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Curtis Douglas's Long Path To The Kraken
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- Curtis Douglas's Long Path To The Kraken
(© Bob Frid-Imagn Images)
Curtis Douglas , the newest Seattle Kraken forward, is no stranger to a long road to the NHL.
After being selected 106th in the 2018 NHL Draft, the forward spent two seasons in the OHL before moving on to four seasons in the AHL. He made his NHL debut in 2025-26 with the Tampa Bay Lightning , seven years after he was drafted.
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"There were times when I'll admit, I thought it might not work out for me," he told NHL.com. "But I never stopped trying."
Douglas signed as a free agent with Toronto on March 22, 2022, before being traded to Arizona for Conor Timmins on November 23, 2022, and then he was transferred from Arizona to Utah on June 13, 2024.
After that, Douglas was claimed off waivers by Tampa Bay from Utah on October 6, 2025.
Three days later, Douglas made his NHL Debut against the Ottawa Senators on October 9, 2025. Douglas skated for five minutes in his first game, then appeared in 29 more games that season with the Lightning.
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In the 2025-26 season, the 6-foot-9 center recorded two assists.
He was then claimed off waivers by Vancouver from Tampa Bay on March 6, 2026.With the Canucks , Douglas appeared in 14 games, recording one goal and one assist.
"This whole process doesn't really feel real yet," Douglas said. "I don't think it will feel 100% real until I put the jersey on. If you were to have told me last year, after I got sent down by Utah that I'd go on to play 40 NHL games, I think I would have probably slapped you across the head. It was pretty special the whole year, and I'm just in awe about the whole experience with Tampa, Vancouver and now this next chapter with the Kraken. I'm just so excited."
Douglas signed with the Kraken on July 1, 2026.
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Seattle Kraken General Manager Jason Botterill announced the team had agreed to terms with Douglas on a two-year contract ($1.25M AAV).
When the announcement was made, Botterill released a statement on the signing.
"Curtis adds size and a strong physical presence to our forward group," Botterill said to NHL.com. "He competes with an edge, brings energy, and is difficult to play against. We look forward to seeing him in our lineup next year."
Douglas is a tall presence on the ice, as one of the tallest players in NHL history. He is known for his grit, dropping the gloves in his first NHL shift.
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He will now join the Kraken for the next few seasons as the 26-year-old continues to grow in the major leagues.
"I've been lucky enough to have some incredible coaching staffs, some incredible mentors that were basically telling me, 'Hey, you've got to get your foot in the door, and the way to do that is to throw your weight around and to fight a little bit more than maybe you want to,'" Douglas said.
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