Bob Woods Will Bring Experience To A Young Kraken Roster

The Seattle Kraken hired Bob Woods as an assistant coach in charge of the defence and power plays and his experience will help the young roster now and in the future.

Woods spent the past six years with the Minnesota Wild as an assistant coach and has been on the coaching staff for the Washington Capitals, Anaheim Ducks and Buffalo Sabres before that. In total, he's worked as an assistant coach for 13 seasons.

His vast experience behind the bench of NHL teams will be vital in his success with the Kraken.

Woods lives and breathes hockey and spoke about the sport during his media availability.

"Hockey was always a big part of my life," Woods said. "I have a lot of passion for the sport. Once you get later in your career, you start thinking about what the future looks like. I knew I wanted to stay involved with hockey. I got to be with Bruce there [in Fort Wayne]. I started learning a lot from him ... It was something I wanted to do and a great, great experience. You want to stay involved in the game. It's a great game to be a part of. Hang in there as long as you can."

Besides his assistant coaching experience in the NHL, Woods has head coaching experience from the AHL, ECHL and WHL.

The 56-year-old is excited for the opportunity and has had talks with head coach Dan Bylsma.

"Dan and I have had numerous conversations [about the two assistant coach openings, one of which opened up during the search when former Seattle assistant Jay Leach accepted a similar role for Boston]," said Francis Wednesday. "Dan talked about Bob and his relationship with Bob, and part of my job is doing research. I’ve known Dean Evason for a long time and talked to him about Bob and other people Bob has worked with. He gets rave reviews. I am excited to bring him to work with our defenseman, young and more experienced. He’s got that pedigree to branch both sides."

The Wild have finished in or around the top 10 in the penalty kill many times during Woods' tenure. They've also been one of the better defensive teams for many years.

The Kraken's blue line is filled with star players and young hungry prospects, giving Woods plenty to work with now and in the future.

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