Kraken Training Camp: New Coach, New Intensity to Kick Off New Season
SEATTLE, Wash. - The Seattle Kraken are on their third head coach in as many seasons, and while any new coach will look to immediately establish an identity with their team, there are few teams across the NHL that need one like the Kraken.
When Seattle kicked off its first day of training camp at Kraken Community Iceplex on Thursday, new head coach Lane Lambert has started that work right away, taking a hands-on approach and being vocal in his first couple sessions with the team. He expressed the group has a “mandate to be hard to play against,” and instilling that mentality starts with the coaching staff.
“I would say that’s probably my style,” Lambert said. “Whether it tapers a little bit, it’s a Day 1 kind of thing, but no, I’m involved. I think we want the players to bring energy, I think us coaches have to bring energy as well.”
It’s only been one day, but Lambert’s style is resonating with the players so far, presenting a stark difference from how Dan Bylsma ran things last year, according to forward Matty Beniers.
“It’s definitely more intense,” Beniers said. “I think it was probably a little bit more detailed as well. We were stopping drills if the littlest things were off about them, and I think it’s great. Started ready, Day 1 of camp. No details off, no reps off. It was a really good skate, really good first day.”
Between 2-on-2 drills and 1-on-1 puck battles, players were throwing their bodies around and constantly heard feedback from Lambert.
Kraken captain Jordan Eberle played under Lambert for three seasons with the New York Islanders from 2018-2021, while Lambert was an assistant under Barry Trotz. Eberle said there were a lot of similarities between what they did on Long Island and what Lambert wants to instill in Seattle, particularly a competitive atmosphere and attention to detail.
He also anticipates the team developing a greater sense of accountability than in years past, and a better overall structure.
“I know Lane, he’s quick to point out and hold guys accountable, which is important,” Eberle said. “But I think more than that, I mean as a team, the best teams that I’ve played on (are) the ones where you understand you make a mistake and you feel worse about letting your teammates down.”
Entering his second NHL head coaching job after taking over for Trotz with the Islanders in 2022-23 before getting fired midway through the 2023-24 season, Lambert said he plans to operate in a similar way, but that there a few things he feels he can do differently this time around in his second coaching stint, although he declined to expand on details.
It’s easy to be optimistic about everything on the first day, and the Kraken certainly are, but the real question once the regular season kicks off and this year’s Seattle group starts facing adversity is if the buy-in will still be there.
