The only head coach the Seattle Kraken have ever known is out.
The team fired Dave Hakstol on Monday, ending his three-year reign behind the bench.
The Kraken went 34-35-13 this past season, finishing sixth in the Pacific Division and missing the playoffs for the second time in three seasons.
Hakstol finishes his tenure with the team with an overall mark of 107-112-27. He led the Kraken to their first ever playoff appearance in 2023, in just their second season of existence, and defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in the first round before falling to the Dallas Stars in seven games in the second round.
The team announced general manager Ron Francis will begin his search for Hakstol’s replacement immediately.
“I thank Dave for his hard work and dedication to the Kraken franchise,” Francis said in a statement. “Following our end-of-the-season review, we have decided to make a change at our head coach position. These decisions are never easy, but we feel this is a necessary step to help ensure our team continues to improve and evolve. Dave is a good coach and a terrific person. We wish him and his family all the best. “We will begin our search for the Kraken’s next head coach immediately.”
A native of Drayton Valley, Alta., Hakstol previously spent four seasons behind the bench with the Philadelphia Flyers from 2015 to 2019 and two seasons as an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2019 to 2021.
