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Seattle Kraken Make Unexpected Dan Bylsma Announcement

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Apr 22, 2025 6:56 AM ET

The Seattle Kraken announced Monday that head coach Dan Bylsma has been relieved of his duties after just one season behind the bench.

The move ends Bylsma’s brief tenure in Seattle despite having two years remaining on his contract, as noted by TSN’s Pierre LeBrun.

Bylsma was brought in last summer to replace Dave Hakstol and became the second head coach in Kraken history after the franchise entered the league through expansion ahead of the 2021-22 season.

Seattle stumbled to a 35-41-6 record in 2024-25, finishing with 76 points and missing the playoffs by a 20-point margin. It was a significant drop-off from the 100-point campaign that saw the team reach the second round in 2023.

Bylsma had signed a three year deal last summer when named Kraken head coach. So Kraken owe him for two more years. https://t.co/wGnbFzwoNH
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) April 21, 2025

“We thank Dan for his commitment and the energy he brought to our organization over the past four years at the NHL and AHL levels,” Kraken GM Ron Francis said in a statement. “After a thorough review of the season and our expectations for next year and beyond, we’ve made the difficult decision to move in a different direction behind the bench.

“Dan is a great person and a respected coach. He played an important role in the development of many of our young prospects and was a big part of our early success in Coachella Valley. We sincerely wish him and his family nothing but success moving forward.”

Bylsma had previously coached the Kraken’s AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, leading them to back-to-back Calder Cup Finals before being promoted to the NHL club.

Despite his previous success, including winning a Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009 and a Jack Adams Award in 2011, Bylsma’s return to the NHL never gained traction in Seattle.

Francis is expected to speak Tuesday, with assistant GM Jason Botterill set to take over the general manager role as Francis transitions to team president, according to The Athletic's Arthur Staple.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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