The Kraken Guidebook created by members of the Seattle Kraken will be given to those who are picked in the NHL Expansion Draft. Consisting of 70 pages of local information, the guide is meant to help players and their families get their bearings after Tuesday. Considered to be a newcomer’s bible, the guide contains a wide variety of information that has been specifically curated to give the players valuable information such as daycare centres, restaurants, realtors, public and private schools, and others.
Kraken Guidebook For Families
This in-depth guide was created to introduce the over 30 new players and their families (that will be picked for the expansion team) to the city of Seattle. While it is unlikely that the guidebook will be able to answer all of the questions that they may have, the information contained within should give players a place to start.
Sadie Klingman, the executive assistant for hockey operations, stated that the guide “goes through everything from Seattle as a whole, talking about good hikes and the Pacific Northwest and the organization, and it goes into specific neighbourhoods, schools, restaurants, everything.”
Modeled on Previous Guidebooks
It appears that the guide has been designed similarly to the one created before the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, by the Golden Knights. This older one was created to mimic the 2006 guide created by the Washington Capitals before their practice facility was moved to Arlington, Virginia.
The world of ice hockey is relatively dynamic in terms of how often the players must move from one city to another. While sports-related items such as hockey equipment are always offered by the team, this is often the full extent to which fresh players are helped to adjust to their new location.
Team Effort
Overall, the creation of the Kraken guidebook has been a team effort and most, if not all the members have offered their contribution. From executive assistant to the general manager Brooke Coyle to Brennan Baxandall (manager of team services), everyone has pitched in to ensure that the guide encompasses all the information that a newcomer could ever need. Hockey is a physical sport and can be hard on the athletes, however, moving to play for a new team should not be stressful.
The guide was created with the help of Katy Boettinger, who has worked for the president of hockey operations of the Vegas Golden Knights, during the period when the team’s guide was created.
Creating The Guidebook
Coyle also stated that they were “very aware that there are going to be new things that are going to be thrown at us that Vegas never experienced.” As a result, the project was started by organizing meetings over Zoom. Athletes that have previously played for the Seattle Kraken were asked about moving companies that they had previously used, restaurants that they liked, places where they purchased sports equipment, and nannies that took care of their children. They were also asked about negative experiences that they had with various services, to help new players avoid them.
Three-Part Guide
The Kraken Guidebook NHL expansion draft has three parts:
- The City of Seattle
- The Kraken Organization and its members
- Player information on those to be picked at the draft
Kraken Guidebooks were also available in the team’s office but a physical copy may not be as convenient as Kraken’s guidebook app.
