SEATTLE – Seattle Kraken forward John Hayden and the team mascot, a troll with blue hair, had a close encounter with a brown bear during the filming of a promotional video in Alaska. Hayden and the pet named Buoy were on a fly fishing excursion in Katmai National Park, as part of a trip to promote youth hockey. The incident was recorded in a video posted by the team. In the video, Hayden and Buoy are seen, both with waders and fishing gear, submerged in a shallow river. Hayden was fishing when a guide quickly took the rod away from him. The bear lunged at the pet, splashing water, but veered away before making contact. Hayden, Buoy, and the film crew returned to the shore walking through the current. Brown bears often feed on salmon in the Brooks River of Katmai National Park. The park, located nearly 300 miles southwest of Anchorage and with no road access, hosts the annual “Fat Bear Week”. 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 had hired guides to ensure safety.
The Kraken’s director of marketing for partnerships, Melissa O’Brochta, who also recorded the encounter from the shore, commented: Hayden, at the end of the video, joked: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 at Kraken
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.I want to blame Buoy. They were very interested in his appearance.
John Hayden
