Kraken appoint Lane Lambert as their third coaching personnel
Seattle Kraken Appoint Lane Lambert as Third Head Coach in Franchise History
The Seattle Kraken have announced Lane Lambert as their new head coach, marking the third individual to hold the position in the franchise's history. Lambert brings with him extensive NHL coaching experience, having served as both an assistant and associate coach for various teams.
Lambert guided the New York Islanders for a season and a half, his only prior experience as an NHL head coach. Before his tenure with the Islanders, he held assistant coaching roles with the Nashville Predators from 2011 to 2014 and the Washington Capitals from 2014 to 2018, where he played a part in their 2018 Stanley Cup triumph.
Previously, Lambert spent the 2024-25 season as associate coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs under head coach Craig Berube. Notably, under Lambert's guidance, the Maple Leafs' penalty kill significantly improved, climbing from 23rd in the NHL during the 2023-24 season (76.9%) to fourth-best (81.6%) in the regular season of 2024-25.
The appointment comes after the Kraken eliminated Dan Bylsma as their former AHL coach on April 21, 2025, following just one season on the NHL bench. This change coincided with a wider front-office shake-up, with Ron Francis assuming the role of president of hockey operations and Jason Botterill taking over as general manager.
As the Kraken have missed the playoffs in three out of their four years, including the past two, the franchise aims to capitalize on Lambert's wealth of NHL coaching experience in an effort to improve and contend for postseason positions moving forward.
The third head coach in Seattle Kraken's history, Lane Lambert, hails from a rich background in NHL coaching, having worked as both an assistant and associate coach for various teams. Lambert, who led the New York Islanders for a period, will now bring his experience to the Seattle Kraken, a franchise hoping to improve and contest for playoff positions in the near future. Interestingly, prior to joining the Kraken, Lambert was an associate coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he significantly improved their penalty kill from 23rd in the NHL to fourth-best. This appointment comes after the Kraken's decision to eliminate Dan Bylsma as their former AHL coach, a move that was part of a broader front-office shake-up involving the appointments of Ron Francis as the president of hockey operations and Jason Botterill as general manager.
In addition to the Kraken's focus on hockey, Seattle is also known for its other sports teams. The Seattle Mariners, for instance, are a prominent Major League Baseball team, while football enthusiasts follow the Seattle Seahawks, who play in the National Football League. It's worth noting that, despite the popularity of these teams, the Kraken's appointment of Lambert indicates a strong commitment to NHL hockey in Seattle.
