Release the Kraken: How one Jewish Canadian is helping build an NHL team from scratch

The Seattle Kraken's social media team was finally able to make a victorious post after their team beat the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 26, 2021, earning the new team their first-ever franchise victory. (Image courtesy Seattle Kraken/Facebook)

The debut NHL season for the Seattle Kraken has not been kind. They’ve won just four games so far, losing 10 and tying one. They rank last in their division, and have slunk near the bottom of the entire league. One of the few bright moments, however, came at the expense of the Montreal Canadiens—the Kraken beat the Habs 5-1 in their first-ever franchise victory.

It was a bittersweet moment for Mitch Garber, who watched the historic game from the owners’ box in Seattle. Garber—a lawyer, businessman, investor and respected philanthropist in his native Montreal—is a minority owner of the upstart hockey squad, and now finds himself making monthly trips to the West Coast to support his new team.

Garber joins The CJN Daily podcast to discuss his involvement with the Kraken, the connection between Judaism and hockey, and how he feels when his new Kraken kids face off against his beloved Canadiens.

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What we talked about:

Credits

The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We’re a member of The CJN Podcast Network; find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.