Let's get Kraken, Seattle.
The NHL's newest franchise hits the ice for its inaugural season's opener on Tuesday night against the Golden Knights. Tons of questions abound for this club based out of the Pacific Northwest, none bigger than, "How will they do?" Will they be like the expansion teams of old who struggle night in and night out? Or will they take after their first opponent, Vegas, and make a deep Stanley Cup run?
Here's everything you need to know about the Kraken.
NHL 2021-22: Top 10 defensemen | Top 10 goalies | Top 10 forwards | Top 25 under 25
When is the Kraken's first NHL game?
- Date: Tuesday, Oct. 12 (vs. Lightning)
- Time: 10 p.m. ET
- TV channel: ESPN (U.S.) | SN, TVAS (Canada)
- Stream: ESPN+ (U.S.) | fuboTV | SN NOW (Canada)
In the night capper for the NHL's return to ESPN, the Golden Knights will host the Kraken in their first ever game. John Buccigross will take care of play-by-play duties, while Brian Boucher will serve as an analyst. AJ Mleczko will act as rinkside reporter, and Linda Cohn and Kevin Weekes will be in studio.
When is the Kraken's home opener?
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 23 (vs. Canucks)
- Time: 10 p.m. ET
- In the U.S.: ESPN+, Hulu, fuboTV
- In Canada: CBC, SN1, CITY, TVAS2
The NHL's next great rivalry gets underway at Climate Pledge Arena as these teams, separated by just 142 miles, go toe-to-toe.
Who is the Kraken's captain?
They may be a young franchise, but the team has one of the strongest leadership groups in the league. Mark Giordano, the ex-Flames captain, has been handed the first "C" in team history. He'll have Jordan Eberle, Yanni Gourde, Adam Larsson and Jaden Schwartz as alternate captains.
Seattle Kraken 2021-22 roster
Here is the Kraken's opening day 23-man roster:
| PLAYER | POS | 2021 NHL TEAM | HOW ADDED |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mason Appleton | F | Jets | Expansion draft |
| Alex Barre-Boulet | F | Lightning | Waivers |
| Nathan Bastian | F | Devils | Expansion draft |
| Ryan Donato | F | Sharks | Free agency |
| Jordan Eberle | F | Islanders | Expansion draft |
| Morgan Geekie | F | Hurricanes | Expansion draft |
| Marcus Johansson | F | Wild | Free agency |
| Kole Lind | F | Canucks | Expansion draft |
| Jaden Schwartz | F | Blues | Free agency |
| Riley Sheahan | F | Sabres | Free agency |
| Brandon Tanev | F | Penguins | Expansion draft |
| Alexander Wennberg | F | Panthers | Free agency |
| Alexander True | F | Sharks | Expansion draft |
| Will Borgen | D | Sabres | Expansion draft |
| Dennis Cholowski | D | Red Wings | Expansion draft |
| Vince Dunn | D | Blues | Expansion draft |
| Haydn Fleury | D | Ducks | Expansion draft |
| Mark Giordano | D | Flames | Expansion draft |
| Adam Larsson | D | Oilers | Expansion draft |
| Jeremy Lauzon | D | Bruins | Expansion draft |
| Carson Soucy | D | Wild | Expansion draft |
| Chris Driedger | G | Panthers | Expansion draft |
| Philipp Grubauer | G | Avalanche | Free agency |
The following players are on the injured and/or non-roster list:
| PLAYER | POS | 2021 NHL TEAM | HOW ADDED |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colin Blackwell | F | Rangers | Expansion draft |
| Joonas Donskoi* | F | Avalanche | Expansion draft |
| Yanni Gourde | F | Lightning | Expansion draft |
| Calle Jarnkrok* | F | Penguins | Expansion draft |
| Jared McCann* | F | Maple Leafs | Expansion draft |
| Jamie Oleksiak* | D | Stars | Expansion draft |
*In COVID-19 protocol.