Canada’s Shane Wright, center, and Dylan Guenther, left, return to the bench after a goal past Austrian goalkeeper Benedikt Oschgan, right, during the first period of a World Junior Hockey Championships game from the IIHJ on Thursday, December 29, 2022, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. (Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press via AP)
PA
SEATTLE
The Seattle Kraken reassigned first-round pick Shane Wright to the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League on Friday, a day after Wright helped Canada win a world junior title.
Wright, who turned 19 on Thursday, has played eight games for Seattle this season. But he’ll play the rest of the year at the junior level because of the NHL’s deal with the Canadian Hockey League that required Wright to stay with the Kraken or be sent to their junior team because of his age. Spending the season with Seattle’s AHL affiliate in Coachella Valley was not an option.
“We are very proud of Shane’s performance at the World Juniors, helping captain Team Canada to a gold medal,” Seattle general manager Ron Francis said. “He has a stellar NHL career ahead of him with the Kraken and now has the opportunity to lead his junior team as they compete for a Memorial Cup.”
Wright was the No. 4 overall pick in last summer’s draft, falling to the Kraken after he was expected to be one of the top two selections entering the draft.
Wright had one goal and one assist in his eight games with Seattle, but struggled to break into the roster as the Kraken enjoyed a string of unexpected successes early in the season. Seattle is third in the Pacific Division midway through the season and Wright’s playing time and chances of developing to NHL level the rest of the season were likely going to be minimal.
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This story was originally published January 6, 2023 12:50 p.m.
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