In Everett Saturday for the Prospect Showcase game, Seattle Kraken fans could be forgiven for thinking they were in a dream.
Sure, Angel of the Winds Arena had nets and boards and penalty boxes, the carving of skates into ice, the ‘thwack’ of stick on puck, the ‘thunk’ of bodies crashing against plexiglass. Welcome sights and sounds all, for fans who annually endure the hockey desert of summer. Kraken PA announcer Chet Buchanan was even imported to shout, “Who’s ready for Kraken hockey!”
But the players wearing Seattle jerseys weren’t quite the Kraken. The ones wearing Vancouver jerseys weren’t quite the Canucks. And the rink wasn’t quite Climate Pledge Arena.
The reality, though, was that the players weren’t in a fan’s dream – just the opposite. The dreams belong to the prospects themselves, who’ve spent young lifetimes working tirelessly toward an NHL future, and on this night had NHL logos emblazoned across their chests.
Kraken and Canucks draft picks and free agent invitees suited up for the first competitive hockey of the 2025-26 season, with the Kraken scoring four times in the final period to win, 5-3.
1st Period
The raucous Prospect Showcase crowd at the home of the WHL Everett Silvertips arrived in full throat for the first in-person game action since spring.
Vancouver’s Riley Patterson splits Kraken defenders, but Kaden Hammell shows impressive closing speed, preventing Patterson from even getting off a shot. Speaking of shots, they’re 5-1 Seattle 10 minutes in.
Berkly Catton, wearing #77, busts in on Canucks goalie Alexei Medvedev. Catton’s first shot is saved right back to his stick, but with a yawning net, the 2024 1st round pick hits iron. Later, he carries the puck from behind his net over all three lines, then dishes a nifty pass.
2nd Period
With this game being contested by major junior players, it makes sense that it’s officiated by a WHL crew. There’s two specific things to like about this. One is that WHL officials have their surnames as well as numbers on the back of their striped sweaters. The NHL needs to go back to recognizing the refs as people, not just numbers. The second is that one of the linespersons is female, Katie Glover.
Which segues into the first power play, 24 minutes into a still scoreless game. Seattle’s Jani Nyman, a prime candidate to make the big club, fires a pair of patented missles, but can’t connect.
Blake Fiddler’s diving backcheck foils a Canucks odd-man rush.
A brilliant individual effort puts Vancouver on the board first at 7:39. Vilmer Alriksson goes backhand-forehand while flying toward the net, lifting the puck over Kraken netminder Nikke Kokko. 14 seconds later, Gabe Chiarot snaps a shot from the left circle past a screened Kokko to double the Canucks lead.
What I was thinking: “Boy, the Canucks have sure tilted the ice in this period.” What happened: at 12:47, Elias Pettersson – because Vancouver is apparently cornering the market on Petterssons – increases the visitors’ lead to 3-0 with a severe-angle shot from the bottom of the far circle.
Medvedev in the Vancouver goal has been outstanding. It takes the rebound of a rebound for Jagger Firkus (though it was credited to Nyman) to push a loose puck from the crease, over the goal line at 15:17. Catton and Ville Ottavainen, who took the earlier shots in the sequence, drew the assists.
3rd Period
After 40 minutes, Seattle leads in shots, 23-15, but trails in goals, 3-1.
One Kraken prospect who demands to be noticed is Nathan Villeneuve. For his physical play, for his scoring touch, for accidentally hitting a teammate with a backhand clearing attempt, for waving his stick way above his head – and missing – a puck flying high in the air, which he knew would be whistled down if he made contact. #90 is a fun watch.
The Kraken crawl within 3-2 at 9:30, on a beauty of a deflection by Eduard Sale. From the high slot, Sale shows tremendous hand-eye coordination to redirect Fiddler’s pass from the boards. Tyson Jugnauth gets the second assist.
Kraken goalie Kokko saved his best (see what I did there?) for the final frame, stoning Jonathan Lekkerimaki twice from close range to keep Seattle within one. Moments after he denies Josh Bloom’s breakaway, the Kraken tie the game, 3-3 with eight minutes left. Berkly Catton looks rocket-fueled down left wing, cutting in while going forehand-backhand-goal. This is why he’s a candidate to be on the Seattle opening-night roster.
Seattle takes its first lead at 13:08. Remember that #90 I was raving about? Villeneuve collects loose change behind the Vancouver defense, fades wide until the goalie commits, then lifts the go-ahead goal into the cage.
Because nothing comes easy, Seattle’s Carson Rehkopf took an ill-advised tripping penalty 190 feet from his own net at 18:25. The Canucks pulled their goalie for a 6-on-4 manpower advantage. Ottavainen shot a clearing attempt from his own zone all the way into the empty net for a shorthanded tally at 19:14.
Up Next
The two squads of prospects will rematch Sunday afternoon at Kraken Community Iceplex, a game open only to season-ticket members.