Shane Wright signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday.
The 18-year-old forward was the No. 4 pick in the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft.
“It was the overall fit and what the organization is building to,” Wright said on Day Two of Kraken development camp Tuesday. “They are a new team, so they don’t have as many prospects in the system as some other teams do. I feel it’ll just give me a lot more opportunities, stepping in to make a difference right away. The potential ability to be part of a situation and be a building block and a huge piece in their team and the organization for the future was something that really excited me. Now that it finally worked out this way, I couldn’t be happier.”
Wright (6-foot, 185 pounds) was projected to be the No. 1 pick at the 2022 draft but was passed over by the Montreal Canadiens (Juraj Slafkovsky), New Jersey Devils (Simon Nemec) and Arizona Coyotes (Logan Cooley), which left him available for the Kraken at No. 4. He was eighth in the Ontario Hockey League with 94 points (32 goals, 62 assists), including 28 power-play points (eight goals, 20 assists), in 63 regular-season games with Kingston last season, and had 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 11 playoff games.
“I’m over the moon, I’m so happy to be here,” Wright said. “So happy to be in Seattle and to be a Kraken. I love the city so far, love everything about it. The support online, as well from all the fans in Seattle and all-around North America, has been unreal.”
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