Kraken Establishing Identity in Playoff Hunt

The Seattle Kraken are establishing their identity as they hunt for a playoff spot.

Jan 12, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Seattle Kraken center Shane Wright (51) celebrates his goal against the New York Rangers during the third period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Seattle Kraken are right in the mix of the playoff race in Pacific Division and Western Conference. The young franchise is looking to make the second postseason appearance in their first five seasons as an NHL organization, and this year presents a golden opportunity.

As the Kraken pass the halfway point of the regular season, they are one of many teams that are clicking at the right time. The team is 6-1-3 in their last 10 games and trails the Vegas Golden Knights by just five points for the Pacific Division lead.

A huge reason for this team's success so far is establishing their identity and playing what assistant coach Jessica Campbell called "Seattle Kraken hockey."

Kraken Identity Built in Embracing Opportunity

Despite being a young franchise and a young team, the Kraken are embracing an up-tempo style on both sides of the puck. As Campbell described to Breakaway On SI, from the veteran leaders to the rookies on the team, she's seen the Kraken take every day and every opportunity as a new challenge they are ready to meet, and it's showing up on the ice.

"We've done a really remarkable job this year. Our players have taken huge steps, embraced kind of the identity of being a hard-nosed team, hard to play against," she said, "Day-to-day, practices, what I've seen is our players - from the youth of our team to the veteran core group that's been here, been part of the Kraken - they've embraced checking in every day, embracing every game as a new challenge, not trying to, you know, run on momentum."

Not only is that a clear message from the coaching staff, but the team has also embodied it. Not too long ago, the Kraken were on the outside looking in on the playoff picture and losers of 10 out of 11 games. Instead of dwelling on the struggle, the team has seized the opportunity to improve and hasn't stopped pushing.

Oct 12, 2024; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Seattle Kraken assistant coach Jessica Campbell behind the bench in the second period against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Work Remains in the Second Half

That mentality has put them right in the thick of things, and they are currently seeing the results. Most teams are impressed by the Kraken's forecheck and their aggressiveness on both ends of the ice. Young players like Berkley Catton, Shane Wright and defender Ryker Lee have played timely parts in their recent surge, while their goaltending duo has provided reliable play in net.

Still, Campbell and the rest of the Kraken staff are urging the team to keep going. Embracing that same mentality, they know that their biggest enemy as the slog of the season wears on them is complacency.

"We can get better. We've got to continue to get better," she said. "We can't ever get complacent. It's too tough a league. It's too competitive across the board and anything can happen."

As the Kraken sculpt their identity, the rest of the Pacific Division is taking notice. If it continues, knocking them out of a playoff spot may become too daunting a challenge for the rest of the West.

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway On SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!