The red, white, and deep sea will mix this spring after Matty Beniers and Joey Daccord were named to the first wave of players on the United States roster for the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship, which starts May 9 in Denmark and Sweden. It’s familiar territory for Beniers, who already owns World Junior gold and Olympic experience, but a landmark first for Daccord, the Kraken’s breakout No. 1 goaltender.
Beniers brings all-situations spark
Even in a season where Seattle’s offense sputtered, the 22-year-old center kept driving play. Beniers reached the 20-goal plateau on the final night of the campaign and finished with 43 points, but raw numbers only hint at his value. His relentless back-pressure and knack for winning draws in key moments routinely flipped possession for a Kraken squad that spent too many nights chasing games.
On a U.S. forward group already stacked with pure scorers like Tage Thompson and Clayton Keller, Beniers’ 200-foot engine could be the secret ingredient. In Seattle he averaged a shade over two minutes on the power play and dabbled on the penalty kill, but most of his heavy lifting came at five-on-five. The wider international ice and tighter roster format give head coach Ryan Warsofsky a perfect laboratory to see whether Beniers can shoulder a bigger special-teams load—experience that would pay dividends when he’s back centering the Kraken next fall.
There’s also a psychological edge. Beniers helped shock Canada in the 2021 World Junior final and snatched bronze at Men’s Worlds the same summer. He thrives in winner-take-all settings; expect him to relish an opening-night duel with host Denmark, where Seattle prospect Oscar Fisker Molgaard is likely to suit up opposite him.
Daccord’s calm hand in the crease
For the first time since the Kraken arrived, a Seattle netminder will wear the U-S-A crest. Daccord’s call-up comes after a heavy-usage season in which he posted a .906 save percentage, 2.75 goals-against average, and two shutouts—figures that landed in the league’s lower half but still kept Seattle competitive on most nights. His numbers sagged down the stretch as the 29-year-old shouldered one of the NHL’s top-ten workloads despite a brief IR stint, yet USA Hockey sees upside in his calm puck-handling and knack for timely stops. There’s some concern about piling extra games onto a taxed body, but the chance to battle top international shooters could sharpen Daccord for a lighter, more structured workload with the Kraken next fall.
The American crease is wide-open. Jeremy Swayman is just two seasons removed from Vezina chatter, but his most recent campaign (3.11 GAA, .892 SV%) was the roughest of his young career. That leaves an opening for Daccord to grab the starter’s net, while college phenom Hampton Slukynsky gains experience as the future. Daccord’s puck-handling adds a “third-defenseman” dimension on Europe’s wider ice, and a strong preliminary outing could cement him as the go-to option for the medal rounds—giving both he and Swayman a chance to bury their NHL struggles under a red, white, and blue reset.
For Seattle, the experience doubles as free development time. One knock on Daccord is workload; he started 62 of 82 Kraken games. A shorter Worlds stint in a three-goalie rotation keeps him sharp without overtaxing him, and facing powerhouses like Sweden and Canada offers reps against top-six-heavy lineups the rebuilding Kraken can’t simulate.
The road ahead
Team USA convenes in Düsseldorf on May 2 for a short camp and exhibition against Germany before flying to Herning. A strong preliminary round could set up a knockout path that avoids juggernauts Sweden and Canada until the medal games—a realistic route to the Americans’ first gold since 1960.
For Kraken fans, the tournament offers bonus hockey and a glimpse at what the franchise’s next era might look like when its best young center and cornerstone goalie hit their prime together. Whether Beniers is killing penalties against Finland or Daccord is stoning the Czechs on a late power play, every rep gained abroad is one they’ll bring back to Climate Pledge Arena in October.
So set those morning alarms—puck drop in Denmark is breakfast time in the Pacific Northwest—and watch Seattle’s future help chase American gold.