Kraken Extend Contracts for John Hayden, Others

July 1, 6:03 a.m.:

The Kraken re-signed veteran winger Max McCormick to a two-year, two-way deal with a $775K cap hit. McCormick, 32, has been with Seattle since its inception, primarily playing in the minors. He captained the AHL's Coachella Valley Firebirds to back-to-back Calder Cup Final appearances and scored 32 goals and 60 points in 68 games in the 2023-24 season. McCormick has made 11 NHL appearances with Seattle over the past three years without recording a point.

June 30, 4:00 p.m.:

The Kraken signed forward John Hayden to a one-year, one-way contract extension with an average annual value of $775K. Hayden, entering his third year with the Kraken, has played nine NHL games for Seattle since the 2022-23 season, spending most of his time with the AHL's Coachella Valley Firebirds. He contributed significantly to the Firebirds' back-to-back Western Conference Final championships, scoring nine goals and 13 points in the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs.

Seattle also signed Luke Henman, the inaugural Kraken player, to a one-year, two-way extension at the league minimum. Henman, who signed his entry-level contract on May 12, 2021, has played 162 AHL games, contributing 20 goals and 43 points.

Lastly, goaltender Ales Stezka was signed to a one-year, two-way deal at the league minimum. Stezka, who backed up for the Firebirds last season, posted an 18-6-2 record with a 2.48 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage in 27 games. He did not play in the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs, with veteran Chris Driedger starting instead.