Bylsma ready for Kraken job thanks to AHL time
SEATTLE — When Dan Bylsma took the job as an assistant coach in the American Hockey League in 2021, his hope was to rediscover some enjoyment being a coach.
Being back on an NHL bench at that point was the furthest thing from his mind.
“I think I needed to discover the joy of coaching again and changing a little bit in establishing relationships with the players,” Bylsma said. “Having done that over the past three years, it’s led me to this wanting to be the opportunity that I took next.”
Bylsma was introduced as the second head coach in the history of the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday, putting him in charge of an NHL bench for the first time since 2017.
It’s been a bit of a journey for Bylsma since his previous head coaching job at the NHL level in Buffalo. There were a few years as an assistant coach in Detroit after his dismissal in Buffalo. There was the assistant job with the Charlotte Checkers in the AHL during the 2021-22 season that became the stepping stone to taking over as the head coach for the Coachella Valley Firebirds for their first season in 2022-23 as the top affiliate for the Kraken.
And now comes the chance to again oversee a team and see if he can replicate some of the success from his first stint as an NHL head coach in Pittsburgh when he won a Stanley Cup title, made the playoffs six times and won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year.
“He’s worked hard to get back to this level and earn this opportunity,” Seattle general manager Ron Francis said.
Bylsma replaces Dave Hakstol, who was fired following his third season in charge after the Kraken took a significant step backward and struggled badly at the offensive end of the ice. Seattle made the playoffs in its second year and earned Hakstol a two-year contract extension, but he was let go before that extension ever kicked in.
Francis said he interviewed five candidates for the job before eventually choosing Bylsma.
“Watching him work with Coachella Valley the last couple of years, seeing the relationships he had with his players, the effort he had with his players, the effort he got each and every night, the way his teams played … it became clear he was the guy we wanted to lead us at this point,” Francis said.
Going with Bylsma is a decision that must go right for the Kraken management as they continue to try and find a hold in the local sports marketplace – and with the always looming hope of the NBA and the SuperSonics returning sometime in the future.
The team made strides with the unexpected playoff appearance in Year 2, but the backslide last season combined with distribution issues with the local regional sports network led to the team losing some relevance.
The Kraken recently announced it will have over-the-air broadcasts along with a streaming option via Prime Video beginning next season which should help. But ultimately a winning product is what will be needed.
“I think we’re still growing this franchise and we have incredible fans and we want to do right by them. They deserve the best and we want to build our fan base,” Seattle owner Samantha Holloway said.
Before he can fully turn his attention to his new position, Bylsma must finish the job he’s currently doing. Coachella Valley will host Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the Calder Cup playoffs on Wednesday night.
Once finished with his obligations in Seattle, Bylsma was getting back on a plane and headed back to Southern California.
“I think what we’ve built in Coachella Valley with the community and the fans, and the team is a large part of me being here today,” Bylsma said.
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Jake Trotter, ESPN Senior Writer
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan star tight end Colston Loveland has been ruled out of Saturday’s game against No. 11 USC with an undisclosed injury.
Loveland suffered an apparent shoulder injury in last weekend’s win over Arkansas State. Michigan coach Sherrone Moore hasn’t specified the nature of the injury.
A preseason All-American, Loveland leads the Wolverines with 19 catches for 187 yards; no other Michigan pass catcher has more than nine receptions.
The No. 18 Wolverines also changed starting quarterbacks this week, moving from Davis Warren to Alex Orji. Warren had thrown six interceptions in three games, including three last weekend. He threw two picks in a 31-12 loss to Texas on Sept. 7.
Orji has only seven career passing attempts but has rushed for 58 yards in a relief role this season.
Moore said this week that he wants to see Orji “take the reins” of the Michigan offense with his opportunity.
“Excited for him,” Moore said. “I know he’s chomping at the bit.”
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Jeff Passan, ESPN
The Washington Nationals demoted All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams to the minor leagues after he stayed out all night at a Chicago-area casino, leaving only hours before a Friday day game against the Chicago Cubs, sources told ESPN’s Jesse Rogers.
The 23-year-old Abrams led off for the Nationals and went 0 for 3 with a walk and strikeout in Friday’s game, which started at 1 p.m. CT. He was informed of the demotion Friday night, sources said. He will be sent to West Palm Beach, home of the Nationals’ minor league complex.
Because Abrams has been with Washington for the entirety of the season, the demotion will not affect his service time. Players earn a full year of service with 172 days on the major league roster, and Abrams already has exceeded that threshold.
Abrams could, however, file a grievance through the Major League Baseball Players Association to fight for lost pay if he believes the demotion unjust. He would lose around $30,000 of his $752,000 salary for missing the season’s final week. Abrams will be arbitration-eligible this winter, entering the system for the first of four times as a Super 2.
Acquired as one of the centerpieces of the Juan Soto trade two years ago, Abrams parlayed a breakout first-half into an All-Star selection, hitting .268/.343/.489 with 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases over the Nationals’ first 89 games. He struggled significantly in the second half, slashing .203/.260/.326, and Abrams’ defense has been a weakness throughout the season.
Still, the Nationals did not intend to send him to the minor leagues until they learned of his time spent at the casino, which was first reported Friday by CHGO.
“I just want it to be known it wasn’t performance-based,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez told reporters Saturday. “It’s an internal issue. I’m not going to give specifics.”
CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson defensive end Peter Woods will not play for the 21st-ranked Tigers against NC State on Saturday because of a leg injury.
The team announced Woods’ status about 90 minutes before kickoff. Woods, 6-foot-3, 315 pounds, got hurt two weeks ago on a chop block below the knee in a 66-20 victory over App State. Woods came back in briefly after getting checked then missed the second half.
The Tigers were off last weekend.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has said Woods’ playing status was day-to-day. Swinney said Woods had not missed a practice. But Woods came out to the field for warmups in sneakers and sweatpants while other defensive linemen went through drills.
Woods leads the Tigers with 2½ tackles for loss.
Third-year sophomore Jahiem Lawson is listed as Woods’ backup on the depth chart.
NC State will be without starting quarterback Grayson McCall, who was hurt last week in a win over Louisiana Tech. Freshman CJ Bailey started for the Wolfpack.
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