First Franchise Playoff Victory (2024)

Lore & Background

For the first two seasons of the Kraken's existence, the postseason had been a cruel tutor. The 2022 inaugural campaign saw the young franchise charge into the playoffs with electric energy, only to fall short in the first round. The 2023 run carried similar promise but ended the same way. Each elimination left a residue of frustration in the fanbase at Climate Pledge Arena, a building that had opened with the team and grown into a cathedral of expectation. The organization, led by General Manager John Hayden, had been methodical in its approach—drafting talent, developing young players, and building a defensive identity that would serve the franchise long-term. The patience was understandable but also maddening for a city that had waited decades for an NHL team.

The 2024 postseason changed the narrative. When the Kraken locked down their first full playoff series, the energy in the arena was unlike anything the building had hosted. The city that had rallied around the team through two years of near-misses could finally celebrate a complete victory. It was not a championship, and the franchise had a long road ahead, but in the context of a three-year-old expansion club, the significance was enormous. It proved the roster could execute under pressure, that the coaching staff could navigate a full series, and that the fanbase's faith had been warranted.

The victory also cemented a rivalry dimension in the Pacific Division. The Kraken, no longer a novelty, now had a postseason identity. Future matchups carried the weight of a team that had tasted success, and the franchise entered subsequent seasons with the psychological advantage of knowing they could win a series when it mattered most.

In Their Own Story

The arena hummed at a frequency only Seattle fans know—the low, sustained roar that builds in the third period when the score is one goal and the clock is under four minutes. A player skates hard up the left wing, stickhandling through traffic, and the crowd noise swells into a wall of sound that vibrates in your chest. The puck flies, the net ripples, and for a split second the arena goes silent. Then the horn. Then the explosion. Strangers hug. A kid in the third row is lifted onto a seat, screaming. Someone's beer goes over the railing and splashes onto a stranger's coat, and the stranger just laughs, soaking and grinning. In the press box, a beat writer sets down her pen and stares at the scoreboard, already knowing the headline she'll type in about ninety seconds. Three years. Three years of almost. And now, finally, the Kraken have a series. The city exhales.

Reader's Guide

The Seattle Kraken entered the NHL as an expansion franchise in the 2021-22 season, making them the league's newest team. Their first two postseason appearances (2022 and 2023) ended in first-round eliminations, a common but painful pattern for young clubs still finding their identity.

The 2024 playoffs delivered the franchise's first complete series win. This record—holding the distinction of the Kraken's inaugural playoff series victory—belongs to the team as a whole, spanning the roster, coaching staff, and front office that carried the club through its first three seasons.

The record is set in the context of the Pacific Division, where the Kraken compete against established powers like the Kings, Ducks, and Stars. Winning a series in that division as a three-year-old team carries particular weight, as it signals the franchise is no longer a developmental project but a competitive force.

The victory is held at Climate Pledge Arena, the team's home venue since 2021. The record stands as a milestone in the franchise's short history and a benchmark against which future playoff runs will be measured.

Did You Know?

• The Kraken were announced as an NHL expansion team in 2018 and began play in the 2021-22 season, making their first playoff series win a product of just three seasons of competition.
• Climate Pledge Arena, the Kraken's home, opened in 2021 and has hosted every one of the franchise's playoff games to date.
• As an expansion team, the Kraken entered the 2024 playoffs with the shortest active franchise history in the NHL, making the series win a rare milestone for a club so young.
• The Kraken's General Manager John Hayden has overseen the franchise's entire existence, meaning this first playoff series win is the first postseason success of his tenure.