The Seattle Kraken in a press conference this morning, announced Dan Bylsma as the second head coach in team history.
Bylsma, who is the current head coach of the Kraken’s AHL affiliate Coachella Valley Firebirds, will finish out the remainder of the AHL playoffs with the Firebirds before beginning his time with the Kraken. The Firebirds are currently in the Calder Cup Conference Finals against the Milwaukee Admirals.
Bylsma in his press conference today mentioned the joy he found in coaching after his time in the American Hockey League, that has geared him for being the leader of the Kraken.
Bylsma brings a decorated hockey legacy to Seattle, which has seen success and its fair share of growth.
He spent his hockey playing days in the minor leagues, before he was offered a role with the AHL’s Cincinnati Mighty Ducks in 2004 and saw a stint assisting the New York Islanders a few years later.
Bylsma in 2008, became the bench boss of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. His stint with the AHL Penguins came to an end thanks to a callup to the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Amidst a struggling season, the Penguins fired head coach Michel Therrien and Bylsma was at the controls. Pittsburgh under Bylsma, made the Stanley Cup Final defeating Detroit in seven games.
Bylsma since then would vie to reach the same heights with the Penguins but would only make it as far as the conference finals in 2013 where they lost to the Boston Bruins.
After being relieved of his duties with the Penguins after the 2014 campaign, Bylsma would coach the Buffalo Sabres for two seasons before being relieved of his duties after two missed postseasons.
After being an assistant with the Detroit Red Wings, Bylsma looked to coaching at the AHL ranks, it was last season Bylsma took on the role as head coach of Coachella Valley with the Firebirds. In year one with the expansion Firebirds, Bylsma took Coachella Valley to the Calder Cup Final where they lost in overtime in game 7 against the Hershey Bears.
The hire of Bylsma is one that makes sense for the Kraken. With plenty of budding stars in the likes of Shane Wright, Logan Morrison, Tye Kartye, Ryker Evans, and Logan Winterton having been coached by Bylsma in Coachella, the young talent have an opportunity to grow and flourish with a familiar head coach behind the bench. For Seattle the future is now with a Cup winning coach hoping to etch his name again on Lord Stanley’s Cup.
