Ten Seattle Kraken players had blink-and-you’ll-miss-it careers wearing the “S” with the red eye; defined as fewer than 10 games with the club. One of them wore the jersey in the above photo, immortalized at the Hockey Hall of Fame.
For this exercise, we’re not counting players still under contract to the franchise. That lets out goalie prospects Victor Ostman (2 games) and, Nikke Kokko (4 games), as well as restricted free agents Ville Ottavainen (1 game), Logan Morrison (4 games), and Gustav Olofsson (4 games).
Let’s spend a few moments remembering the first five of the Short Term 10.
Ales Stezka, Goalie, 1 Kraken Game (2024-25)
Claim to Kraken fame: Stezka, at age 28, made his NHL debut with Seattle on Feb. 23, 2025 in Tampa, Fla. He made 19 saves, surrendering three goals to the Lightning in a 4-1 loss.
Where is he now? Although teammate Matty Beniers said, “He stood tall the whole night,” the start in Tampa would also be the only one of Stezka’s career. He just completed the first season of a three-year contract with Brno Kometa in his home country of Czechia.
Marián Studenič, Right Wing, 2 Kraken Games (2023-24)
Claim to Kraken fame: Studenič only played for Seattle in the province of Ontario, 16:13 total TOI in losses at Ottawa and Toronto. They would be the final two games of his NHL career.
Where is he now? A week after playing for the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the 2023 Calder Cup Final, Studenič signed to play in Sweden. He’s skated for Farjestads BK Karlstad the past two seasons.
Andrew Poturalski, Center, 2 Kraken Games (2023-24)
Claim to Kraken fame: As part of a stellar, decade-long AHL career, Poturalski played on back-to-back Western Conference champion Firebirds teams in 2022 and 2023.
Where is he now? Poturalski won two Calder Cups, one AHL MVP and three league scoring titles. He played last season in Russia’s KHL.
Alex Barré-Boulet, Forward, 2 Kraken Games (2021-22)
Claim to Kraken fame: Barré-Boulet didn’t make it to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, but his jersey did. That’s his #12 sweater in the featured photo. Seattle placed him on waivers after the franchise’s first month. He was snapped up by his former team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, scoring against Seattle on Oct. 30, 2023.
Where is he now? Barré-Boulet played two games for the Avalanche this season, and was a member of the Colorado Eagles which ousted Coachella Valley from this year’s AHL playoffs.
Dennis Cholowski, Defense, 4 Kraken Games (2021-22)
Claim to Kraken fame: Cholowski was on ice for the first home shutout in club history, a 3-0 whitewash of the San Jose Sharks on Apr. 29, 2022. Claim-jumping: the defenseman, claimed from Detroit in the 2021 expansion draft, was claimed off waivers by Washington in October, then claimed back by Seattle in February, 2022.
Where is he now? Cholowski played 33 games total last season, 17 with the NJ Devils, 16 at AHL Utica.
In our next installment, the second half of the Short-Term 10 Seattle players.
Earlier Seattle:
— Contract Talks With Bobby McMann Held; Nothing Decided
