Jordan Eberle has been named the second captain in Seattle Kraken history.
Jordan Eberle has been named the second captain in Seattle Kraken history.
EAST MEADOW, NY -- On Tuesday, the Seattle Kraken named former New York Islanders forward Jordan Eberle their captain.
After acquiring Eberle from the Edmonton Oilers for Ryan Strome on June 22, 2017, with two years remaining on his contract, the Islanders extended Eberle, signing him to a five-year deal worth $27.5 million ($5.5 M AAV) on June 14, 2019.
The Islanders decided not to protect Eberle in the Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft in the summer of 2021.
Eberle played 272 games in Blue & Orange, recording 76 goals and 93 assists for 169 points during the regular seaosn. He tallied 13 goals and 21 assists for 34 points in 49 playoff games, scoring the Game 5 double-overtime winner for the Islanders against the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 to keep their season alive:
On Wednesday, The Hockey News asked a few Islanders about Eberle, starting with Mathew Barzal.
"I texted him yesterday. It's awesome. He's such a great guy," Barzal said. "People lead in different ways. He leads by bringing guys together and being a positive energy. He works hard day in and day out. I'm pumped for him.
"He's a good man and a good friend of mine, so I'm really happy for him."
Eberle was like a big brother to Barzal. He always had No. 13's back and he was always the first one to give Barzal a hard time and keep him in his place.
The two were linemates as well on the Islanders' top line.
"We had great chemistry. I made a lot of plays with him on the ice. He is highly skilled, and he sees the game and plays it at a really high pace which was great for me," Barzal said. "He's just a great guy, honestly. He's just one of those guys where, like, me and him could be hanging out in the middle of nowhere and have a good time, laugh and just joke around.
"He's very easygoing. And, I tend to have fun with guys like that."
Islanders captain Anders Lee grinned once he heard Eberle's name come out during our question.
"Ebs is the best. He's just a great, great person and great hockey player," Lee said. "We enjoyed a lot of laughs together. That guy, he's one of a kind.
"Being able to play with him throughout those few years and become close friends with him, and see him start a family, all those things are pretty special. I definitely miss him here. I always look forward to getting together and all that stuff, but very deserving for him to get the captaincy."
There's a reason why Eberle is a perfect person to be the captain of the Kraken.
"He's a great leader. He's got a great hockey IQ, and I think he is very good at relating to a lot of different types of guys," Lee said. "He gets along with everybody, but also has an edge to him when it comes to to winning hockey games. So a perfect fit for that team."
We asked Lee if there was one memory that stood out.
"We spent a lot of time together on the road and in the room and with Barzy, as a line," Lee said. "When we were rolling the way we were, we'd spend some time with the guitar and stuff like that, and just have some good laughs. A lot of good laughs."
Islanders young defenseman Noah Dobson played with Eberle for the first two and half years of his NHL career.
"I love Ebs. He's such a great guy. Shot him a text yesterday, congratulating him," Dobson said. "He's just such an easy going guy. I don't think there's many guys that would say that they don't like him. He just gets along with everyone. He's such a good veteran, too.
"He's played a lot of games in this league. He's got a lot of experience, and he's great player as well. So, it's no surprise that he's captain out there in Seattle, and I'm really happy for him."
Casey Cizikas, who is known for bringing the energy, credited Eberle with doing the same.
"He was that guy that brought that energy. He brought that personality every single day to the rink," Cizikas said. "He was a great guy to have in the locker room. He was a great friend to have. It doesn't surprise me one bit that he was named captain there, so it's a huge accomplishment for him, something he should be extremely proud of. Just from playing with him, I can understand why they did that."
The Islanders visit Captain Eberle and the Kraken on Nov. 16, par of a five-game road trip before welcoming him back to Long Island a weeks later, on Dec. 5 at UBS Arena.