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VANCOUVER – Bobby McMann knew things would feel a little different on Saturday night.
Playing his first game in a Seattle Kraken jersey, the former Toronto Maple Leafs forward wanted to make an impact with his new team.
“It almost resembles, in a way, your first game,” he said. “You’ve got an entirely new group, new organization, new fans. You want to make a great first impression.”
McMann made a great impression on the score sheet, tallying two goals and an assist as the Kraken (30-26-9) thumped the Vancouver Canucks 5-2.
“Sometimes things go your way a little bit more than other nights and, luckily, that was tonight for me,” he said.
“That was a fun one. It’s always nice to get the win, and then when you contribute, it makes it that much better.”
Seattle acquired the 29-year-old athlete from Toronto ahead of the NHL’s trade deadline on March 6 in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2026 draft and a conditional second-round selection in 2027.
It was a sizable change for McMann, who went undrafted before signing with the Maple Leaves as a free agent in April 2022.
He played 199 regular-season games for Toronto, amassing 52 goals and 36 assists, and added another three assists over 13 playoff appearances in last season.
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Saturday marked McMann’s first game since March 2. The Leafs opted to sit him ahead of the deadline and, after the trade, the native of Wainwright, Alta., waited a full week for his work visa before finally slotting into the Kraken’s lineup on Saturday.
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The new addition was quick to make an impact.
McMann’s first of the night — and 20th of the season — came 19:10 into the first period when he beat Vancouver netminder Nikita Tolopilo with a sharp-angle shot on a power play.
“I thought (Shane Wright) tipped it maybe because I didn’t know if that one was going in with the shot that I had,” he said. “So it was more of a pass to him, but I think it just fooled the goalie because I think he just missed it kind of thing, and trickled in.”
He added another tally early in the third, becoming the first player to score multiple goals in his debut for the Kraken.
McMann added speed to Seattle’s top line, which also includes centre Matty Beniers and captain Jordan Eberle, said head coach Lane Lambert.
“You saw it right away, first shift when he’s tracking the puck and he’s got a ton of speed and it’s a welcome addition for us from that standpoint,” he said. “Obviously the goals he scored, he had a real good chance to make it three as well. I think it went off the knob of the goalie there. But he played well.”
It’s not only the six-foot-two forward’s speed that helps, said Beniers, but his physicality, too.
And Saturday was just the beginning, he added.
“As time goes on, you play more and more with a guy, you start to realize their tendencies, where they go on the ice, what they like to do with the puck,” Beniers said. “So, you keep learning but pretty good start.”
SKID SNAPPED
The result snapped Seattle’s four-game losing skid and moved the Kraken to within one point of the Western Conference’s second wild-card playoff spot.
The stretch of losses was tough to take for a team that’s hoping to contend this post-season, said winger Jared McCann.
“It’s hard to get out of, I feel like, especially when you have times where you’re playing great and you’re still losing,” he said. “I think that’s the most frustrating part. But it’s a long season, you’re going to have ups and downs. You just got to try to stay level headed.
“I think when we were losing, the pressure was building, and we had a good talk before the game tonight, just kind of play a little more free and create with the puck, and it was able to show tonight.”
O’CONNOR’S 100TH
Canucks winger Drew O’Connor recorded an assist on Evander Kane’s first-period goal, marking the 100th point of his NHL career.
The 27-year-old American forward said the milestone is a special one.
“I mean, if you told me 10 years ago I’d have one point in the NHL, I’d be happy,” he said. “So to get to 100 is meaningful.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 15, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
