FIVE MINUTE MAJOR

By Derek Harper

Berkly Catton will be a young explosive player for the Kraken in the coming years, especially once he develops more. As a reminder, Catton was selected in this year’s draft eighth overall. There are a lot of guys on the team Catton can learn from, including other developing players such as Shane Wright. There are also experienced veterans including Oliver Bjorkstrand, who like Catton developed in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Catton played a total of two full seasons and before that a partial season with the U.S. Division’s Spokane Chiefs.

In 2021-22 he played nine games and totaled four points with a goal and three assists. Then in 2022-23 he totaled 23 goals and 32 assists for 55 points in 63 games. This past season, Catton racked up 54 goals and 62 assists for 116 points in 68 regular season games. In the four playoff games the Chiefs had, Catton dished out four assists.

While the WHL increased their regular season by five games, giving him more time to accomplish what he did this past season, it’s impressive, nonetheless. His point total increased by 61 points. He nearly doubled the number of assists from 2022-23 and if you include the playoffs, he more than doubled it. When it came to putting the puck in the back of the net, Catton more than doubled his goals with an increase of 31.

Catton signed his entry level contract with the Kraken Friday July 5 on the ice at the Kraken Community Iceplex during their development camp.

“We are excited to have Berkly signed to his professional contract,” Kraken General Manager Ron Francis said in a press release from the Kraken. “He brings elite hockey sense, an ability to score and a high compete level. He has had an impressive three seasons in the WHL.”

The scary thing about Catton is he’s just 18 years of age and clearly took a massive step between the 2022-23 season and this past season. It remains to be seen what the Kraken do with him going into next season. With someone of his age, they have a limited number of games they can play until the team has to decide whether to keep them on or send them back to their major junior team.

If the Kraken sent him back to Spokane, he could help that team in their push to improve and make a deeper run in the playoffs. He was one of the Chiefs’ assistant captains this past season and would bring with him more leadership that he learned at the development camp. For the Chiefs sake, it’d be a huge boost and someone they could lean on majorly to help develop their younger players and show them what it takes to win.

The chance is there the Kraken decide to keep him past the return window as did the Buffalo Sabres with Zach Benson. Benson’s rights were still owned by the WHL’s Wenatchee Wild, who he played with when they were still the Winnipeg ICE. At the professional level, he’d be able to learn and further develop his game around players who have been in the league a while.

He wouldn’t be a huge difference maker in the NHL as Benson, who just recently turned 19 in May, only totaled 11 goals and 19 assists for 30 points in 71 games. For Catton, he’d be able to more show he can compete at that level and grow his development with learning from the veterans.

Catton could also be a potential spark for the Kraken as they’re coming off a disappointing season where they missed the playoffs. The Kraken have shown they’re hungry for winning with the re-signing of Eeli Tolvanen, who made an immediate impact upon his arrival from the Nashville Predators.