Seattle Kraken fired head coach Dan Bylsma on Monday after a season at work.
In addition, Kraken General Manager Ron Francis will switch to a new role as a team president and assistant GM Jason Botterill will be raised to General Manager, Athletic reported.
Bylsma, 54, spent two seasons as coach for Kraken’s AHL connected, Coachella Valley Firebirds, before being promoted to lead the NHL club in May 2024 when Dave Hakstol was released.
“We thank Dan for his commitment and the energy he brought to our organization over the past four years at NHL and AHL levels,” Francis said in an edition. “After a thorough review of the season and our expectations next year and then we have made the difficult decision to go in a different direction behind the bench. Dan is a big person and a respected coach. He played an important role in the development of many of our young future prospects and was a large part of our early success in Coachella.
Bylsma was best known for taking over the Pittsburgh Penguins halfway through the 2008-09 season and led them to the Stanley Cup 2009.
During his lonely season at the helm in Seattle, the Kraken went 35-41-6 and missed the playoffs. In parts of nine seasons with Penguins (2008-14), Buffalo Sabers (2015-17) and Kraken, Bylsma has a record of 355-231-61 as head coach.
Francis, 62, was a Hockey Hall of Fame Induator as a player and was named the expansion Kraken’s first manager in 2019 after spending time as CEO with Carolina Hurricanes.
Botterill, 48, served as head of Sabers from 2017-20. He had worked in Seattles Front Office since January 2021.
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