Kartye, Kraken prospect, looking to cap 1st season with Calder Cup win

HERSHEY, Pa. -- Tye Kartye has been taken aback by the trajectory of his first pro season in the American Hockey League.

The undrafted forward for Coachella Valley (Seattle Kraken) had one goal in his first 18 AHL games. Six months later, the 22-year-old has been named the AHL Rookie of the Year, played 10 Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Kraken, and is two wins away from a Calder Cup championship. The best-of-7 Calder Cup Finals against Hershey (Washington Capitals) is tied 2-2 with Game 5 here Saturday.

After that slow start, Kartye scored 27 goals in his next 54 games. He finished with 57 points (28 goals, 29 assists) in 72 games, most among AHL rookies, and was also named to the AHL All-Rookie Team.

[Kartye is] probably one of the best development stories," Coachella Valley coach Dan Bylsma said before Game 4. "It's what the American League is all about."

Coachella Valley finished 48-17-5-2 (103 points), second in the AHL during the regular season, and defeated Tucson (Arizona Coyotes) in a first-round series. Kartye was preparing for Coachella Valley's second-round series against Colorado (Colorado Avalanche) when a call came from the Kraken.

Seattle needed him for Game 5 of the Western Conference First Round against the Avalanche, so Kartye made the quick trip to Denver and was in the lineup that night. He scored in his NHL debut to help the Kraken to a 3-2 win and remained in the lineup throughout a seven-game loss to the Dallas Stars in the second round. Kartye played 10 games and had five points (three goals, two assists) and averaged 12:21 of ice time.

Kartye did not begin his Ontario Hockey League career until he was 17 years old with Sault Ste. Marie, and had 24 points (four goals, 20 assists) in 64 games. He broke out with 53 points (25 goals, 28 assists) in 64 games for the 2019-20 season, but the OHL did not play the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By that point, Kartye had not been drafted by an NHL team, so he remained in the OHL as an overage player in 2021-22 and had 79 points (45 goals, 34 assists) in 63 games.

"I mean, it was never about playing in the NHL," Kartye said. "It was just kind of trying to see how good I could be at hockey. Just always getting better, and I feel like I just kind of kept doing that, and that's the process … and the results spoke for themselves."

That performance was enough to get a three-year, entry-level contract with the Kraken, which he signed March 1, 2022. The Kraken appealed to Kartye because they have only two NHL Draft classes so far, and Kartye has gotten into the fold early. It was also an opportunity to start with an expansion AHL team.

"I just think just the opportunity that they gave me," Kartye said. "I think it was kind of cool … trying to build something up from the ground. Everyone came in, no one had played together before, so everyone had the exact same opportunity."

Like so many prospects, his skating needed to improve to unlock the strengths in his game. Working with Bylsma and an accomplished power-skating instructor in assistant coach Jessica Campbell, Kartye has been able to do that. He is more effective on the forecheck and has opportunities to use his potent shot.

"I can bring a lot of different things," Kartye said. "I think I can play anywhere in the lineup, the bottom, the top. Obviously I like to shoot the puck, and hopefully it goes in the net, but if that's not doing it I think I can play physical, get in on the forecheck, and be reliable everywhere."

Bylsma said, "He came in young, came in raw, came in undrafted. He didn't come without skill and ability, and he's worked long and hard at areas of his game and done it diligently for a long time."

Kartye has eight points (six goals, two assists) and 46 shots through 15 playoff games with Coachella Valley. He also showed that he was not hesitant to use his shot with Seattle, where he had 13 shots in 10 games.

"[Kartye has] a burning desire to be the guy," Bylsma said. "He desperately wants to be the guy that puts the puck in the net for us, and he's done that for us since he's come back, but that's his sole focus. And that's one he can't get frustrated with, but one that's a good one for him to play with.

"He just has to keep focused on doing the things the right way to be able to get those chances. They just don't show up. That's what he's built in his game for the last 50 games or so. He's got to keep working to get those opportunities, play the right way, keep working on those areas, and the opportunities will keep coming for him if he does."