SEATTLE — The Seattle Kraken will now be searching for its third head coach in five seasons after it fired Dan Bylsma Monday.
The organization announced a shakeup of its leadership structure Tuesday. Now the Kraken will be hoping to find a long-term fixture at head coach after Bylsma spent just one season in charge.
Under Bylsma, the Kraken missed the postseason and earned 76 points in the 2024-25 season, tied for the fourth-fewest total in the National Hockey League (NHL). After firing Dave Hakstol last season, Seattle earned fewer points with Bylsma at the helm.
Here are potential candidates the Kraken, who have missed the playoffs in three of their four seasons, could be looking for their next head coach position.
Rick Tocchet
Tocchet is a highly coveted head coach currently under contract with Kraken rival Vancouver Canucks. Earlier this week, the Canucks declined its option to retain Tocchet. Instead, the team offered Tocchet a long-term contract that Tocchet has not accepted as of Wednesday.
Hired midseason during the 2022-23 season, Tocchet led the Canucks to a 50-win season and 109 points to claim the Pacific Division title. It was Vancouver's first postseason appearance since the 2019-20 season. The Canadien rivals were one win away from reaching the Western Conference Finals.
Before joining the Canucks, Tocchet spent time as head coach of the Arizona Coyote and Tampa Bay Lightning. He was an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins, which won two Stanley Cups during his time.
Tocchet, a Kraken advisor several years ago, would not have to venture far if he wanted to make Seattle his next home.
Pete Laviolette
The longtime NHL coach was fired Saturday after a losing season with the New York Rangers.
It was a stunning turn considering the Rangers earned the Presidents' Trophy for the most points (114) in the 2024 regular season and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. Laviolette's Rangers fell to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in six games.
If you want experience, Laviolette has it: He's coached 1,594 games in the NHL and won 846 games for six teams. He led the Carolina Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup title in 2006 and secured two conference titles with the Nashville Predators and Philadelphia Flyers.
Gerard Gallant
The Kraken could hire Gallant, the man who held the Rangers' head coaching job before he was fired for Laviolette.
Gallant has had four coaching stints in the NHL over the last two decades, with experience with the Columbus Blue Jackets (2003-2007), Florida Panthers (2014-2017), Vegas Golden Knights (2017-2020) and the Rangers (2021-23). He's made the playoffs in five of his 11 seasons at the helm.
Gallant led the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup in 2018, but his team lost to the Washington Capitals in five games. He also led the Rangers to an Eastern Conference Finals in 2022.
Joel Quenneville
Quenneville, a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks, has not coached in the NHL in four seasons.
As head coach, Quenneville has won 969 NHL games and made the postseason in 20 of his 25 seasons in charge. He was the man behind the bench when the Blackhawks won three Stanley Cups in six seasons.
The 66-year-old started his coaching career in 1997 with the St. Louis Blues, which he helped guide to seven straight playoff berths. He moved on to the Colorado Avalanche before his successful run in Chicago.
Quenneville last coached in 2022 for the Florida Panthers for an abbreviated seven-game stint.
David Carle
Many of the coaches on the list offer years of NHL coaching experience.
Except for Carle, who would be a first-time NHL coach. With the Denver University Pioneers, Carle has spearheaded a team that has won the NCAA Championship in 2022 and 2024. Carle has led the United States to consecutive gold medals at the World Junior Championship in 2024 and 2025.
The 35-year-old from Anchorage, Alaska, is reportedly open to an NHL opportunity.