While Seattle Kraken forward Berkly Catton was setting off the pregame siren at Husky Stadium on Saturday, the organization’s prospects were busy putting on a show of their own in Abbotsford, BC.
Catton, with Joey Daccord cheering him on, joined several Kraken teammates - Daccord, Jared McCann and Shane Wright among them - as they watched the No. 19 Washington Huskies edge Utah St., 16-14. But the bigger offensive burst came at the home of the AHL Abbotsford Canucks, where Seattle prospects beat Vancouver’s group 7-3 in the first of two weekend showcase games.
The Kraken rookies did most of their damage in the second and third periods, scoring three times after the opening frame to pull away. Nikke Kokko handled the rest with 30 saves. The same teams meet again Sunday at 1 pm.
Seattle’s biggest surprise came from Justin Janicke, who scored the first and last goals of the game. That was notable because the Kraken seventh-round pick in 2021, 195th overall, wasn’t even supposed to be there. When 2025 first-round pick Jake O’Brien was ruled out of both weekend games as a precaution, Janicke got the call.
“I was at home training, enjoying the summer,” Janicke said with a smile after the game. “I got a call on Thursday at 4 pm, hopped on a flight at 10, got in.
It was a bit of a whirlwind. I’m always ready; it’s part of the job.”
He made the most of it. Janicke’s first goal came in the opening period, when he carried the puck in alone from the blue line, went forehand-backhand and lifted it over the downed Vancouver goalie. His second was even more acrobatic: after being tripped in the third period, he still managed to poke the puck into the net while airborne.
“You’re being evaluated every time you step on the ice,” said AHL Coachella Valley Firebirds coach Derek Laxdal, who was directing the Kraken prospects. “Try and make an impression, not only on your teammates, but on the organization.
These kids have been bottled up all summer. They want to show what they can do.”
About Janicke specifically, Laxdal added, “It’s a great story.”
The 6-foot, 180-pound winger spent most of last season with ECHL Kansas City, where he helped the Mavericks post the league’s best regular-season record and win the Western Conference championship. Janicke said the message he heard was simple: “Coach’s message was ‘seize the opportunity.'” He also summed up his approach with, “The best availability is availability.”
Seattle’s seven-goal outburst also included two goals from 2023 fourth-round pick Andrei Loshko.
In Other News...
Kraken Are Taking A Riskier Shane Wright Approach Than Fans Expected
Shane Wright is still in Seattle, and that alone has become a notable part of the Krakens offseason after they never found a trade offer they felt good enough to take. Once viewed as a likely trade candidate, Wright is now back in the mix with a team that still sees value in his age, pedigree and remaining upside as he heads into the final year of his entry-level contract.
Interest around Wright has not gone away, either. Several NHL teams have checked in on him, which keeps the situation active even if a move did not come together over the summer, and it leaves the Kraken balancing patience against urgency as they decide whether to keep him around or revisit the market before his contract situation changes again. [Read more 🡒]
Kraken Prospects Just Exposed A Training Camp Concern
The Kraken prospects got a useful, if uncomfortable, look at where things stand in a Prospect Showcase rematch with Vancouver, and the second game followed a familiar script for a group still trying to sort itself out. Seattle fell 5-2, with coach Derek Laxdal pointing to missed defensive assignments and a slow start as the main reasons the game got away, while also stressing that rookie camp is as much about learning as it is about winning.
For a team that wants to build habits before the full training camp group arrives later in the week, the lesson was clear: the details matter, especially in its own end. Laxdal framed the loss as part of the process, but the Kraken will now spend the next stretch hoping the early camp reps turn into cleaner execution once more players are added to the mix. [Read more 🡒]