If I wasn’t playing for the Carolina Kraken, the team I’d most likely be playing for would be the Vancouver Whalers. I had a good rapport with management over there during the scouting process and I think that, had Carolina not taken me at 14, Vancouver would have taken me at 15. Without diving deep into the Vancouver roster and their performance, I want to say I probably wouldn’t have provided a significant boost in production. On the other hand, perhaps I would have provided a spark in the bottom 6 as I developed later in the season that could have pushed them over the hump and into the finals. Even if I didn’t provide much of a boost this season, I think I can say with certainty that I would definitely be a top contributor in the seasons that followed as one of the top rookies. I guess we’ll never know! In the end, I couldn’t be happier to be in Carolina! Go Kraken!

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To celebrate the Carolina Kraken's strong S60 draft and our home opener against the Newfoundland Berserkers, Charter Communications and the Spectrum Center are proud to announce Rookie Night! The first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive an autographed poster featuring all of the newest Squidlets photographed together on draft night! Don't miss out on what will surely be one of the best collectibles of the year featuring numerous future SHL stars including Tanner Fox, Patya Perevalov, Atticus Hale, Ellis Lee, Eddie Kastraba, Vincent Fox, and Meeka Keprosoft! The puck drop on Monday, October 5th at 7:30 PM! Don't be late! RELEASE THE KRAKEN!

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I'd have to say that the round 2 series between the Anchorage Armada and Colorado Raptors has been the most thrilling to this point.  The season series was pretty even so I knew going into the series that it was going to be close. Once Colorado went up 3-1, I thought it might be over. Anchorage had other ideas though. I'm not sure if they adjusted their tactics, but a couple incredible overtime wins in games 5 and 6 made the series even. In game 7, the Armada came out firing and took control of the game almost from the outset and went on to close out the series with a 5-2 victory. It was the only game that wasn't decided by one goal in a series that featured three overtime games. I think the series was a significant motivating factor for Anchorage as they went on to sweep Quebec City in the next round and are currently tied at two games a piece against the undeniable best team in the league, Newfoundland, in the Four Star Cup Finals.

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Coming into the season, the guys in the Carolina Kraken locker room knew that there was a lot of potential to do big things, and we had high hopes, but most of us didn't think they're be realized until next season. I think we outperformed expectations, though if you ask anyone close to Carolina, they'd tell you that they are not surprised. We won the South East division and earned a first round bye in the playoffs. We didn't, however, expect to get bounced in the second round. So by all accounts, you could say that we were disappointed with the results. Disappointed that were weren't able to send off a couple vets on a high note. You better believe we'll be back and even better next season though. With only a couple departures, a solid veteran core along with what will be a very strong sophomore class and an injection of rookies means that there will be some high hopes for the Kraken in S61. A number of the S60 rookies will enter the year near the 350 TPE cap with all of them still developing and very active. I for one think that we can make a deep run in the coming season.

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It was a rollercoaster of a season for Atticus Hale in S60. The slow start was frustrating and luck was not on his side in the first half of the season. He was able to finish strong in the second half though with 15 points in 30 games while improving in all aspects. With the Carolina Kraken being bounced from the playoffs in the second round, it gave Atticus plenty of time to work on his game heading into S61 and prepare for the busy SHL draft season. Some of his goals this offseason include improving his mental toughness, strengthening his fundamentals, working on his shooting accuracy and defensive capabilities to become a stronger, more all-around playmaker for Carolina. As a student of the game, this hard work should almost certainly lead to results. Outside of the office, Atticus has been spending more time volunteering around the Charlotte area and has really made himself into a pillar of the community. I don't think you would find anyone that has a bad thing to say about him.

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Atticus Hale is the prototypical young playmaker. He is notorious for being the kind of guy that works tirelessly on his game - a trait that almost surely comes from being the child of a coach. He's an exceptional skater with a smooth stride, quick and agile, but his balance could use some improvement. He has speed to the outside and can split defenders carrying the puck. His acceleration off the mark is solid and can cleanly receive passes for clear breakaways. He has fantastic vision and can feed the wings from just about anywhere in the offensive zone with quick and accurate passes creating high percentage chances. He can put passes on the tape from both his forehand and backhand and use his puckhandling ability to escape defenders creating open chances to either shoot the puck or pack a quick, crisp pass to an awaiting teammate. His shooting ability could use some work if he's going to be a top goal scorer, but when he's on the mark, he can score with the best of them. He's put a lot of work into his defensive abilities and is serviceable there. If he is to remain at the center position, his faceoffs could use some polishing. Though you won't see him looking to instigate a fight, he won't shy away from the physical aspects of the game in order to get the puck. Needless to say, if Atticus Hale continues to develop at the same pace offensively, he could easily challenge as a top 10 point getter in his prime; a very dependable offensive contributor. As of now though, he's a bit rough around the edges.

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