According to Brian La Rose of www.prohockeyrumors.com on Monday, the Seattle Kraken are making a move at general manager. Jason Botterill of Edmonton, Alberta is replacing Ron Francis of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The Kraken also fired head coach Dan Bylsma. There is a feeling that Francis will be reassigned within the Kraken organization rather than fired outright.
Botterill had been the Kraken assistant general manager the last four seasons. Prior to that, he had been a scout for the Dallas Stars (2006-07), director of hockey operations and then assistant general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2007 to 2017, and the general manager of the Buffalo Sabres from 2017 to 2020. While with the Penguins, Botterill won three Stanley Cups. The Penguins beat the Detroit Red Wings in seven games in 2009, the San Jose Sharks in six games in 2016, and the Nashville Predators in six games in 2017.
As a National Hockey League player, Botterill played 88 games as a left winger from 1997 to 2004. He was with the Dallas Stars from 1997 to 1999, the Calgary Flames and Atlanta Thrashers in 1999 to 2000, the Flames in 2000 to 2001, and the Buffalo Sabres from 2002 to 2004. Botterill had five goals and nine assists for 14 points. He was a -16 with 89 penalty minutes, four power-play points, two game-winning goals, and 73 shots on goal. The first game-winning goal came on January 4, 2000 in a 5-4 Thrashers win over the Buffalo Sabres. Botterill broke a 4-4 tie with one minute and nine seconds left in the third period from Nelson Emerson of Hamilton, Ontario and Chris Tamer. The second game-winning goal came on February 9, 2002 in a 4-3 Flames win over the Vancouver Canucks. Botterill broke a 3-3 tie at 10:05 of the third period with a power-play goal from defensemen Bob Boughner of Windsor, Ontario, and Toni Lydman.
Also as a player, Botterill won three straight gold medals for Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships. Canada won gold in 1994 in Ostrava, Czech Republic, in 1995 in Red Deer, Alberta, and in 1996 in Boston, Massachusetts. In 20 games, Botterill had two goals and seven assists for nine points.
