In his brief stint with the New York Islanders, newly hired Seattle Kraken head coach Lane Lambert lived and died by his defensive structure, and he plans to do so again in his second stint as a head coach. 

Lambert spoke to the media for the first time since the Kraken unveiled him as their third head coach in franchise history, sharing his excitement for the next chapter in his life. 

"Being a coach in the National Hockey League is a privilege at any level, and being a head coach is an honor," Lambert said at his introductory press conference. "There are only 32 of these positions, and I’m greatly honored to take this one."

Lambert's transition from working as an associate coach in the biggest market in hockey and one of the original six teams to the newest franchise in the NHL is a major change, but one he is ready for due to the brand of hockey he wants his team to play. 

"Our defensive structure, the identity that we played with, I'm proud of that. There's certain little things that I'll look into changing. But at the end of the day, I'm proud of what happened in New York," said Lambert. 

"I’m looking forward to getting training camp started in September and building our culture and identity right from Day 1." 

That culture and identity will focus on being one of the hardest teams to score on, like the Islanders and the Toronto Maple Leafs were. Defensive centers thrive under Lambert, which could help Shane Wright and Matty Beniers have breakout campaigns they have been hoping for. 

"I'm proud of the defensive abilities that my teams have. However, in saying that, defense is about regaining possession of the puck. If you don't have the puck, you know you're in trouble. The faster you can get the puck back, the more structure you get back. Then it turns into a transition game. The transition is so important in this league. Yes, we'll be strong defensively, but we will also create offense. We'll play fast, we'll be aggressive, we'll be at the net in the offensive zone, we'll shoot pucks."

Wright and Beniers excel in stick checks and puck battles, and with added pressure as a unit, it'll help them regain possession more frequently and create more offence. 

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Video: Lane Lambert Officially Introduced As Kraken Head Coach — “Felt Like Joining a Family” <br>