Kraken honor franchise legend Vitek Vanecek with tribute video originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Everyone remembers Vitek Vanecek’s long and storied seven days with the Seattle Kraken.
In the expansion draft on July 21, the Kraken selected Capitals goaltender Vitek Vanecek. He was expected to compete for the team’s starting goaltender job upon reporting to the team.
But then the Kraken signed Philipp Grubauer in free agency, a possibility they didn’t think possible before the expansion draft — meaning they had three NHL goaltenders and a goalie to spare. The Capitals still hadn’t found another NHL goalie to pair with Ilya Samsonov, and the reunion was finished soon after.
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Sunday in the Capitals’ first ever trip to Seattle, Vanecek got the recognition he deserved with a tribute from his former team.
Despite being a member of the Kraken, technically, Vanecek never received any Kraken gear to remember his tenure by. And for as long as he remains in the league, he’ll always be able to look back at his week in Washington — the state, not D.C. — with fond memories.
After all, Vanecek remains the only goaltender in Kraken history to have never allowed a goal.
