Kraken Hopped Aboard Never-Ending NHL Coaching Carousel

Since Lane Lambert was hired as the coach of the Seattle Kraken 14 months ago, 10 other NHL teams have made more recent coaching changes. If you’re not convinced that’s crazy, keep reading.

Only nine league coaches have been with their present team for at least three years. In the past decade, the Philadelphia Flyers and L.A. Kings have had seven – that’s right, seven – head coaches. Three Pacific Division Kraken rivals besides the Kings are among the teams with six different coaches in the past 10 years.

Coaches By Team Since Start Of 2016-17 NHL Season

7: Flyers, Kings
6: Canucks, Oilers, Flames, Stars, Blackhawks, Panthers, Blue Jackets, Islanders
5: Ducks, Blues, Sabres, Bruins, Senators, Devils, Rangers, Golden Knights
4: Sharks, Mammoth, Jets, Canadiens, Leafs, Capitals
3: Kraken, Wild, Predators, Red Wings
2: Hurricanes, Penguins,
1: Lightning, Avalanche

Footnotes: Mike Babcock is counted for Columbus, although he was fired before coaching a game there; The Utah total includes their former life as the Arizona Coyotes; Vegas joined the NHL in 2017, Seattle in 2021. (Stick tap to StatVault.org.)

Kraken Hoping 3rd Time Is Coaching Charm

Kraken ownership hasn’t been shy about pulling the coaching ripcord. Original coach Dave Hakstol was jettisoned after the team missed the playoffs in 2024. Dan Bylsma was shown the door one year later. Kraken center Matty Beniers is relieved current coach Lambert will at least be returning for his second training camp.

“Different coaches can be good,” Beniers says, “but also can be tough, because you’re trying to get the lay of the land with your new coaches. It’ll be nice this year coming in; we already have a plan in place. It’s building instead of restarting.”

Hired To Be Fired, Hired, Fired, Hired…

While it’s undoubtedly true, as so many have said, “Coaches are hired to be fired,” it’s also true in the NHL that coaches get fired so they can get hired somewhere else.

Kraken, Lambert

Lambert is Seattle is a newbie by that standard, with just one prior head coaching job, on Long Island.

Columbus is the 7th different team for Blue Jackets coach Rick Bowness. L.A. is the 7th different franchise for new Kings coach Peter Laviolette. Islanders coach Pete DeBoer is with his 6th different team.

The all-time record, by the way, is coaching eight different NHL teams, a mark shared by “Iron” Mike Keenan and Roger “Captain Video” Neilson. At one time or another, they both coached the Panthers, Rangers, Flyers and Canucks.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is Tampa Bay’s Jon Cooper. The Lightning hired Cooper in 2013, and he’s now the NHL’s longest-tenured coach. And, he’s never been the bench boss anywhere else in the NHL.