Kraken Mascot Has Grizzly Encounter in Alaska

It seems like Buoy took the encounter in stride, though, taking to social media last week to share an important PSA.

"No trolls or bears were hurt in the making [of the video], always respect wildlife in their natural habitat," the caption under the video reads.

Katami National Park is home to roughly 2,200 brown bears, according to the park's website. The park is also home to the annual "Fat Bear Week" contest, where visitors observe the animals bulking up for hibernation in the winter.

The Kraken didn't plan to encounter any bears, but did hire guides to ensure safety.

"Bears are everywhere at Brooks Falls and, like, this is their territory," Kraken partnership marketing director Melissa O'Brochta told CBS News. "They're also super used to seeing humans. So I wasn't scared."

The Kraken, the NHL's second-newest franchise behind the Utah Mammoth (who are half relocation, half new franchise), haven't enjoyed much success in their brief history. They've only made the playoffs once in their first four seasons, when they upset the defending-champion Colorado Avalanche in the first round in 2023, but were then ousted by the Dallas Stars shortly thereafter. In their other three seasons, they haven't even come close to making the dance.

Afte parting ways with key players such as Oliver Bjorkstrand, Yanni Gourde and Andrei Burakovsky over the past few months, the Kraken have firmly committed to a rebuild now. At the very least, they have two first-round picks in each of the next two drafts, courtesy of the Tampa Bay Lightning trading for Bjorkstrand and Gorude, so their future could be promising.