Kraken and Bear: Hockey mascots had a tense encounter in Alaska

John Hayden and the Kraken Mascot Encounter Close Call with a Bear in Alaska

Seattle Kraken forward John Hayden and the team’s mascot, Buoy, experienced a tense moment during a recording in Alaska. While filming a promotional video, they encountered a brown bear in Katmai National Park. The unexpected situation occurred while Hayden and Buoy were participating in a fly fishing day as part of an initiative to promote youth hockey. The video, published by the team, shows the moment the bear approaches the pet. Hayden and Buoy, who were in the middle of a shallow river, reacted quickly. The bear headed towards Buoy, splashing water, but fortunately veered off before making contact. Katmai National Park is known for being the habitat of brown bears that feed on salmon in the Brooks River. The park, located southwest of Anchorage, is famous for its annual “Fat Bear Week” contest, which celebrates the bears that are preparing for winter. According to the hockey team, the bear’s presence was not planned in the filming. However, the encounter was included in the video shared on social media.

Bears are everywhere in Brooks Falls and, this is their territory. They are also very used to seeing humans. So I wasn’t scared.

Melissa O’Brochta, Director of Marketing Partnerships for the Kraken

Hayden joked about the incident, attributing the bear’s approach to Buoy’s peculiar appearance. The incident occurred on June 25th, during an annual trip organized by the Bristol Bay Native Corporation in Anchorage, Alaska, which includes events to promote youth ice hockey.