The Stucky Cup has become a fixture at Seattle Kraken Development Camp, and this year’s fourth annual edition delivered the same setup the prospects have come to know: a camp-ending scrimmage, two 20-minute halves, an intermission in between, and a 4-on-4 format that can move to a 1-on-1 tiebreaker and then a shootout if needed.
This season, Team Blue, led by Chase Reid, took the win.
The tournament’s name carries meaning beyond the ice. In 2024, Kraken Director of Player Development Jeff Tambellini told NHL.com that the cup was created to give the camp some tradition while also recognizing the people who help make the whole operation run.
"These are our future Seattle Kraken players. So, we want to have some tradition to it, and we thought it was a great opportunity to reward some of the people who worked behind the scenes and do an amazing job," Tambellini said. "There are so many amazing people working on the training and equipment staffs who help players be their best on the ice, so I decided to name our end-of-camp trophy after (James) Stucky, one of our equipment staff and one of the best."
Stucky, an assistant equipment manager, has been with the Kraken since their inaugural season and is now in his fifth year with the club. A Burien native, he has spent most of his hockey career in the game’s support roles, starting as a stick boy for the Seattle Thunderbirds, then working as a game-day assistant for the Tacoma Rockets, later serving as equipment manager for the WHL Everett Silvertips before reaching the NHL with Seattle.
He said the news of the trophy’s name came as a surprise when he learned about it the day before last year’s tournament.
"I found out the day before the tournament last year that the trophy was getting named after me. “Tambo” (Tambellini) told me he wanted to create a culture and a history within development camp. He said, “well we have to have a trophy,” and the next thing you know, it’s named after me - that was pretty cool," Stucky said.
He also explained the design idea behind the cup, which adds a new ring every four years to mark each winning team.
"The idea is that there are four sides to it where we put the name of each year’s winning team. So, every four years we'll add a ring to it - it will get bigger and bigger.
It's not crazy big right now, maybe 18-24 inches tall. But that's the thinking over the years it'll get bigger and bigger."
Prospects have now battled for the Stucky Cup for the past four seasons, and Llyeton Roed, who has taken part several times, said the trophy gives the competition an extra layer.
"I mean it’s pretty cool to have a trophy named after you and represent your team," Roed said to NHL.com."For us to play and compete for it, it's pretty great."
Stucky said the honor means a great deal to him, both as a member of the equipment staff and as a Seattle native watching the organization’s young players develop.
"Deep down, I am honored to be a part of this and represent the entire equipment staff. As the years unfold, I think it’s going be really fun, looking back, to see our young players as they grow up in our system," Stucky said. "As a Seattle native, it does give me a great sense of pride that my name was chosen to represent our staff in the yearly game."
In Other News...
Why This Kraken Signing Could Change Seattles Identity
Curtis Douglas arrived on the first day of free agency as a different kind of addition for Seattle, a two-year, $2.5 million bet on size, edge and a player who has already shown he can bring a physical presence at the NHL level. The 6-foot-9 center has bounced between the Vancouver Canucks and Tampa Bay Lightning organizations, and his track record includes a reputation for playing with an enforcers mindset.
For Kraken GM Jason Botterill, the appeal went beyond the obvious frame and penalty minutes. Botterill pointed to familiarity with Douglas and his work ethic, with people on staff already knowing what he brings, a connection that matters in a front office now shaped in part by former Canucks management. In Seattle, the hope is that Douglas gives the roster a little more snarl and a player willing to stand up for teammates when the temperature rises. [Read more 🡒]
Kraken Just Made Berkly Cattons Future A Lot More Complicated
Berkly Cattons path in Seattle just got a lot clearer, and a lot more demanding. The Kraken are planning to move the 2024 first-round pick into a full-time center role, a sign they see him as more than a skilled young forward and want him developing in the middle of the ice where the game runs through him. General manager Jason Botterill has framed Catton as a long-term fit for the lineup, pointing to his creativity and hockey sense as traits that can translate at center.
For Catton, the assignment comes with some real pressure attached. He is still early in his NHL career, with two years left on his entry-level deal, and Seattle is asking him to grow into a position that usually requires patience, detail and a thicker skin than most young players need elsewhere. After a rookie season in which he was moved around and had to absorb the usual bumps that come with learning the league, the Kraken are now betting his future is in the middle, even if the exact shape of that future is still being sorted out. [Read more 🡒]