A largely forgettable 2025-26 season for the Seattle Kraken included a night to remember. The Kraken honored defenseman Adam Larsson having reached 1,000 NHL games with a pregame ceremony at Climate Pledge Arena on April 2.
Larsson was presented with a portrait, wine, a Rolex watch, airline tickets, and a silver stick commemorating the milestone. His 1,000th game actually came on the road Mar. 24 against the Florida Panthers. The publicly stoic blueliner reflected on the achievement after the season ended.
“It was an awesome night for me and my family. It’s fun to see all the people back from Sweden making their way here and being a part of it. I didn’t really think I would get to that point in my career, but here I am. Seattle did a great job for me and my family with the ceremony. So something I will be forever thankful for.”
If the 33-year old Skelleftea, Sweden native completes the remaining three years of his current $21 million contract, he’ll have played NHL hockey for fully half his life. Larsson broke in at age 18 with New Jersey in 2011. “I still love the sport and I still love this life. It’s something I don’t take for granted.”
Kraken Formula 409
Of all the individual numbers connected to Kraken players, one stands alone as most impressive: 409. In their 5-year history, Seattle has played 410 regular season games; Larsson has participated in all but one.
Even the one he missed shows the character of the 15-year NHL veteran. Larsson was absent from the Kraken’s 3-1 win over Anaheim on April 5, 2024 to attend the birth of his daughter.
The crime is that in five years with the team that drafted him, the Devils, five years with the Oilers, and the last five with the Kraken, Larsson has only had the opportunity to play in 38 playoff games. After 2026 playoff hopes evaporated, Larsson said, “It’s a tough business and it’s a day to day business. It’s not a week here and a week there. It starts in September.”
For the Big Cat, his 16th NHL September is just days away. Luckily, at age 33, Larsson has developed the vision to see beyond wins and losses. “My last five years in Seattle have probably been the most fun I’ve had going to the rink on a daily basis.”
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