big night into clash vs. A’s

May 16, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants first baseman Wilmer Flores (41) flashes a heart gesture to someone in the stands after running out his third home…

Read more

Leave a Reply