ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Seattle Kraken hockey team and their sea troll mascot Buoy had quite the heart-racing experience after a grizzly bear charged them during a fly fishing excursion.
The Kraken were in Anchorage for their annual partnership trip with the Bristol Bay Native Corporation, a union that brings a blend of hockey and community engagement to hockey fans in Alaska.
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The week-long event included a hockey camp hosted by the Anchorage Hockey Academy. The camp featured Kraken forward John Hayden, the team’s mascot Buoy, and various youth hockey coaches from the Kraken organization.
However, during a fly fishing excursion on June 25 in Katmai National Park, an uninvited guest showed up – a grizzly bear.
Video provided by Kraken shows the bear watching the fishers from the other side of the shallow river.
As its presence is flagged and everyone begins to quickly evacuate the water, the bear is seen advancing on them, rushing toward the group and sending spray flying before veering away again. It seemed particularly interested in the blue-haired Buoy, who, ever the good sport, never stopped smiling as he slogged away to safety.
“I want to blame it on Buoy. They were pretty interested in his whole look. We got out of it okay, but it was a close call,” Hayden said.
During the trip, the Kraken visited their 2025 Make-A-Wish recipient, Caleb, and his family. The team revealed that Caleb and his family would be traveling to Seattle for a game and a special Kraken experience in January.
The Seattle Kraken have partnered with the Bristol Bay Native Corporation for the past four years, focusing on growing youth hockey in Alaska and promoting sustainability goals in the Pacific Northwest region and beyond.
