Bear Charges at Seattle Kraken Mascot

Seattle Kraken players got a bit closer to nature than they bargained for during a fly-fishing excursion in Alaska. They attracted the attention of nearby bears in Katmai National Park, and one bear charged across the shallow river toward Buoy, the NHL team's sea troll mascot. The bear growled but turned away before it got too close, UPI reports. The players, Buoy, and the camera crew all got away safely. "I want to blame it on Buoy. They were pretty interested in his whole look. We got out of it okay, but it was a close call," Kraken forward John Hayden said.

Kraken players and youth coaches were in Alaska for the team's annual partnership trip with the Bristol Bay Native Corporation, which included a hockey camp hosted by the Anchorage Hockey Academy, KOMO News reports. Buoy shared video of the close call in a post on X, saying, "no trolls or bears were hurt in the making, always respect wildlife in their natural habitat."