Contract Extension Keeps Hakstol In Seattle Through 2025-26 Season
They can't all be Barry Trotz.
The now-general manager of the Nashville Predators coached his first game with the expansion franchise in 1998. By the time he left in 2014, Trotz had been behind the Preds' bench for 1,196 games - by far the most of any first coach of an expansion franchise.
Seattle Kraken coach Dave Hakstol still has quite a way to go to catch Trotz, but with a two-year extension signed this week, he's poised to zoom past many of the other first franchise coaches. (See list below.)
Editor's Note: Later today, we'll report on the press conference held to discuss the contract extension, which runs through the 2025-26 season.
Phil Goyette, coach of the expansion New York Islanders in 1972-73, lasted just 50 games. Jimmy Anderson, first coach of the Washington Capitals in 1974-75, was dismissed after 54 games (winning four).
It's fair to point out that Goyette, Anderson, and other expansion coaches of the 20th century were handed far inferior rosters than those of more recent NHL additions, especially Vegas and Seattle.
In fact, speaking about the Golden Knights during their expansion season, Trotz was quoted by russianmachineneverbreaks.com. "They’re not a real expansion team, just to let you know,” Trotz said, smiling. “Real expansion teams don’t have 33 wins after [49] games. That’s the new expansion."
Trotz went on to discuss his own first Nashville squad, with comments which surely resonate for members of the original Kraken.
“I know a lot of the guys around the first expansion team, we’re still all in contact and friends,” Trotz said. “It’s hard to explain because you’re part of something very, very special that only one group will get a chance to do.
"When you’re an expansion group, you love coming to the rink every day. Because it’s fun. You’ve got a chip on your shoulder. Everything’s brand new. Everything from your locker room to your fans, everything is new so it doesn’t get stale on you.”
(The list below omits teams from the first expansion in 1967, because the circumstances of those six clubs was vastly different than those that followed.
