As Kraken rookie camp opens Friday, the spotlight naturally shifts to the next wave of Seattle hockey hopefuls. But the city once had a one-of-one athlete who lived in both the hockey and baseball worlds, and his connection to Seattle runs deep.
Jim Riley, born May 25, 1895, remains the only player ever to appear in both Major League Baseball and the NHL. His big-league résumé was brief in both sports - six MLB games and nine NHL games - but the path he took was anything but ordinary.
Riley’s hockey story in Seattle started before the NHL even existed. He skated for the 1917 Seattle Metropolitans, helping the club win the Stanley Cup. In that first of two early seasons with Seattle, the winger put up 11 goals and 5 assists in 24 regular-season games.
His career hit pause in 1918 because of World War I. Riley served in the Canadian Army and reached the rank of sergeant before returning to Seattle for five more seasons with the Metropolitans.
By the time he was done in Seattle, Riley had played 153* career games for the Metropolitans, sixth-most in franchise history. (*Other sources say 155.) He ranks third in team goals with 90 and fourth in points with 115.
He stayed only until the franchise folded, which happened because “the owners of the newly built Olympic Hotel told the University of Washington that they needed the Seattle Ice Arena as a parking garage.” Not long after that, the entire PCHL dissolved.
Riley’s NHL chances in 1926-27 came through Seattle connections. Pete Muldoon, who had coached the Metropolitans, was running the Chicago Blackhawks and brought Riley in for three games.
Then former Seattle teammate Frank Foyston helped bring Riley to the Detroit Cougars, later the Red Wings. Four other former Metros were already on that roster, and the 5-foot-11, 180-pound forward finished with two assists and either 10 or 14 PIMs for Detroit.
Baseball filled Riley’s spring and summer. Before he ever became a Metropolitans regular, he was with the Tacoma Tigers of the Northwest League in 1916. That is how he ended up joining Seattle that winter.
His major league baseball career came later. In 1921, at age 26, Riley was called up for four games at second base with the St.
Louis Browns. Two years after that, he played two games at first base for the Washington Nationals.
Across his six MLB games, he logged 17 plate appearances, had no hits, drew three walks, scored one run and committed four errors.
The numbers don’t tell the whole story, though. Riley was a productive minor league hitter, batting .300 or better in six different seasons. In 1926 with Dallas of the Texas League, he hit .329 with 111 RBI.
The Sporting News once captured his reputation this way: “Jim Riley, the famous Seattle hockey star, is the Babe Ruth of the (Pacific Coast International League) circuit. Also, at the keystone bag he has no peer.”
Riley’s unusual crossover career has plenty of company in the what-if department. Kirk McCaskill, a 12-year major league pitcher, was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets and spent one season in the AHL.
Clark Gillies and Bob Bourne, both members of the Islanders’ Cup team, also played in the Houston Astros’ low-minors system. Bruins icon Milt Schmidt passed on a 1938 invitation from the St.
Louis Cardinals. And Lou Boudreau of the Cleveland Indians was so taken with Gordie Howe’s hitting that he tried to sign him.
Tom Glavine offers another reminder of how close the two sports can come. The Braves Hall of Fame pitcher said that in high school he was a better hockey player, and in June 1984 he was drafted by both the Braves and the L.A.
Kings. After two Cy Youngs and a place in Cooperstown, the baseball choice was obvious in hindsight.
Still, his hockey background was no secret in the Atlanta clubhouse. “The guys used to joke with me,” Glavine told NHL.com.
“One of the guys who did it the most was Dale Murphy. He used to call me Gretzky.”
In Other News...
Kraken Camp Opens With One Young Name Fans Will Watch Closely
Rookie camp opens Friday at Kraken Community IcePlex, and it comes with the usual early-September mix of hope and roster math. The Seattle Kraken will spend the next 15 days sorting through a camp group that includes 31 forwards, 18 defensemen and five goalies, with most sessions open to the public as the team starts laying the groundwork for the season ahead.
Among the names to track is Jake OBrien, the Krakens 2025 first-round pick, who will be part of both rookie camp and the main training camp that follows. For a fan base eager to get an early read on the organizations next wave, the schedule also includes prospect games in Abbotsford against Vancouver, while the NHL regular season is still just a few weeks away and the opener arrives Oct. 1 against the Flames. [Read more 🡒]
Kraken Just Turned Camp Season Into A Fan Reentry Moment
The Kraken are turning the start of camp into more than a hockey checkpoint, folding in a full slate of fan-facing events under their Train Like a Fan idea. Rookie Camp and Training Camp will be part of the mix at Kraken Community Iceplex, but so will the opening of a new Sport Court through the One Roof Foundation, watch parties at local bars and a 5K run on Oct. 3, all aimed at giving supporters a reason to reconnect with the team before the 2026-27 season.
There is also a digital layer to the rollout, beginning Sept. 11 with fan trivia that keeps the engagement going beyond the rink. For a team trying to reintroduce itself to its audience in a crowded sports market, the strategy is clear: make the build-up to the season feel communal, active and a little more interactive, with one of the bigger prizes still waiting on the other side of the questions. [Read more 🡒]