THN Archive: Shane Wright's Long & Winding Road To Seattle Kraken

From The February 7, 2023 Edition Of The Hockey News

Shane Wright doesn't even turn 20 years old until January 5. But in the words of the Grateful Dead song, "What A Long Strange Trip It's (Already) Been."

The Seattle Kraken 2022 1st round draft choice scored his 10th goal of the season Wednesday for Coachella Valley. Wright's power play tally helped the Kraken's AHL affiliate down the San Diego Gulls 3-1.

In 23 games this year for the Firebirds, Wright has 17 points, a plus/minus of -4, and a 16% shooting percentage. But his score against the Gulls broke a six game goalless drought, in which he had just one assist.

He also was briefly an injury callup to the Kraken, playing three games without recording a point.

If it sounds like the Brantford, Ontario native has had his ups and downs this season, you ain't read nothing yet. Check out Ryan Kennedy's profile of the teenage center's 2022-23 season, excerpted below.

(Note that Ryan's story was written before Wright made one last change of address, re-joining the Firebirds for last season's extended Calder Cup playoff run.)

February 27, 2023 / Vol. 76, Issue 10 / Written by Ryan Kennedy

“To me, he was the best talent in the draft,” said Kraken director of amateur scouting Robert Kron. “A 6-foot-1 center who skates extremely well? We’re extremely happy that he fell to us, so to speak. We were really high on Shane." But playing in the NHL is difficult for an 18-year-old, no matter how advanced they may be. Wright made the Seattle roster out of camp, but he played minimal minutes. At first, it seemed puzzling – the Kraken were one of the worst teams in the league last year, so why not give the kid a chance to show what he’s got? 

But once the Kraken gained some traction – thanks to an infusion of offensive talent from the off-season in the likes of Oliver Bjorkstrand and Andre Burakovsky – it was hard to knock the team for slow-playing Wright when they were winning so many games. 

Nonetheless, the kid was happy to get in those early games when he got the chance. “It was an adjustment for sure,” Wright said. “It’s the best league in the world. It’s faster, and the guys are bigger and stronger, but I learned a lot from the guys on my team. 

"When I played against Pittsburgh and saw Sidney Crosby lined up against me, that was when it really hit me. He was always my idol, and the fact I was on the ice with him in the NHL was a pretty cool moment.”Wright also spent a good amount of time in the press box as a healthy scratch, but it wasn’t punitive; it was a learning experience. Sitting with his GM on occasion furthered the rookie’s education. 

“That was great,” Wright said. “You never want to be scratched, but at the end of the day, I was a young guy coming in, and that’s part of the process. I had to improve myself even if I wasn’t playing, by practising well and watching games. Having the opportunity to sit with Ron Francis was pretty cool for me.”Because Wright was scratched for five games in a row at one point, he was allowed to go to the AHL on a conditioning stint – something a major-junior product ordinarily couldn’t do under the CHL’s agreement with the NHL. But playing for the new Coachella Valley Firebirds allowed him to find the points and minutes that had so far eluded him in the NHL, where his Kraken stat line was one goal and one assist in eight games. 

Wright had three goals in his first two games with the Firebirds, ending his AHL stint with four tallies in five games before he was released to Canada’s WJC team. “Those five games were huge for my confidence,” Wright said. “The fact that, ‘Hey, I can compete against these guys.’ I really loved it, those two weeks were a lot of fun.”It was a magical tournament for Canada, as the country netted its second straight gold medal. In a tourney dominated by Bedard highlights, Wright had his own crucial goal in the final, one that showed off his offensive flair. “I thought, for a lot of the tournament, he had played a lot of good hockey, it just happened to not go his way (on the stat sheet),” said Team Canada coach Dennis Williams. “That play he made on his own showed what an elite athlete he is.”But there was also the experience of taking on the captaincy that resonated with Wright, and that will undoubtedly help him in the future. “It’s a huge honor, and it comes with a lot of responsibility,” he said. “You have to make sure you’re doing the right things all of the time and keep the guys on track, make sure they’re staying focused and staying on task. And for yourself, you have to set a good example, because those guys are looking up to you and looking at your habits.”After the world juniors, he was assigned back to OHL Kingston, where he had played his entire junior career. Wright became a major trade chip at the deadline. But where would he go? It was a surprise team that won when the Windsor Spitfires came out on top. “I wanted to go to a team that was contending and could win a championship, and Windsor definitely ticked that box,” Wright said. “They’ve also been really good at developing players for the next level, and that’s where I want to be next year. I want to develop into that NHL player, and Windsor can help me.”On top of piling up plenty of points for Windsor – he was averaging nearly two points per game early on – Wright also brings a lot of intangibles to the room. “It’s been a crazy year for sure,” Wright said. “I’ve been in a lot of places and had a lot of teammates. It’s been a lot of fun, and I’ve learned a lot. I’ve grown a lot as a player and a person, playing in the NHL and AHL. Those experiences were incredible, and obviously winning a gold medal at the world juniors was a pretty cool experience. It’s definitely been a whirlwind.”

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