Bylsma On Wright, Wright On Bylsma As Coachella Duo Plan Kraken Arrivals

If Dan Bylsma is to have success in his first season as Seattle Kraken coach, center Shane Wright will be a big reason why.

Conversely, the Kraken 2022 4th overall draft pick will need the continuing guidance of the mentor who's coached him for much of the last two seasons with the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

Dan Bylsma on Shane Wright, via AHL.com : "I think this year was a chance to start your pro career, not worry about the outside noise, not worry about projections or draft order or all those things. Just to play some hockey and play like you can and work on your craft and get better."

Shane Wright on Dan Bylsma: "He knows how to prepare us so that we’re always prepared with everything. He knows what to say at the right time. He knows when to keep it light as well. I’ve really taken a lot of things that he’s passed on to me."

Bylsma: "I think there’s a lot that goes into it, both mentally and physically, for an 18-year-old kid leading up to the draft and the projections, not being number one, what that means for your year going into camp. A whole mental side of it that you’re trying to have develop.

"When we got him at the end of the year (in 2022-23), he was still dealing with all these things. This year was an opportunity for him as a person, and mentally and physically he’s put all that stuff behind."

Wright: "It’s hard hockey. Every player is good. It’s a battle every single night. You’ve got to be good. You’ve got to be sharp."

Bylsma: "Playing the American Hockey League schedule, 72 games, he got a chance to do that over and over again. And some of it was good, and some of it was bad. You keep trying to get better at the craft. His game has grown leaps and bounds this year."