Lake Cowichan Kraken Explained

Team:	Lake Cowichan Kraken
Colour:	FFFFFF00; border-top:#50B57F 5px solid; border-bottom:#50B57F 5px solid
Logosize:	125px
City:	Lake Cowichan
League:	VIJHL
Division:	North
Arena:	Cowichan Lake Sports Arena
Owner:	Luke Armstrong and Harbs Bains
Coach:	Kyle Evans

The Lake Cowichan Kraken are a Junior ice hockey team in the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League based in Lake Cowichan, British Columbia. The team debuted as an expansion franchise in the 2021–22 VIJHL season.

Team identity

The name "Kraken" refers to the mythical sea monster said to appear in the sea between Norway and Iceland. The team chose its name as an homage to the sea monster of local folklore called the Stin’Qua – which was said to dwell in Lake Cowichan – and to the NHL Seattle Kraken, which debuted in the 2021–22 NHL season.^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

Arena

The teams plays its home games at the Cowichan Lake Sports Arena which opened in 1970.^{[4] [5]} The team set an attendance record of 352 on 5 February 2023 during its home game against the Saanich Predators.^[6] A new team dressing was added in 2023.^[7]

Season-by-season record

The team failed to qualify for the post-season during its first three years.^[8]

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime Losses, SOL = Shootout Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points

|+ style="background:#FFFFFF00; border-top:#50B57F 5px solid; border-bottom:#50B57F 5px solid"|Season-by-season record|-! style=width:4em |Season ! style=width:2.2em | GP ! style=width:2.2em |W ! style=width:2.2em | L ! style=width:2.2em | OTL ! style=width:2.2em | SOL! style=width:2.2em | T ! style=width:2.2em | Pts! style=width:10em | Finish ! style=width:18em | Playoffs|- align="right"| align="left"|2021–22 || 51 || 19 || 30 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 40 || align="left"|5th in division
9th overall || align="center"|Did not qualify|- align="right"| align="left"|2022–23 || 48 || 16 || 28 || 2 || 2 || 0 || 36 || align="left"|5th in division
9th overall || align="center"|Did not qualify|- align="right"| align="left"|2023–24 || 48 || 15 || 31 || 0 || 2 || 0 || 32 || align="left"|4th in division
9th overall || align="center"|Did not qualify|-

Further reading

• News: Simpson . Sarah . Slow start to 2024 for Lake Cowichan Kraken . 3 August 2024 . Lake Cowichan Citizen . Black Press Media . 9 January 2024.
• News: Simpson . Sarah . Lake Cowichan Kraken to host 2024 VIJHL All-Star Day . 3 August 2024 . Lake Cowichan Citizen . Black Press Media . 19 January 2019.
• News: Simpson . Sarah . Lake Cowichan’s 2023 in review - Part I . 3 August 2024 . Lake Cowichan Citizen . Black Press Media . 29 December 2023.
• News: Simpson . Sarah . Lake Cowichan’s 2023 in review - Part II . 3 August 2024 . Lake Cowichan Citizen . Black Press Media . 6 January 2024.
• News: Simpson . Sarah . Rodgers . Paul . Cowichan’s 2 junior B hockey teams granted junior A Tier 2 status . 3 August 2024 . Lake Cowichan Gazette . Black Press Media . 27 July 2023 . en.
• News: Rothbauer . Kevin . Release the Lake Cowichan Kraken! . 3 August 2024 . Cowichan Valley Citizen . Black Press Media . 26 May 2021 . en.
• News: Rothbauer . Kevin . Lake Cowichan Kraken make history with first wins . 3 August 2024 . Cowichan Valley Citizen . Black Press Media . 14 October 2021 . en.
• News: Rothbauer . Kevin . Lake Cowichan Kraken miss playoffs in debut season . 3 August 2024 . Cowichan Valley Citizen . Black Press Media . 23 February 2022 . en.
• News: Simpson . Sarah . Kraken gig all in a Day’s work for Lake Cowichan mayor . 3 August 2024 . Victoria News . Black Press Media . 11 March 2022 . en.
• News: Mertz . Patti . Lake Cowichan to get VIJHL team; names GM/Head Coach . 3 August 2024 . My Cowichan Valley Now . 26 May 2021 . en-CA.

Notes and References

1. News: Rothbauer . Kevin . 2021 Sports Year in Review . 3 August 2024 . Cowichan Valley Citizen . Black Press Media . 29 December 2021 . en. The Kraken moniker was selected in part because of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, but also because of Cowichan Lake’s own legendary monster, the Stin’Qua..
2. News: Gunderson . Rolli . The mystery of the Stin-Qua remains . 3 August 2024 . Lake Cowichan Gazette . Black Press Media . 28 November 2012 . en. A 1930 issue of the Cowichan Leader reported the sighting by Cougar Charlie of a serpent-like creature in the waters of Cowichan Lake..
3. Kirstie. Chiappelli. Seattle lands NHL expansion team starting in 2021-22 season. December 5, 2018. Sporting News. December 4, 2018. December 6, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181206102323/http://www.sportingnews.com/us/nhl/news/nhl-expansion-seattle-vote-approved-2021-2022-season-gary-bettman-news/1tbohhghjv6yt1w8hlmnzgzzxc. dead.
4. News: Dheensaw . Cleve . Move over Seattle — Lake Cowichan gets Kraken, too . 3 August 2024 . Times Colonist . Glacier Media Group . 26 May 2021.
5. News: Gunderson . Rolli . The birth of Cowichan Lake's community arena . 3 August 2024 . Lake Cowichan Gazette . Black Press Media . 17 October 2011 . en.
6. News: Simpson . Sarah . Lake Cowichan Kraken set new attendance record in home loss . 3 August 2024 . Cowichan Valley Citizen . Black Press Media . 6 February 2023 . en.
7. News: Simpson . Sarah . New dressing room highlights Lake Cowichan Kraken’s weekend . 3 August 2024 . Cowichan Valley Citizen . Black Press Media . 30 October 2023 . en.
8. News: Simpson . Sarah . Lake Cowichan Kraken narrowly miss the post-season for third-straight year . 3 August 2024 . Cowichan Valley Citizen . Black Press Media . 23 February 2024.