As the pre-season practices are fast approaching, the Seattle Kraken are looking for a head coach after David Hakstol was shown the door in April. Dan Bylsma, Todd McLellan, and Jay Leach are all in the race for the coaching title.
Dan Bylsma is a shoe-in since he already occupies the position with the Seattle Kraken AHL affiliate the Coachella Valley Firebirds. His track record is not one to look down upon since he brought the Pittsburg Penguins to their 2009 Stanley Cup victory and brought them to the playoffs for six seasons. He also notably coached the Buffalo Sabers from 2015 to 2017 and the Detroit Red Wigs from 2018 to 2021.
Tod McLellan is also on the market after the Los Angeles Kings let him go from the top coaching position earlier this year. Despite this, he has been coaching since 1993 and brought home the championship for Canada at the 2015 IIHF World Championship. He has also worked on the coaching staff for the San Jose Sharks and Edmonton Oilers.
Finally, there is Jay Leach. The current assisting coach for the Seattle Kraken, a position he has occupied since 2021. Although relatively new to the world of coaching, he began as assistant coach for Alder Mannheim in 2014, he has a proven track record of building strong defensive element to any team.
