The Seattle Kraken started three consecutive seasons from 2023-25 with a different head coach. Kraken captain Jordan Eberle spoke about the benefits of Lane Lambert being behind the bench for a second year, plus how he keeps up at age 36 will all the NHL’s young talent.
“We’ve gone through a couple of coaches the last few years. Anytime you have a new coach, the message, even just the wording, a lot of it’s different.
“Guys knowing the bar (this season) and the expectation and the mandate that we’re trying to set here gave us a leg up for sure. Guys know Lane’s demeanor. They know what to expect from him. They know his practices, his drills. He can say a drill and we can go right into it.
“We’re a little bit more familiar with each other. I look at some of the best power plays in the league. They’ve been together for years. Our goal this year is to be consistent, competitive, and try and make some growth off what we did last year.
“Things that we’ve tried to key on are forechecks, trying to get more pressure and create turnovers and quick-strike off of that. The big reason why we probably didn’t have success near the end of the season was because of that.”
Kraken Captain: Smarts Can Neutralize Speed
“The game has gotten exponentially fast. As you get older, obviously, that’s the first thing that guys say tends to go, your foot speed. I’ve worked a lot just to try and maintain that.
“I’ve always tried to lean on my brain, thinking and trying to arrive to the right areas on time, being a step ahead with playmaking or decision making. I find that if I can out-think and be in the right areas, a lot of times speed kind of negates itself.
“What comes with that is being in good shape. To do that through 60 minutes for 84 games is not an easy task.
“Going back to when I was younger, I didn’t tend to touch my gear until, July-ish. Now you finish the season and you’re on the ice a couple weeks later. You look at some of the best players in the game now, that’s what they’re doing. And if you’re not doing that, you’re falling behind.
“Off ice stuff, you work on sprints, you work on your leg strength. As you get older, it’s about trying to stay healthy and trying to maintain that throughout a season in order to sustain longevity.”
Quotes from the “100% Hockey” podcast.
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