SEATTLE — Although the summer is heating up, it won't be long before hockey season is back in Seattle.
The Kraken unveiled its full 2024-25 regular-season schedule on Tuesday, including many games broadcast exclusively on KING and KONG.
Here are five home matchups fans should circle on their calendars for the upcoming season.
Oct. 8 vs. St. Louis Blues: Start of new era
The season's first game will be a matinee at Climate Pledge Arena, as the Kraken will host the Blues with a 1:30 p.m. puck drop. It will also be the opening of the Dan Bylsma era, as the second coach in Kraken franchise history will be behind the bench for his first regular-season game in Seattle.
Bylsma comes to Seattle from the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the Kraken's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate. The team appeared in back-to-back championship series in the AHL under Bylsma, and the 53-year-old has been the head coach for two other NHL franchises in his career (Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres).
The home opener will be part of a nationally-televised triple header airing on ESPN, the NHL announced.
Nov. 30 vs. San Jose Sharks: Macklin Celebrini's Seattle debut
The Sharks were among the worst teams in the NHL a season ago, but that futility did net San Jose the No. 1 overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft. The team took Macklin Celebrini, who grew up in the Bay Area and became the youngest player in history to win the Hobey Baker Award, given annually to the nation's best collegiate hockey player.
Celebrini and the Sharks will play in Seattle two days after Thanksgiving, but a Saturday night matchup against a team that has a lot of fans in the Pacific Northwest should make for a fun environment.
Dec. 10 vs. Florida Panthers: Stanley Cup Champs return
Florida held on to win the Stanley Cup in a seven-game series in June, bringing its first NHL title home to south Florida. Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers play a physical style that often leads to frequent fisticuffs on the ice.
The matchup added some additional intrigue Monday when Brandon Montour, who was a huge part of the Panthers’ championship, agreed to a lucrative free-agent contract with the Kraken.
Dec. 30 vs. Utah Hockey Club: A potential new rival
Utah is not an expansion franchise and should end up retaining at least a handful of players from what used to be the Arizona Coyotes. The team was sold and packed up to move north at the end of last season and has yet to come up with its new name.
Now playing in Salt Lake City, the club is the Kraken’s closest geographic opponent in the continental U.S. (the Vancouver Canucks are just a few hours north across the Canada border). Over the coming years, this could end up being a strong regional rivalry.
Jan. 4 vs. Edmonton Oilers: Connor McDavid
Not much more needs to be said about facing the Oilers, as McDavid is the unquestioned best player in the sport. A three-time winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy (given to the most valuable player to his team), McDavid even won the Conn Smythe Trophy in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs despite his team coming up short in the Final.
Along with McDavid, the Oilers have stars like Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard and Zach Hyman who are worth the price of admission. Edmonton was a few bounces away from completing one of the most miraculous comebacks in NHL history against the Panthers, and should be must-see TV once again in 2024-25.
Check out the full schedule and get more ticket information by visiting nhl.com/kraken/tickets.