Jan 24: Up and down he goes. Hayden has been recalled once again.
Jan 22: The Seattle Kraken have announced that forward John Hayden has been re-assigned to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds. The re-assignment opens a spot on the Kraken’s 23-man roster in order for GM Ron Francis to make any additional desired moves.
Hayden, 27, was originally recalled from Coachella Valley on January 16th. After four straight seasons as an NHL-only player who offered limited, low-scoring depth play to his team, Hayden got a chance to be a top AHL player when he signed a two-way deal with the Kraken over the summer.
He’s given the Kraken and Firebirds a great return on their investment, having scored 25 points in 34 AHL games. That performance earned Hayden his first NHL game of the season, and he skated in just over eight minutes in the Kraken’s shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche last night.
He now heads back to Coachella Valley where he’s expected to resume his role as a top-six forward for the team. The Firebirds have been one of the best teams in the AHL so far this season, and the return of Hayden to their squad should only bolster head coach Dan Bylsma as he attempts to fend off the Calgary Wranglers’ attempts to pass them for first place in the AHL’s Pacific Division.