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SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Kraken fired coach Dave Hakstol on Monday after the third-year franchise took a major step again following a playoff look of their second season.
Hakstol was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award as coach of the yr final season as Seattle completed with 100 factors and reached the Western Convention semifinals in its second yr.
However the Kraken didn’t match expectations this season and spent many of the yr making an attempt to climb again into playoff rivalry after a horrible begin, and didn’t construct on the success of that playoff run. Seattle completed tied for fifth within the Pacific Division after going 34-35-13 with 81 factors, and was formally eradicated from playoff rivalry with two weeks left within the common season.
Hakstol went 107-112-27 in his three seasons in control of the Kraken.
Seattle normal supervisor Ron Francis hinted that adjustments might be coming lower than per week after the season ended. Given the prospect to substantiate Hakstol would get a fourth season, Francis as a substitute hedged and stated a assessment was underway to investigate all the teaching employees.
Every week later, Hakstol was out.
“I thank Dave for his exhausting work and dedication to the Kraken franchise,” Francis stated in an announcement. “Following our end-of-the-season assessment, we have now determined to make a change at our head coach place. These selections are by no means straightforward, however we really feel this can be a crucial step to assist guarantee our group continues to enhance and evolve.
Francis additionally stated assistant coach Paul McFarland wouldn’t return.
Hakstol was rewarded with a two-year extension after final season when Seattle reached the second spherical of the playoffs and stored Hakstol beneath contract via the 2025-26 season. However Seattle was unable to take care of the model of play that led to its success final season and couldn’t overcome vital accidents to Andre Burakovsky, Brandon Tanev and Philipp Grubauer early within the season. Seattle additionally performed many of the ultimate portion of the season with out prime defenseman Vince Dunn as a result of neck harm.
Seattle began this season 8-14-7 together with an eight-game shedding streak, earlier than a giant turnaround in late December and January that pushed the Kraken again into the playoff dialog. However the Kraken went simply 13-16-3 after the All-Star break and a painful additional time loss at dwelling to Vegas on March 12 introduced an finish to any cheap playoff aspirations.
Scoring objectives was an issue that the Kraken couldn’t remedy all season. Seattle was twenty ninth within the league in objectives scored, twenty ninth in taking pictures proportion and 18th on the facility play, negating a season of robust protection and goaltending.
Hakstol was a shock alternative when Seattle employed him to be the primary coach in franchise historical past. His first stint as a coach within the NHL began robust in Philadelphia in 2015-16 with two playoff appearances in his first three seasons. Nevertheless it fell aside within the fourth season and he was fired 25 video games into that yr with the Flyers at 8-11-6 and simply 22 factors.
It was a tough inaugural season for Seattle because the group handled the expectations of making an attempt to match what Vegas did in its enlargement season whereas balancing COVID-19 restrictions that impacted a lot of that first season. Seattle completed at 27-49-6 in that first season however rebounded in 12 months 2 when the Kraken completed with 100 factors, toppled defending champion Colorado within the first spherical of the playoffs and took Dallas to a Sport 7 within the Western Convention semifinals.
Todd McLellan and 2019 Stanley Cup winner Craig Berube are among the many skilled NHL head coaches accessible, pending extra motion across the league within the coming weeks.
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