en-us SportSpyder - The Latest Seattle Kraken News https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/news The Kraken center prospect has a big summer ahead of him. Tue, 02 Jun 2026 20:33:24 GMT Glenn Dreyfuss https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56824912 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56824912 false false We're going over Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson, and whether or not he could get traded to the Seattle Kraken for the available 7th overall pick.... Tue, 02 Jun 2026 19:45:48 GMT legorocks99 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56824294 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56824294 false false Kraken forward Matty Beniers played a strong game of softball. Tue, 02 Jun 2026 17:32:41 GMT Glenn Dreyfuss https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56822634 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56822634 false false The Kraken enter the offseason with cap space, draft capital and a strong prospect pool. But instead of chasing a quick fix, Seattle should focus on building a clearer path toward late-2020s contention. The post appeared first on . Tue, 02 Jun 2026 15:04:19 GMT Curtis Isacke https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56820684 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56820684 false false Melinda French Gates is becoming a minority owner of the Seattle Kraken, the team’s parent company said Monday, pending approval from the NHL. The size of her stake and the terms were not disclosed. French Gates, 61, the philanthropist and ex-wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, is buying into One Roof Sports and Entertainment, the company that owns the Kraken. ESPN’s Emily Kaplan first reported the deal. French Gates is worth about $30 billion, according to Forbes, and the investment is her first ownership stake in a major professional sports team. She joins a group led by majority owner Samantha Holloway that includes minority investors David Wright, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Holloway became majority owner in December 2024 after the death of her father, David Bonderman, the TPG co-founder whose group, Seattle Hockey Partners, won the expansion franchise. “As a longtime Seattle resident, it means a lot to me to have the chance to make this investment in our city and its future,” French Gates said in a statement. “I’m a big believer in the power of sports, and after many years of cheering on Seattle from the sidelines, I’m excited to have an even deeper connection to the Seattle sports community. Seattle is an engine of innovation in so many ways, and Samantha Holloway’s leadership of the Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena reflects that.” Holloway said in the statement, “Melinda is an impressive business leader, philanthropist and importantly, a Seattle sports fan. We share many of the same values, including a deep commitment to Seattle and a belief in building organizations that create lasting impact.” “It’s just time,” French Gates told ESPN. “What you’re seeing is a generation of women coming into their full power. I’ve walked into tough rooms, and being one of the few is very hard. Once we can create enough that we’re one of many, it just gets easier.” Though originally from Dallas, French Gates has lived in the Seattle area for nearly 40 years. She joined Microsoft in 1987, where she met Bill Gates, and worked on multimedia products before leaving in 1996. She co-chaired the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation from 2000 until 2024 and now runs Pivotal, a Kirkland-based organization she founded in 2015 to support women and young people in the United States and abroad. One Roof Sports and Entertainment, created in March, owns the Kraken and controls Climate Pledge Arena, along with the Kraken Community Iceplex, the rebuilt Memorial Stadium, and the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds. The group is pursuing an NBA expansion team for Seattle. What this means for the Kraken Nothing changes from a hockey operations standpoint. Jason Botterill will continue to be the GM, they are conducting an audit, they will pursue free agents and make draft picks and attempt trades and it will be business as usual there. The addition brings financial security. Though the NHL has a hard salary cap, Scouting, front office salaries, player development, analytics, facilities, and support staff are not subject to an NHL salary cap and can vary from organization to organization, depending on the owners’ willingness and ability to spend money. A group with French Gates’s money can cover all of that through a rebuild without needing the team to turn a profit, and won’t be forced to cut costs or tear the team down in a bad year. There is also a very expensive NBA bid going on. In March, the NBA’s Board of Governors voted to explore expansion in Seattle and Las Vegas, and Holloway’s group, advised by JPMorgan Chase and Moelis, is the only public Seattle bidder. The NBA hired PJT Partners to evaluate the markets, ownership groups, and arenas and the expansion fees is projected to be somewhere in the $6 to $10 billion range. French Gates is now an owner in One Roof, the group pursuing the NBA team, so her money is already behind that effort. Though we don’t know the extent of her stake, her fortune is several times the projected fee, and because the NBA weighs the strength of each ownership group, her name helps the Seattle bid. Her most visible impact will probably be in the community. The One Roof Foundation has focused on getting more kids into sports, and French Gates has spent her career working on opportunities for women and families. Holloway said, “We’re really aligned on that.” For the Kraken, the deal leaves them with a richer, steadier ownership group. For One Roof, it adds another prominent name as it tries to bring the NBA back to Seattle. Tue, 02 Jun 2026 14:22:15 GMT Zaiem Beg https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56820218 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56820218 false false Bobby McMann is set for a major payday following a career season. The former Toronto Maple Leafs and current Seattle Kraken winger will be a sought-after asset on the free agent market on July 1. Tue, 02 Jun 2026 14:21:22 GMT Michael DeRosa https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56820207 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56820207 false false Seattle Kraken welcome Melinda French Gates as minority owner, signaling a major shift in the franchise’s future. With her $30 billion net worth and global p... Tue, 02 Jun 2026 10:38:29 GMT Locked On Kraken https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56818350 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56818350 false false The Vegas Golden Knights are, undoubtedly, the most hated team in the NHL. The team is in the Stanley Cup […] Tue, 02 Jun 2026 05:22:38 GMT Vince Comunale https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56817172 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56817172 false false Kraken prospect Julius Miettinen led his team in myriad ways as WHL Everett won its first-ever league title and a berth to the Memorial Cup, falling just one period short of hoisting the hallowed trophy Mon, 01 Jun 2026 23:20:51 GMT Bob Condor / https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56814951 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56814951 false false Melinda French Gates is becoming a minority investor in the Seattle Kraken, with NHL approval still required. Mon, 01 Jun 2026 22:14:25 GMT Sonali Verma https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56814257 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56814257 false false The 61-year-old native of Dallas, Texas, has a net worth of $30 billion according to Forbes. Mon, 01 Jun 2026 21:49:43 GMT Julian McKenzie https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56813973 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56813973 true false Deadspin | Melinda French Gates buying minority stake in Kraken Mon, 01 Jun 2026 20:50:24 GMT Field Level Media https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56813259 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56813259 false false Intro (0:00), Melinda French Gates joins as investor (14:00), Kaapo Kakko Kypreos report (17:30), Matvei Michkov trade ideas (24:50), Samoskevich and Gritsyu... Mon, 01 Jun 2026 20:05:53 GMT Emerald City Hockey https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56812705 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56812705 false false Melinda French Gates is joining the ownership group of the Seattle Kraken and One Roof Sports and Entertainment as a minority investor, pending approval from the NHL. Mon, 01 Jun 2026 19:31:11 GMT Curtis Crabtree https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56812285 https://sportspyder.com/nhl/seattle-kraken/articles/56812285 false false