John Hayden and the Kraken Mascot Encounter a Bear in Alaska
Seattle Kraken forward John Hayden and the team’s mascot, a blue-haired troll named Buoy, had a tense moment with a brown bear during the filming of a promotional video in Alaska. The incident occurred in Katmai National Park, while they were fly fishing as part of a trip to promote youth hockey. A video released by the team shows the moment the bear approached them. Hayden and Buoy, with their waders and fishing gear, were in a shallow river. A guide quickly took the fishing rod from Hayden. The bear headed towards the mascot, splashing water, but veered away before making contact. Hayden, Buoy, and the film crew returned to the shore. Brown bears often feed on salmon in the Brooks River of Katmai National Park. The park, nearly 300 miles southwest of Anchorage and accessible only by air, is known for its annual “Fat Bear Week” contest, which celebrates the bears as they prepare for winter. The NHL team stated that they did not intend to involve the bear in the filming, but included it in a video posted on social media. The organizers relied on guides to ensure safety.The meeting occurred on June 25th as part of an annual trip organized by the Bristol Bay Native Corporation in Anchorage, Alaska, with events promoting youth ice hockey. Alaska does not have its own NHL team; the closest teams are in Seattle and Vancouver, Canada.“The bears are everywhere in Brooks Falls and, this is their territory,” said Melissa O’Brochta, Director of Marketing Partnerships for the Kraken, who also recorded the encounter from the shore. “They are also very used to seeing humans. So I wasn’t scared.”
Melissa O’Brochta, Director of Marketing Partnerships for the Kraken
