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Kraken Fire Former Stanley Cup Champion Head Coach

The Seattle Kraken are making their second coaching change in as many seasons.

Jon Alfano

Seattle Kraken head coach Dan Bylsma speaks with the media after the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Seattle Kraken head coach Dan Bylsma speaks with the media after the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
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The Seattle Kraken have fired head coach Dan Bylsma after one season at the helm, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports. The team will reportedly begin a "full search" immediately.

Bylsma, 54, replaced Dave Hakstol as Seattle's head coach on May 28, 2024. He led the Kraken to a 35-41-6 record as they finished seventh in the Pacific Division.

Previously, Bylsma served as the first head coach of the Coachella Valley Firebirds, Seattle's AHL affiliate. He led the Firebirds to the Calder Cup Finals in each of his two seasons with the team, though they lost to the Hershey Bears both times.

Bylsma also served as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins (2009-14) and the Buffalo Sabres (2015-17). He took over in Pittsburgh late in the 2008-09 season, and led the team on an 18-3-4 record in the regular season before winning the Stanley Cup, defeating the Detroit Red Wings in a thrilling seven-game final. He also won the Jack Adams Award in 2010-11, as he led the Penguins to 49 wins despite losing Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for much of the season.

His stint in Buffalo was not as successful, however. The team marginally improved from where it was before he got there, but an alleged feud with young star Jack Eichel seemingly led to his dismissal after just two seasons.

Bylsma has the pedigree to continue coaching in the NHL if he wants to, but landing a head-coaching job may be difficult after this firing.

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

Jon is a lead writer for Baltimore Ravens On SI and contributes to other sites around the network as well. The Tampa native previously worked with sites such as ClutchPoints and GiveMeSport and earned his journalism degree at the University of Central Florida.

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