You might think of forward Berkly Catton as a Seattle Kraken, but at one time he described himself as a different sea creature.
An annual ritual held before the NHL Draft is the NHL Combine. Earlier this month, front office personnel from every team congregated in Buffalo. As in past years, they watched top prospects perform various fitness tests, along with conducting in-person player interviews.
When it was Catton’s interview turn in 2024, he was asked by the Montreal Canadiens which animal he resembled. “I picked a dolphin,” said Catton, chosen 8th overall by Seattle. “Something smart but slippery out there.”
History-Laden Franchise Has Non-Traditional Tradition
The Canadiens are infamous for their yearly – take your pick – innovative? quirky? weird? non-traditional interview questions. Here’s a list gathered from various hockey websites.
- “If you were stuck in a closet with an 18-foot King Cobra, what would do you?”
- “If you were on a desert island with no fresh water for a day, but the person next to you had a water bottle, would you kill that person for their water bottle?”
- “What would you do if (coach) Martin St-Louis asked you if you’d seen (captain) Nick Suzuki the night before at 3 am at a casino?”
- “Do you save your men or do you do your job of blowing up a submarine?”
And according to danslescoulisses.com, “The organization handed prospects a puck, pointing them toward a garbage can. Throw it in, the Canadiens told prospects, from anywhere in the room. If they missed, Montreal wouldn’t draft them.”
Very Superstitious, Nothing More To Say
Coachella Valley captain Max McCormick, who announced his retirement last week, recalled the Firebirds’ 2023 and 2024 trips to the AHL Calder Cup Finals.
“The superstitions kind of got out of hand in those playoff runs. You do something weird, or something happens before a game, and you win that game and it’s like, well, now we’ve got to do that next game.
“Ridiculous superstitions. But you’re having a good time in the locker room. Obviously, when you’re in the playoffs and a deep run, there’s a lot of pressure, a lot of travel, a lot of physical demands. So to be able to keep it light and have some laughs in the locker room, it just makes it a lot of fun.”
Speaking Of Captains…
You’ve probably heard reports that Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin has requested a trade. You’ve certainly heard that the Kraken are desperate to upgrade their roster.
The 29-year-old Larkin has four years remaining on his contract, which also includes a full no-trade clause he’d have to wave. Packed within that sentence are three reasons its highly unlikely he’ll move from the Octopus team to the Kraken team.
Reports indicate the front-line center has submitted a very short list of teams he’s willing to leave for, and Seattle isn’t on it. Also, the Wings don’t have to trade him. Finally, Larkin turns 30 in July. In the somewhat snarky opinion of DobberHockey.com’s Lucas Main, “Larkin does not fit the middle-six narrative that is the entire Kraken lineup, so nope.”
One-Time Kraken Teammates Reunite On Links
Vince Dunn and Brandon Tanev were Kraken teammates from 2021 until Tanev was dealt at the 2025 trade deadline. For one day in Caledon, Ontario, they teamed up again – and won.
The occasion was a golf exhibition prior to the RBC Canadian Open, which is holding its final round Sunday at TPC Toronto. “Dunn and Tanev secured the win,” reported GolfCanada.ca, “with 39 Stableford points and shooting a net score of 8-under 62.” To the victors went free tickets on Turkish Airlines.
Individually, Tanev birdied the final two holes to finish +1 on the par-70 course. Dunn shot +6. Six pairs of NHL players participated. Dunn & Tanev finished five shots ahead of the pairing of Michael Misa (San Jose Sharks) and Nick Lardis (Chicago Blackhawks).
“Not often you get to play a great course like this,” said Tanev, now a Utah Mammoth forward. “We had a great day, a lot of great people. Vince and I played some good golf, which was fun.”
Earlier Kraken:
— Kraken Hire Ex-Canucks GM Allvin
Earlier Torrent:
— Torrent Promote Bumstead To New Head Coach
