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Seattle Kraken Recall Two Coachella Valley Firebirds Players
Cale Fleury, Seattle Kraken (Photo by Christopher Mast/NHLI via Getty Images)

Yesterday, Jan. 29, the Seattle Kraken took to social media to announce they were placing goaltender Philipp Gruabuer on waivers. The intention was to send him down to play for the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the Kraken’s American Hockey League (AHL) team. This left the question of who would be sent up to back up Joey Daccord. The Kraken just took to social media once more to share their answer.

Not only did the Kraken call goalie Ales Stezka, but they also recalled defenseman Cale Fleury.

Stezka has played for the Firebirds in the past two seasons. In the 2023-24 season, he had a solid performance. He played in 27 games, winning 18 of them. He earned a save percentage of .948 with a goals-against average (GAA) of 2.48. This season, he has taken a bit of a dive. He has played in 24 games but has only earned eight wins. His GAA currently sits at 3.00 and his save percentage has dropped to .902.


Cale Fleury, Seattle Kraken (Photo by Christopher Mast/NHLI via Getty Images)

Fleury was previously recalled by the Kraken, playing in two NHL games so far this season. He spent an average of 11:30 on the ice. He has also played in 28 games with the Firebirds this season, scoring six goals and earning 10 assists. His 16 points make him a solid defenseman for the team.

The Kraken will host the San Jose Sharks later this evening. Stezka will more than likely back up Daccord in net tonight, but it will be interesting to see if Fleury takes the spot of another defenseman currently in the lineup.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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