In just over a month, the Seattle Kraken will start stealing our favorite players in their Expansion Draft (their words, not mine). Today, the Seattle Kraken announced the first head coach in team history and the coach is Dave Hakstol.
SEATTLE, WE GOT OUR GUY!
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) June 24, 2021
Dave Hakstol (@hakstol2), has been named the the first-ever head coach in #SeaKraken history!
Get to know our new bench boss → https://t.co/uiBhw09CfE pic.twitter.com/fe9p7Hry64
The reaction on Hockey Twitter has been less than kind to the Seattle Kraken. But before we go to the reactions, let’s get a background on who Dave Hakstol is.
Who is Dave Hakstol?
Hakstol’s coaching career began in 1996 when he was named head coach of the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers. He lasted four seasons as head coach and helped the team make the playoffs in three our of four seasons. Hakstol joined the University of North Dakota coaching staff in 2000 and became head coach in 2004. In 11 seasons as head coach of the Fighting Sioux/Hawks, Hakstol’s teams went to seven Frozen Fours, winning the National Championship in 2010-2011. On May 18, 2015, Hakstol became head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers. In three seasons and change, the Flyers went to the playoffs twice. He was fired two months into the 2018-2019 season. Hakstol has served as an assistant for Toronto the past two seasons and was on the coaching staff that guided Canada to the 2017 IIHF World Championship.
Hockey Twitter Pans the Decision
Upon the announcement on the Kraken’s Twitter account, Hockey Twitter went banana sandwich. A look at some of the tweets:
Seattle fans in case you’re not that into hockey yet, your team just hired hockey version of Jim Mora Jr.
— Jordan (@FRESHticles) June 24, 2021
Oh lord I am so sorry Kraken fans
— Ferngully (Bring on the offseason) (@afern_alex) June 24, 2021
You literally couldn’t have picked a worse guy
– Flyers fan ???
Good luck with this choice…you’re gonna need it! Feel sorry for the fans…they won’t understand the true impact of this terrible decision until it’s way too late! Take it from a Flyers fan whose been there!
— lucy (@mare91428) June 24, 2021
Lmaoooooooooooo we all forgot about him
— Jimmy Chen (@LaCanucks) June 24, 2021
David Quinn was RIGHT THERE and you didn’t choose him.
— Aidan (@AidanNYR) June 24, 2021
Enjoy your 10 win season, smh
Whose Decision Is It, Anyway?
While fans on Hockey Twitter are widely panning the decision to hire Dave Hakstol by the Seattle Kraken, the decision to hire Hakstol was up to a handful of people. The first being general manager Ron Francis; he is responsible for hiring the man who will set the culture in the locker room. The second is the Seattle Kraken’s ownership group; they put the trust in Francis to hire the right person. Is Hakstol a sexy choice? No, but it’s their choice. Hockey Twitter is free to voice their opinion, but at the end of the day, they’re not the one hiring the coach. All in all, it’s people bitching on social media – or as I like to call it, a day that ends in ‘Y.’
Best wishes to the Seattle Kraken! If it doesn’t work out, they can put Dave Hakstol on a bike outside to help power [sigh] Climate Pledge Arena.
