FILE - Tod Leiweke, Seattle Kraken CEO, shows off the new Kraken jersey with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe patch on Feb. 22, 2023, at the Kraken Community Iceplex in Seattle. (Kevin Clark/The Seattle Times via AP, File)
FILE - Tod Leiweke, Seattle Kraken CEO, shows off the new Kraken jersey with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe patch on Feb. 22, 2023, at the Kraken Community Iceplex in Seattle. (Kevin Clark/The Seattle Times via AP, File)
SEATTLE - By his second season as co-owner of the Kraken, Tod Leiweke had witnessed firsthand just how impactful a successful team can be for the city of Seattle.
The Kraken not only qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs in their second year of existence, the 2022-23 season, but they also advanced to the second round, in which they lost to the Dallas Stars in seven games. Leiweke joked Thursday that some oblivious fans left a handful of those home playoff games after the second intermission, unaware that hockey didn鈥檛 feature solely a halftime like basketball or football games.
鈥淲e saw the potential in year two,鈥 Leiweke said. 鈥淚t was incredible.鈥
That was as much fooling around as Leiweke engaged in, though, a day removed from the Kraken announcing that Ron Francis will step down as president of hockey operations at the end of the season.
鈥淥ne of the lousy parts of this job,鈥 Leiweke said, 鈥渨as a day like yesterday.鈥
Francis, 63, was promoted from his longtime role as general manager in April 2025, shortly after the Kraken fired coach Dan Bylsma. The Kraken said it was a mutual decision between the organization and Francis to part ways, and Leiweke added it would be a 鈥渇air assessment鈥 to say the Hall of Famer was fatigued by his front office role.
鈥淚 think it was hard to take him from GM to president,鈥 Leiweke said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 such a respectful guy that he actually took a step back. I think that was an incredible decision for him. And, I think he realized that maybe this is the right time.鈥
When Francis was promoted, Jason Botterill was elevated to general manager and took over day-to-day responsibilities. Leiweke said Botterill鈥檚 decisions as general manager will now be 鈥渦niquely his,鈥 and that the former Buffalo Sabres GM has identified some candidates to conduct an internal audit to uncover different ways the Kraken can improve.
Entering Thursday night鈥檚 game against the Vegas Golden Knights, Seattle is 32-34-11, has lost 10 of its last 11 games and is tied with the New York Rangers for the fourth-fewest points (75) of any team in the NHL.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not acceptable,鈥 Leiweke said, 鈥渁nd we鈥檙e committed to fixing it.鈥
It was one of a handful of times Leiweke referred to the 2025-26 season as falling short of expectations during his half-hour press conference.
On numerous occasions, Leiweke apologized to the fans of Seattle, a group whose passion for sports has in part led the NBA to consider expanding past its current 30-team footprint and explore the process of adding a franchise in the Emerald City.
鈥淲hen I agonize over winning and losing, it鈥檚 really on behalf of the fans,鈥 Leiweke said. 鈥淭hey deserve better.鈥
While the Kraken are nearing mathematical elimination from the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, Leiweke is confident the team can improve 鈥 and quickly. Seattle is projected to have over $29 million in cap space this summer, per CapFriendly, and Leiweke would like Botterill to be at the helm of a 鈥減rolific鈥 offseason when it comes to attracting free agents to the Pacific Northwest.
Since Seattle鈥檚 inception, the franchise has brought aboard proven commodities via free agency like forward Chandler Stephenson and defenseman Brandon Montour, each of whom are signed through the 2030-31 season. Otherwise, luring top talent to Seattle has proven a difficult endeavor, and the Kraken have relied on their prospects for reinforcements.
Seattle鈥檚 top minor league affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, have locked up a playoff spot in the American Hockey League and comprise one of the more heralded farm systems in the NHL.
From Leiweke鈥檚 perspective, the Kraken aren鈥檛 terribly far away from competing again for playoff spots. However, he would prefer for Seattle to be more than a fringe contender.
鈥淲hat we want to build is not a team that just sneaks into the playoffs,鈥 Leiweke said. 鈥淲e think what we should be building here is a team that鈥檚 a perennial playoff team.鈥
Talk is cheap, though, when such a development has eluded the Kraken four of their first five years of existence. Leiweke might not view the franchise as a reclamation project, but half a decade of evidence would suggest otherwise.
If Seattle is to start competing with bellwether Western Conference franchises like the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers, more changes may be necessary for a team that is already on its third head coach in five seasons.
鈥淪omething is out of alignment here,鈥 Leiweke said, 鈥渁nd we鈥檙e going to get it fixed.鈥
