The Seattle Kraken have dismissed head coach Dan Bylsma after a single season, as the team remained far from playoff contention. The decision comes following a disappointing performance, where the Kraken ended with a 35-41-6 record, accumulating 76 points, and lagging 20 points behind the Western Conference’s final wild-card spot. This represents a decline from the previous season’s 81-point finish.
Bylsma, who took over coaching duties from Dave Hakstol, oversaw the team’s operations after Hakstol led the Kraken through their initial four seasons, including a playoff appearance in 2023. Prior to his role with the Kraken, Bylsma achieved success with the American Hockey League’s Coachella Valley Firebirds, taking them to consecutive Calder Cup Finals.
His career highlights include winning the Stanley Cup as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009 and receiving the Jack Adams Award for coach of the year in 2011. Bylsma’s tenure with the Kraken marks his third head-coaching position in the NHL, following a challenging two-year period with the Buffalo Sabres from 2015 to 2017.
His dismissal adds to a recent trend in the league, as Anaheim and the New York Rangers also parted ways with their head coaches, Greg Cronin and Peter Laviolette, respectively, in the past few days.
