5/23/2025
(SEATTLE, WA)
The search in finding the third head coach in Seattle Kraken history appears to be nearing an end. One month has past since the Seattle Kraken coaching vacancy opened since the firing of Dan Bylsma. Seattle is rumored to be inching their way to deciding on a new bench boss. Elliotte Friedman said Friday morning on Sportsnet’s 32 Thoughts Podcast the Kraken “are conducting in-person interviews” and “getting down to their final stages.”
New general manager Jason Botterill spoke to season ticket members in an online forum hosted by Ian Furness. Botterill said, “we have not offered the job to anybody at all yet. We feel very comfortable with our process.” Multiple coaches have filled other vacancies around the league. Notably, Mike Sullivan a two time cup champion with the Penguins quickly took the open head coaching position with the New York Rangers. Rick Tocchet formerly of the Vancouver Canucks and potential Kraken candidate took the job as head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers. Although some teams have found their leaders for next year, the Kraken seem to be narrowing their search to having their bench boss.
Here are some of the contenders for the Kraken Head Coaching vacancy.
Mitch Love
There is plenty of intrigue with the Washington Capitals assistant coach to heading to the Pacific Northwest. Love is the only Everett Silvertip to have his number retired, where he was the engineer to a deep playoff run to the WHL Final in their inaugural season in 2004. Love also served as an assistant coach in Everett from 2011-2018. The Capitals with Love as assistant finished with the best regular season record in the Eastern Conference. Love is a top candidate for many teams around the league, but his connections to the northwest with Everett add to his appeal.
Marco Sturm
Before Adam Foote was named head coach of the Vancouver Canucks, Sturm was one of the leading contenders for the position. He currently is the bench boss for the Los Angeles Kings AHL affiliate Ontario Reign, having had experience as the Kings’ assistant position from 2018-22. The Reign finished as one of the top teams in the Pacific division this past season. Sturm was well traveled as a player most notably playing for the San Jose Sharks and Boston Bruins. A name hotly in contention for other jobs, Sturm is a name that is viable contender to lead another team on the West Coast.
David Quinn
Seeing hockey from many different landscapes is something very familiar for David Quinn. USA Hockey has seen a lot of David Quinn from being a developmental coach in the mid 2000s to head coach of America’s Olympic Team in 2022. He has had success in college hockey. Boston University won a national championship with Quinn as an assistant in 2009 and were runners up with him as head coach in 2015. Quinn has NHL head coaching experience with the New York Rangers (2018-21) and the San Jose Sharks (2022-24) Quinn served this past season as an assistant on the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Don Granato
The resume of Granato serves as a contender for the position. Although he does not have direct NHL Head Coaching experience, his background in hockey is apparent. A brother of Tony and Cammi Granato, Don’s experience includes being the associate head coach of the Buffalo Sabres when current Kraken GM Jason Botterill was general manager in Buffalo. Granato served as Buffalo’s head coach from 2020-2024. With hockey being a way of life in the Granato household, and his ties with current GM Jason Botterill, it would not be a surprise to see Granato not only wind up with the job, but also thrive in Seattle.
Lane Lambert
A disciple of the Barry Trotz regimes in Washington and the New York Islanders, Lambert’s recent head coaching experience includes a stint that lasted less than two seasons with the New York Islanders. Lambert’s assistant coaching experience carries a number of accolades. Lambert was an assistant on the 2018 Stanley Cup winning Washington Capitals staff. Recently, Lambert assisted on the Toronto Maple Leafs coaching staff who won a division title for the first time in 25 seasons. The Maple Leafs recently granted the Kraken the ability to speak to Lambert.
Other Candidates?
Under the radar coaches in the search include several well traveled names. Former Stanley Cup winning head coach Peter Laviolette is name that remains on the market. The same can be said for Gerard Gallant, who led the Vegas Golden Knights in their inaugural season to the Stanley Cup Final. Jay Woodcroft who led the Edmonton Oilers to the deep playoffs his first years with Edmonton also remains a free agent.
How Soon?
With plenty of head coaching vacancies around the league starting to fill up, it seems to only be a matter of time before the Kraken find their head coach. With the 2025 NHL Entry Draft over a month away, there would not be a surprise if Seattle makes a move shortly.
Stay tuned to ESN for continued coverage on the Seattle Kraken coaching search.
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