Kraken Captain Returns After Rare Injury

The Seattle Kraken will see their captain return to the ice after a lengthy recovery from an extremely rare injury in sports.

Oct 8, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Kraken right wing Jordan Eberle (7) looks on against the St. Louis Blues during the first period at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Caean Couto-Imagn Images / Caean Couto-Imagn Images

As teams return to action after the 4 Nations Face-Off, a few squads are likely to be without key star players due to injuries, but not the Seattle Kraken.

In fact, the Kraken have a key player returning to their lineup after a long time on the shelf.

Kraken captain Jordan Eberle has been out of the lineup since mid-November after suffering what has been described as an extremely rare injury for athletes. He suffered a pelvic injury when he crashed hard into the boards against the Chicago Blackhawks.

RETURN OF THE CAP 🫡

After an unprecedented injury & 14-week battle, Jordan Eberle returns to the #SeaKraken lineup tonight. His journey, the road to recovery & what it means to have him back → https://t.co/h7opndN71Q pic.twitter.com/mR4cU4oUcx

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) February 22, 2025

Eberle was forced to undergo surgery and made “unprecedented” progress, according to his head coach Dan Bylsma.

Bylsma said in late January that Eberle was making great progress, and about a month later, he’s back in the lineup.

In a release from the Kraken, they noted that no hockey players have ever dealt with this kind of injury. It was, however, more common with rugby players, and one of Eberle’s doctors had connections in New Zealand.

While thoughts of never playing hockey again crossed Eberle’s mind, it was talks with New Zealand doctors that put him at ease.

After 14 weeks away, the Kraken will have their captain back on the ice, likely giving them a huge morale boost in what has been a tough season.

"With what he's dealt with which was a significant injury, and it's going to be three months that he's out of the lineup, the fact that he's worked so hard to get himself back and have this opportunity to get back and play is great,” Seattle general manager Ron Francis said. “And certainly, for us, when you lose your captain, you know he's not only a good player for you on the ice, but he's a voice for you in the locker room and helping kind of steer through the season...you missed that. So, getting him back on a lot of fronts is going to be beneficial.”

The Kraken hold a 24-29-4 record through 57 games and are well outside of the Western Conference playoff race.

While another postseason run seems like a long shot, the Kraken will at least get a boost by having an important face healthy and ready to compete.

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