shane wright Archives - Boutique Hockey Agency

How Shane Wright’s ‘reset’ helped spark Kraken on successful road trip

Posted on December 16, 2024

SEATTLE, WA – That … went very well, actually.

Six of eight standing points on a dangerous stretch of road games is a certified and somewhat surprising success for the regrouped Kraken. Were it not for some friendly fire against the Devils — two of three New Jersey goals went in off Kraken defensemen — they could have swept the whole thing. Coach Dan Bylsma hoped the significance was felt by his players.

“The change in mindset and how we played,” he added. “This was a tough road trip. We had success in all those games a certain way and that should be pretty evident.”

Shane Wright poised for full-time role with Kraken after whirlwind experience

Posted on August 13, 2024

SEATTLE, WA – Shane Wright’s time to shine in the NHL could be fast approaching.

The No. 4 pick by the Seattle Kraken in the 2022 NHL Draft, with nothing left to prove at the American Hockey League level, appears ready for prime time and a role as full-time center with Seattle for opening night against the St. Louis Blues here Oct. 8.

After a chaotic 2022-23 season that saw Wright bounce between the Kraken, Coachella Valley of the AHL, Canada for the IIHF World Junior Championship and then a return to the Ontario Hockey League, where he was traded from Kingston to Windsor, the 20-year-old was happy to find some normalcy last season and is now enjoying some calmer summer months.

Last season, his first full one as a professional, was strong. He was fifth in scoring for Coachella Valley with 47 points (22 goals, 25 assists) in 59 games. He then had 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 12 games to help the Firebirds reach the Calder Cup Finals, a seven-game loss to Hershey. He also showed progression in his game with five points (four goals, one assist) during a five-game call-up with Seattle in April.

Shane Wright on managing expectations: ‘I’ve had to learn what it’s like to be a pro’

Posted on July 24, 2024

SEATTLE, WA – Shane Wright is still feeling the sting of losing Game 6 of the Calder Cup Finals.

For the second year in a row, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the AHL affiliate of the Seattle Kraken, lost in the finals, with Wright a part of both playoff runs.

Kraken’s Shane Wright Named To AHL Top Prospects Team

Posted on June 25, 2024

SEATTLE, WA – Seattle Kraken’s Shane Wright was named to the AHL Top Prospects Team.

After scoring 22 goals and 47 points in 59 games, Wright was named alongside Logan Stankoven, Jiri Kulich, Brant Clarke, Simon Edvinsson and Yaroslav Askarov on the Top Prospects Team.

Shane Wright’s game growing in ‘leaps and bounds’

Posted on June 20, 2024

COACHELLA VALLEY, CA – So much of Shane Wright’s work this season has centered around the less glamorous but absolutely vital parts of the game.

For any young AHL forward, that might look something like defensive-zone work, tracking, angling, coverages and all of the other elements that go toward making a well-rounded National Hockey League player.

But Wright, the Coachella Valley Firebirds rookie, also managed to record 47 points (22 goals, 25 assists) in 59 regular-season games and earn a spot on the AHL Top Prospects Team.

Wright on track maturing game with Firebirds

Posted on March 21, 2024

COACHELLA VALLEY, CA – It only seems that Coachella Valley Firebirds forward Shane Wright is older than his birth certificate indicates.

Wright, after all, has been a household hockey name for years. Nothing has been normal or routine for him.

He was barely a teenager when he was already attracting attention as an emerging star in the ultra-competitive world of minor hockey in the Greater Toronto Area. His teammates with the Don Mills Flyers included the likes of eventual NHL first-rounders Brandt Clarke and Brennan Othmann. It was that kind of environment that Wright dominated.

Then came 2019 and Hockey Canada granting Wright exceptional-player status, a decision that allowed him to join Kingston of the Ontario Hockey League as a 15-year-old. He delivered on the hype, providing 39 goals and 66 points to win top rookie honors in both the OHL and the Canadian Hockey League.

Shane Wright still working hard as his Kraken camp nears its end

Posted on October 5, 2023

SEATTLE, WA – Kraken prospect Shane Wright was again one of the last players off the ice Wednesday morning before accompanying his travel group to British Columbia for the night’s penultimate preseason game.

Wright’s appearance in a 2-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the B.C. town of Abbotsford will likely be his last this preseason as remaining players leave Thursday for Edmonton, Alberta, and Friday’s finale against the Oilers before the Oct. 10 regular-season opener. It has been a workmanlike training camp for last year’s No. 4 overall draft selection, evidenced not only by Wright staying late after practices but also his picking up on professional hockey nuances.

“I think, overall, I’m feeling more comfortable out there,” Wright, who assisted on a first period Andrew Poturalski goal, said before leaving for Wednesday’s game. “I’m more comfortable holding on to the puck a little bit more, making plays and understanding our systems just a little bit better. And understanding teammates and systems and all that.”

Wright Place, Right Time For Seattle Kraken’s Shane Wright

Posted on April 1, 2023

WINDSOR, ONT – To borrow a line from the legendary Johnny Cash, Shane Wright has been everywhere this season, man. And while no one could have predicted all the locations the talented young center ended up, it feels like the Seattle Kraken prospect is getting precisely the reps he needs after a first half filled with different and challenging experiences.

The tale of Wright’s draft day is well-worn at this point. Seen as the potential No. 1 overall pick, he instead slid to fourth when the Montreal Canadiens opted for a winger in Juraj Slafkovsky. New Jersey didn’t need a center, so they took defenseman Simon Nemec second overall, while Arizona preferred Logan Cooley down the middle. And all of that was just fine with the Kraken, who were more than happy to snap up Wright for their new pipeline.

‘Absolutely poetic’: Shane Wright gets revenge with first NHL goal vs. Canadiens

Posted on December 7, 2022

SEATTLE, WA –

Shane Wright is officially a goal scorer in the NHL, and just as fate would have it, his first tally came against the Montreal Canadiens.

This past summer, the Canadiens passed over the long-expected top pick with their No. 1 overall pick in the NHL Draft, selecting Slovakian forward Juraj Slafkovsky instead.

Wright, who infamously stared down the Canadiens’ table at the draft after the Seattle Kraken selected him fourth overall, also said he was “definitely gonna have a chip on my shoulder” since he fell in the draft.

Sometimes a little chip on your shoulder is a good thing. In this case, it’s paying off with a bit of revenge.

Wright’s first-career NHL goal came in the first period of the Kraken’s game against the Canadiens Tuesday in Seattle, when forward Oliver Bjorkstrand laid the puck on a platter in the low slot for the rookie, who hammered it past netminder Jake Allen.

Not only is it some sweet revenge for Wright, but it’s also a major monkey off his back. The 18-year-old had gone goalless in his first seven NHL games and has struggled to find ice time with the Kraken.