SEATTLE — In a historic turnaround, the Seattle Kraken has qualified for the postseason in the franchise's second year of competing in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Seattle will get to host its first playoff hockey this week in the modern era of the NHL, with Games 3 and 4 of the series being held at Climate Pledge Arena.
Here's everything you need to know about the NHL's playoff format, who else joins the Kraken in the field, and when fans can tune in to watch Seattle take the ice.
What is the NHL's playoff format?
16 teams qualify for the NHL's postseason tournament, with eight coming from the Western and Eastern Conferences, respectively.
The top three teams in each of the conferences' two divisions automatically qualify. The two other "wild-card" teams from each conference are chosen based on record.
The Kraken finished fourth in the Pacific Division in the 2022-23 season but earned a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs by being atop the Western Conference's wild-card standings.
What is the Kraken's path to a Stanley Cup?
The first opponent for Seattle by virtue of being a Wild Card team is the No. 3 seed Colorado Avalanche, which won the Central Division with 109 points.
Colorado is the reigning Stanley Cup champions and will be an extremely tough matchup for the Kraken in the first round.
If Seattle can pull off the upset of Colorado, it would face the winner of the series between the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild.
When will the Kraken play?
(Games in bold will be played at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle)
- Game 1: Tuesday, April 18 at 7 p.m.
- Game 2: Thursday, April 20 at 6:30 p.m.
- Game 3: Saturday, April 22 at 7 p.m.
- Game 4: Monday, April 24 at 7 p.m.
- Game 5: Wednesday, April 26*
- Game 6: Friday, April 28*
- Game 7: Sunday, April 30*
- Games 5-7 will be played if necessary
* Games 5-7 will be played if necessary
Kraken home game events
On Saturday, fans with and without tickets can join the pregame party on the plaza outside Climate Pledge Arena. It will include a beer garden, DJ, and for those without tickets will have a live game broadcast. The event kicks off at 4 p.m.
Fans will have a chance to win tickets for game 4 at the Armory on Monday. The event will kick off at 5 p.m. and include live music, a beer garden and a live game broadcast for those who don't score a ticket.
Kraken watch parties
The library is giving you permission to get loud for the Kraken.
The King County Library System is hosting watch parties at various locations during the Kraken's postseason run.
The goal is to bring hockey experiences to more members of the King County community, according to the Kraken.
Watch parties will take place at six specific branches during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The library locations include Kent, Bellevue, Bothell, Auburn, Federal Way and Renton. The watch parties are open to people of all ages.
The King County Library System website said there will be giveaways and snacks available.
The libraries open up for the watch party at game time.
A schedule of events and locations can be found here.
What players should I keep an eye on?
For those who haven't followed the Kraken closely throughout the regular season, here are a few names to look out for.
Matty Beniers
The favorite for the Calder Memorial Trophy (NHL's equivalent of Rookie of the Year), Beniers so far has lived up to the hype after being the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2021, the franchise's first amateur draft pick ever. Beniers was set to represent the Kraken in the 2023 NHL All-Star Game as well, but an injury shortly before the event kept him sidelined.
Despite still being shy of his 21st birthday, Beniers has blossomed into one of the leaders on the ice for the Kraken, and makes an impact in all phases of the game. Beniers also was given the Fan Favorite Award through an online poll at the season's end and should be the foundation of the roster for the future of the Kraken.
Vince Dunn
Dunn was the Kraken's team MVP (chosen by local media) and is becoming one of the best defencemen in the Western Conference. Dunn set a number of career-highs in 2022-23 with 14 goals, 50 assists and 64 points.
While Beniers is a near-lock for the Calder Trophy, Dunn could receive some votes for the Norris Trophy, awarded to the NHL's top defenceman.
Jared McCann
The first 40-goal scorer in franchise history, McCann built off being named team MVP a year ago and paced the NHL's fourth-best offense.
In order to keep up with the defending champion Avalanche, McCann will need to translate his scoring prowess into postseason play.