Kraken Coach Lowry on last season: �We Didn't Have Enough Wins'

Impatience isn't limited to the young. It often finds a home in the suites of sports team owners.

This might have been a factor in the dismissal of Seattle Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol after three seasons, with the first and third falling short of a playoff berth. Assistant coach Paul McFarland also lost his job.

«This is the part of the business you don't sign up for,» says Kraken assistant Dave Lowry, who remained on the coaching staff. «Two guys lose their jobs, and these are great people. The details, preparation, and work that Dave and Paul put in, these guys are workers. I know both of them will land on their feet and have future success in this league.»

When former assistant Jay Leach was passed over for the head coaching job that went to Dan Bylsma, he left for a similar role with the Boston Bruins. That left Lowry as the lone survivor in Seattle from the quartet that had coached the Kraken since Day 1. Bylsma recently announced that Lowry would be retained, alongside newly-named assistants Jessica Campbell and Bob Woods.

«We were surprised» by the firings, Lowry admitted on the Cam & Strick podcast. «We knew something was probably going to happen. But until it happens, right? That's the unfortunate thing; in this business, you're judged by wins and losses, and we didn't have enough wins.»

High stakes, high speed, and big bodies mean NHL players will take «liberties» with opponents when the opportunity arises - and when referees are otherwise occupied. For practical reasons, immediate payback isn't always possible or practical. As a 19-year NHL veteran, Lowry knew full well how to «get the number of that truck.»

«There are ways to get guys, right? That's playing the game the right way, understanding the game within the game. Sometimes it takes a little bit of time to get even, but you always remember,» he explained.

Two decades of coaching NHL and WHL teams haven't dulled that passion. «There's still that fire sometimes when you're standing behind the bench.» Should an opponent do one of his players dirty, «Something might pop out (of my mouth), �Something needs to be done about this.'»

Lowry also cleared up a mystery surrounding a new-school coaching technique: initiating a video review, even when replays show it has little chance of success. «Most of the time you have a really good idea. But there are times when it's going to be a borderline call. You know you're probably not going to win it. But if you're really comfortable with your PK, you're making that call for the goalie. You're battling for your goalie, and he knows it.»

«This league can humble guys in a hurry. Obviously, things didn't go his way. One of the biggest challenges was that he wasn't sneaking up on anybody. He never had an easy night. If he wasn't seeing their top players, he was going to see their best defensive players.

«He never wavered. He came every day - and this kid works, he loves the game. You have to kick him off the ice. This kid's got a real bright future. He's an absolute gem to work with. The biggest thing is, he'll be ready. He'll be a year older, a year stronger. He knows what the expectations are, not only for the organization but for himself personally.»

«He's growing into becoming a leader. That experience in our room is huge. When he was in St. Louis, he was a good player, but he wasn't one of the guys that were looked upon to change the outcome of the game.»

«He's got a great shot, real good speed. For �Canner,' I think there's upside. There's more. If you have a 40-goal scorer and a coach saying, �There's more,' that's the exciting part about coaching - finding ways to extract more out of players. (During a late-season game in Anaheim), he got pulled down on an empty net. So really, he should have had 30 goals. I hope he didn't have a huge bonus for that, because he ended up with 29.»

«The biggest thing with Shane was COVID. He missed a year of hockey. Some of these other leagues were playing. That kind of sets you back.

«Then you come in, you have all this pressure. I feel for the kid, simply because he's been under a microscope for a long period of time. Playing in Ontario, projected to be a number one (overall pick), all of a sudden isn't a number one guy. Everyone starts asking questions. Sometimes, it becomes a little bit of doubt in the player.

«The encouraging thing is, he came up for a couple of games earlier in the year. He went back down. He came up at the end of the year; he was a different player. He scored some goals, he was playing on the inside. He had some pace into his game, some confidence. The opportunity to play in the American League allowed him to get his swagger back. That is real encouraging when you watch a player you have high expectations for, come back and give you a taste of what is to come.»