While the season hasn’t gone too smoothly so far, the Seattle Kraken put up a solid effort Tuesday night against the league-beat Colorado Avalanche, taking a 3-2 lead into the third period before eventually losing 5-3.
That loss was the Kraken’s ninth in 10 games, and the team is spiraling out of playoff contention. That doesn’t make for fun experiences at post-game press conferences, but it’s also part of the job for any head coach.
However, according to several media members on hand, the Kraken didn’t allow anyone other than team website editor-in-chief Bob Condor to ask head coach Lane Lambert questions during the post-game press conference.
A presser that, it should be noted, lasted all of 57 seconds.
“I think we played hard, like we have been. We just can’t find a way to get over the finish line.”
🗣️ Hear more from #SeaKraken head coach Lane Lambert after tonight’s final. pic.twitter.com/5W32wGAf17
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) December 17, 2025
How about Philipp Grubauer’s night?” asked Condor.
Played well,” replied Lambert.
Any update on Montour?” asked the reporter.
No,” replied the coach.
As noted by Glenn Dreyfuss of the Kraken site Davy Jones’ Locker Room, the press conference’s conclusion was curt and uninformative, with no pushback or rebuttal, which was perhaps the point.
While they’re not the first NHL team to do this, many who follow the Kraken closely or cover it as media were quick to note how strange and different this all was for the franchise.
This had a very different feel than any Kraken postgame media we’ve seen this year.
The mood is not good right now. https://t.co/T6wOWIBbTC
— Emerald City Hockey (@EmeraldCityHky) December 17, 2025
This is a really bad look from the Kraken… not letting anyone but a team employee ask questions of the head coach after losing nine of their last 10 games. https://t.co/uyoNNiSUiP
— Curtis Crabtree (@Curtis_Crabtree) December 17, 2025
The Kraken lose nine of 10, then decline to let anybody but a team employee ask a question. How’s that for accountability? A terrible look from any angle. https://t.co/SXoH8bfsc2
— Mike Vorel (@mikevorel) December 17, 2025
No accountability.
Ownership isn’t ready for the mass exodus of season ticket holders. No passion, no desire to change. The same old song and dance every single year. https://t.co/zFlNU05nQc
— Kraken Canada 🍁 (@KrakenCanada) December 17, 2025
A team that charges north of $100 per seat a game (5th highest in the league) should be answering every single question there is.
Unbelievable. https://t.co/e3weiXZbGD
— Cameron Riggers (@CameronRiggers) December 17, 2025
Surely anyone with empathy can understand why Lambert might not have wanted to deal with tough questions or why the Kraken might have wanted to give their coach a break. However, as noted previously, this is the job. And a healthy relationship with the local media, including being available to answer questions (or decline to comment), is always better in the long run.
Fans and viewers aren’t dummies; they can see when someone is trying to influence the narrative or run from reality, and that can impact their desire to support the team way more than if you just sat there and “took it,” so to speak.
The situation mirrors a similar press conference in which the Minnesota Timberwolves head coach received few questions after a tough loss because no team beat reporters were in the scrum. However, in that instance, it was a road game and a travel issue. Given that this was a home game for the Kraken, the excuses for a sub-minute presser following a loss are paper-thin.