Despite the fact that we are in the midst of the most exciting period of the NHL season, the Stanley Cup Playoffs, many clubs are already looking ahead to next season, and no team has a more vested stake in that future than the Seattle Kraken. The NHL's newest franchise will debut in the 2021-2022 season, and as of this writing, they have yet to answer just about every question imaginable about how their roster will appear and who will supervise that squad.
The name of the guy, or woman, who will become the first head coach in the history of the Seattle Kraken team is one of the great questions, and it may have just been answered by an experienced NHL insider. Rangers insider Larry Brooks reported in his most recent article for the New York Post that the decision has been made, and that former Arizona Coyotes bench boss Rick Tocchet will be the first coach in Seattle Kraken team history.
We were told toward the end of the week that the Seattle GM Ron Francis had decided to hire Rick Tocchet as coach, after going far down the line with David Quinn, but there is nothing official at the moment.
It's a bold choice on the part of Francis, if Brooks' sources are indeed accurate on this matter, given Tocchet's history in the league. It's true that the veteran head coach has carved out a well earned reputation for being able to deal with difficult players, most notably Phil Kessel during his time with both the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Arizona Coyotes, but he does also have some negative baggage as well.
