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Seattle Kraken prospect Shane Wright had a challenging and frantic first season in professional hockey. He began the season with the Kraken in the NHL. However, he lasted eight games before going down to the AHL. Wright then played for Team Canada at the World Juniors before heading to the OHL.
Seattle's 2022 fourth-overall pick ended his season with the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the AHL. He played 24 games in the Calder Cup Playoffs as the Firebirds fell just short of claiming the AHL's biggest prize.
For 2023-24, Wright wants to start and end in the NHL. Overall, though, he has an interesting goal for this upcoming season that may seem a bit bold at first glance.
“I feel like I have a lot of experience at the pro level. To be able to be a mentor and help teach and help [this year's draftees] learn as much as I can and be a role model and be a leader here is what I really want to do,” Wright said, via NHL.com.
Stepping into a mentor role definitely earns a double take when a player with eight NHL games has that ambition. However, his specific aim to help incoming draftees makes this plan a lot more understandable.
The Kraken prospect had a chaotic first professional season. He certainly experienced a lot during that time. And Wright said he picked up a few things in the process, as well. Perhaps he can use what he picked up to aid those coming into the pro hockey world for the first time.
“I learned a lot,” Wright said. “That's probably the biggest thing. I definitely grew a lot as a person and as a player.”
The Kraken earned their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this past season. Let's see if Wright can play a role in the team making a return to the playoffs in Seattle's third year in existence.