Seattle Kraken co-owner sees need for change as team struggles

Tod Leiweke reflects on the team's early success and the difficult decision to part ways with president Ron Francis.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 10:11pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a hockey game, with sharp, overlapping planes of blue, red, and white colors representing the Kraken's team colors, conceptually illustrating the team's complex challenges.The Kraken's early success and recent struggles have created a complex, multifaceted challenge for the franchise's leadership.Seattle Today

Seattle Kraken co-owner Tod Leiweke has witnessed firsthand the impact a successful team can have on the city. In the Kraken's second season, they qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs and advanced to the second round, showcasing the team's potential. However, Leiweke acknowledged the difficult decision to part ways with president Ron Francis at the end of the current season.

Why it matters

The Kraken's early success had generated excitement in Seattle, but the team's recent struggles have prompted the need for changes in the organization. Leiweke's comments highlight the challenges of building a winning franchise and the importance of maintaining momentum after a promising start.

The details

The Kraken not only qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs in their second year of existence, the 2022-23 season, but they also advanced to the second round, in which they lost to the Dallas Stars in seven games. Leiweke joked that some oblivious fans left a handful of those home playoff games after the second intermission, unaware that hockey didn't feature solely a halftime like basketball or football games.

  • The Kraken qualified for the playoffs in their second season, the 2022-23 season.
  • The Kraken advanced to the second round of the playoffs in the 2022-23 season, where they lost to the Dallas Stars in seven games.

The players

Tod Leiweke

The co-owner of the Seattle Kraken, who has witnessed the team's early success and the need for changes as they have struggled.

Ron Francis

The president of hockey operations for the Seattle Kraken, who will step down from his position at the end of the current season.

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What they’re saying

“We saw the potential in year two. It was incredible.”

— Tod Leiweke, Seattle Kraken co-owner

“One of the lousy parts of this job was a day like yesterday.”

— Tod Leiweke, Seattle Kraken co-owner

What’s next

The Kraken will need to find a new president of hockey operations to lead the team's efforts to build on their early success and address the recent struggles.

The takeaway

The Kraken's early success had generated excitement in Seattle, but the team's recent struggles have prompted the need for changes in the organization. Leiweke's comments highlight the challenges of building a winning franchise and the importance of maintaining momentum after a promising start.