The Seattle Kraken have only been around for two full seasons, and 2024 will mark their third All-Star Game since they started play in 2021-22. Therefore, if you are a fan of the Kraken, you are in for quite a ride if you decide to watch the 2024 NHL All-Star Draft tonight at 3 PM PST.
Long before the Kraken’s time, the NHL held a draft format in 2011, 2012, and 2015, meaning the players did not represent their respective conference or division. Instead, they played under a captain like Eric Staal (2011), Daniel Alfredsson (2012), and Jonathan Toews (2015).
We will see four captains in 2024, with Auston Matthews heading up one team. At the same time, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Quinn Hughes will field others. Besides the captains, each team will also have one alternate captain and a celebrity captain.
Morgan Rielly serves as Team Matthews’ alternate, while Leon Draisaitl teams up with McDavid, and Cale Makar joins MacKinnon. Jack Hughes was going to team up with his brother, but he will unfortunately miss the game, even if he, like the other captains mentioned, will help construct Team Hughes.
Finally, celebrities Justin Bieber, Michael Buble, Will Arnett, and Tate McRae will join the captains and alternate captains on Team Matthews, Hughes, McDavid, and MacKinnon, respectively.
Oliver Bjorkstrand makes Seattle Kraken history in 2024
Unlike 30 of the NHL’s 32 teams, the Kraken is one of just two (the other being the Vegas Golden Knights) that have never experienced the fantasy draft format. Therefore, Oliver Bjorkstrand will make history as the franchise’s first All-Star to participate in this unique process.
So far this season, Bjorkstrand has seen time in 50 contests, scoring 40 points, 13 goals, and 27 assists. He has also recorded an effective six goals on the power play, plus two game-winning goals so far in 2023-24, with quite a few more surely to come when the league resumes play later this month.