While Seattle Kraken forward Berkly Catton was setting off the pregame siren at Husky Stadium Saturday, Kraken prospects were busy lighting lots of lamps at the Prospect Showcase in Abbotsford, BC.
After Catton (with Joey Daccord cheering him on, above left image) sounded the siren, he and several Kraken teammates – Daccord, Jared McCann, Shane Wright, to name a few – watched the #19 Washington Huskies squeak by the Utah St. Aggies, 16-14.
The scoring was almost as plentiful at the home of the AHL Abbotsford Canucks, where prospects from Vancouver and Seattle faced off in the first of two weekend games. Kraken rookies scored three times in the 2nd and 3rd periods to pull away for a 7-3 victory, backed by Nikke Kokko’s 30 saves.
The teams rematch in the same location Sunday at 1 pm.
Kraken Prospects Benefit From Unexpected Source
Seattle’s surprise star was Justin Janicke, who scored the first and final goals of the game. A surprise, because the Kraken 7th round pick in 2021, 195th overall, wasn’t originally on the roster.
When 2025 1st round pick Jake O’Brien was ruled out of both weekend games as a precaution, that opened up a spot for the 23-year-old Maple Grove, MN native.
“I was at home training, enjoying the summer,” Janicke said with a smile after the game. “I got a call on Thursday at 4 pm, hopped on a flight at 10, got in. It was a bit of a whirlwind. I’m always ready; it’s part of the job.”
Both of Janicke’s goals were of the highlight-reel variety. In the 1st period, he skated in alone from the blue line, going forehand-backhand and lifting the puck over the prone Vancouver netminder.
Speaking of prone, Janicke was horizontal and a foot off the ice in the 3rd period, when he scored for a second time. After being tripped, Janicke had the presence of mind to poke the puck into the net while airborne. I don’t want to say it conjured memories of Bobby Orr flying through the air after the Cup-winning goal in 1970, but when else might Justin Janicke get mentioned in the same paragraph as Bobby Orr?
Kraken Prospect Practices Carpe Diem
“You’re being evaluated every time you step on the ice,” said AHL Coachella Valley Firebirds coach Derek Laxdal, who was directing the Kraken prospects. “Try and make an impression, not only on your teammates, but on the organization. These kids have been bottled up all summer. They want to show what they can do.”
Specifically about Janicke he said, “It’s a great story.”
The 6-foot, 180 pound winger spent most of last season at ECHL Kansas City, where he helped the Mavericks to the best regular season record in the league and a Western Conference championship. “Coach’s message was ‘seize the opportunity,'” Janicke said. “The best availability is availability.”
Now you can seize the opportunity to watch all seven Kraken prospect goals (just below here), including two by 4th round 2023 pick Andrei Loshko.
Earlier Kraken:
— Impressive Showings Lifted Kraken Goalie Prospect To KHL Starter
Earlier Canucks:
— The Craziest Canucks-Kraken Hockey Drive
VIDEO: All 7 Kraken prospect goals:
