Dan Bylsma Fired by Kraken After 1 Season as HC, Missed 2025 NHL Playoff Bracket

After just one season under head coach Dan Bylsma, the Seattle Kraken are making a change.

The team announced that Bylsma was relieved of his duties on Monday after the Kraken finished the 2024-25 season with a 35-41-6 record and failed to make the playoffs.

Hockey insider Frank Seravalli reported that in addition to Bylsma's firing, "there is no shortage of speculation in league circles" that general manager Ron Francis "will move to another front office position and assistant GM Jason Botterill will be promoted to GM."

Ryan S. Clark of ESPN added:

Bylsma spent two seasons as head coach of Seattle's AHL affiliate before being promoted to head coach of the Kraken following the firing of Dave Hakstol at the end of the 2023-24 season. Hakstol was the franchise's first head coach after it was founded in 2021 and led the team to a 107-112-27 record in three seasons with one playoff appearance in 2023 when it lost to the Dallas Stars in the second round.

Prior to joining the Kraken, Bylsma served as head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2008 to 2014 and the Buffalo Sabres from 2015 to 2017. He led the Penguins to a Stanley Cup title in his first year, but he never advanced past the conference finals after that. He missed the playoffs in both his seasons with the Sabres. He was also an assistant coach for the Detroit Red Wings from 2018 to 2021.

The Kraken will be hoping to find a new leader who can usher in an era of success as the franchise continues to establish itself in the NHL.