Seattle Kraken star Matty Beniers is a front-runner for the Calder Trophy as the league's best rookie. And he was supposed to play among the league's best in the upcoming NHL All-Star Game.
Unfortunately, that won't happen. Beniers suffered an injury against the Vancouver Canucks last week, and has missed two weeks. This injury will keep him out of the All-Star Game.
“There were some additional steps that needed to be taken before he could be cleared to play in the game,” Kraken general manager Ron Francis said. “He’s in the process of going through those, but he wouldn’t have been cleared in the time that the league requires.”
As a result, Vegas Golden Knights Chandler Stephenson will take his place. Stephenson's inclusion leaves the Kraken without a single representative at the NHL All-Star Game.
This move did draw some criticism for the NHL. Hockey agent Allan Walsh tweeted his thoughts on the Kraken going without a player dressing for the NHL's biggest midseason showcase.
Gary’s NHL: Let’s have an All-Star Game with a tradition of 1 player from each team participating in the Game. Let’s have an expansion team in Seattle. Let’s leave Seattle and their incredible fan base with no players going to the All-Star Game.
— Allan Walsh (@walsha) January 30, 2023
The NHL did contact the Kraken about one of their players, but the timing wasn't right. “They asked about one player in particular replacing him,” Francis said, not naming the player. “But he’s also going through some things and wants to use the break to recuperate.”
The Kraken are in a close race for the Pacific Division title at the midway point of the season. Seattle currently sits atop the division with a record of 29-15-5. They hold a slim one-point lead over the Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings.
The Kraken are a recent expansion team, beginning play last season. Their impressive second season has led them to be linked to big names on the trade market, such as Bo Horvat. However, Horvat was traded to the New York Islanders on Monday.
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