The Seattle Kraken announced today that they’ve signed an affiliation agreement with the ECHL’s Allen Americans. It marks the second minor-league affiliation Seattle’s signed, supplementing their one-year pact with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Terms of the agreement have yet to be disclosed.
Needless to say, this agreement marks Seattle’s first foray into ECHL affiliation. Allen, located just to the north of Dallas, TX, was not affiliated with an NHL team last season.
While the Kraken don’t have a full roster by any means in terms of players under NHL contracts, Allen could still prove valuable to the organization this season. There’s expected to be a logjam for playing time in Charlotte, as they’re sharing an affiliate for this season only with the Florida Panthers. It could mean that a player like Luke Henman, who was the first to sign a contract with the Kraken this summer, is assigned there to have a more everyday role. The same could go for one of Seattle’s two goalies designated for the minors, most likely Antoine Bibeau as he’ll be preceded by Joey Daccord on the depth chart.
Regardless, it’s not exactly common that one sees an ECHL player called up for NHL action. While it’s usually only seen for goalies under emergency situations (see Michael Houser), the ECHL can still serve as a valuable step in the developmental path for prospects. While the Kraken won’t be able to fully stock those cupboards for a year or two, it could be a sign of a long-standing agreement.
