By Silvia-Leija Rosas, edited by Charles Hamaker

Seattle, WA - Seattle, we are so back! Our Kraken lost by a score of 2-3 against the St. Louis Blues in a frankly, too early, matinee home opener at Climate Pledge Arena on Tuesday, October 8th to begin the 2024-25 season. It wasn’t a pretty loss, but there’s no time to be sad when hockey is back and there are still 81 games to get it right. 

Here are three of my quick thoughts on the game.

At least there was a hope in the beginning 

The Kraken started strong, taking a 2-0 lead early in the second period with goals from Vince Dunn and Eeli Tolvanen within quick succession of each other. They controlled the game and played a quick offensive game with heavy net-front presence, but couldn’t capitalize enough to extend past their two goal lead, particularly as Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington made key saves​ to keep St. Louis within striking distance.

Despite leading 2-0, Seattle’s game unraveled in a 1:55 span of the second period when St. Louis scored three quick goals, including two by Jordan Kyrou, to take a 3-2 lead. Those defensive lapses and turnovers were costly, as the Kraken couldn’t recover from this sudden momentum shift. And that is the Kraken’s biggest fault: their lack of adaptability. The Blues came off the bench after those two goals with a tighter defense and the Kraken played the same game the full 60 minutes and couldn’t get it to work against a skilled St. Louis squad. A different game than the one from last year, sure, but not one that could beat the Blues in this contest to kick off the 2024-25 season. 

Ladies and gentlemen: ✨Her ✨

One thing about Seattle sports crowds is that they are loud. (No, really! They even made history making that noise.) And boy was it loud when Jessica Campbell was presented as an assistant coach on the teams staff for the 2024-2025 season. Seattle is loving this history-making promotion and it really feels like the team is too. 

As a coach known for her emphasis on skating technique and skill development, Campbell’s influence was visible in the Kraken’s strong start and offensive creativity. It’s been clear the team has struggled with consistency in scoring opportunities in the past, but preseason games and the home opener showed a team willing to create those opportunities for themselves–even if it leads to unnecessary turnovers. 

It seems the new coaching staff breathed new air into a stagnant team with the introduction of a system that helped the Kraken create 32 shots on goal, a positive sign despite the loss​. From here on out, it’s about Dan Bylsma and his staff guiding the Kraken through critical game-management moments, particularly during shifts in momentum, as they continue to fully implement their system​. That system won’t be something that’s fully understood or executed perfectly early on as the team works through it and does their best to buy in, but the early return (aka one game) is positive despite the negative result.

And there is something so special about seeing a woman in such an important position in the sport. Maybe hockey really is for everyone, even if we do have a long ways to go for it to truly feel as though it is.

In addition to Jordan Eberle being named as the new captain of our Seattle Kraken, third year forward Matty Beniers was named as an assistant captain alongside Yanni Gourde, Jaden Schwartz, and Adam Larsson. (Photos by Rio Giancarlo)

Okay, but let’s talk about Matty Beniers 

Before the puck dropped, the Kraken made an announcement that fans have been speculating for years—Jordan Eberle was named the second captain in team history. The 34-year-old veteran’s leadership has been crucial for the Kraken since their inaugural season, and this moment solidified his role as the heart of the team. But we knew that would happen, Eberle is the “team dad” after all. That wasn’t the only addition to the leadership list, though. 

Twenty-one-year-old Matty Beniers took the ice for the 2024-25 regular season with an ‘A’ over his chest. Appointing Beniers as an alternate captain in just his third season speaks volumes about the leadership qualities he brings to the Kraken, and what the organization thinks of him internally. During the home opener, Beniers was instrumental in creating offensive opportunities and helping the Kraken take the early lead. His defensive efforts and ability to backcheck put his growing two-way game on display. There is also a level of maturity and ability to elevate the play around him that shows Beniers is the kind of guy you want on your leadership team.

If the ascensions of Tye Kartye and Shane Wright to the team wasn’t enough proof that the Kraken are building around their young talent and issuing in a new era following the expansion draft roster, then let Matty Beniers’ promotion to the leadership group convince you.

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