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Matty Beniers, Seattle Kraken (Kevin Ng-Imagn Images)

Seattle Kraken’s 3 Stars of January

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Jess Amato | Last updated Feb 3, 2026 2:15 PM ET

The toughest month of the season is now over for the Seattle Kraken. The team played 17 games in 31 days in January, including their third East Coast road trip of the campaign. The Kraken ended the month with a record of 10-5-2, or 22 points of a possible 34.

Several players contributed to their success in January, which was an improvement over their play in December, but here’s a look at the three stars of the month.

Honorable Mention: Berkly Catton

Berkly Catton played his first NHL game on Oct. 20 and was still waiting for his first goal after the Christmas break. He finally reached that milestone in January. The Kraken hosted the Boston Bruins on Jan. 6, and two minutes into the second period, Catton scored his first NHL goal. Late in the second, he scored his second of the night on the power play in the 7-4 victory.

Catton scored three more goals in January and recorded one assist. He was really coming into his own before he was injured on Jan. 29 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He will miss Seattle’s final two games before the Olympic break.

Third Star: Matty Beniers

The first line was key to the Kraken’s success last month, which is in part why Matty Beniers earns the third star of the month. In 17 games, he recorded 16 points via 10 goals and six assists.

In January, Beniers set a Kraken record for the most goals scored in a single month. He was the team’s driving force last month, recording six points in five games before his streak was broken on Jan. 31. Beniers was all over the offensive zone throughout the month.

Second Star: Philipp Grubauer

Philipp Grubauer earns the second star of the month after playing nine games and walking away with a record of 5-2-2. Grubauer was on a winning streak from December into January, winning the first two games he started last month. The Kraken suffered an overtime loss with him in net on Jan. 8 against the Minnesota Wild, but got back in the win column on Jan. 12 against the struggling New York Rangers. He closed out the month with two wins and a loss.

In seven of nine games, Grubauer posted a .900 save percentage (SV%) or above – his highest of the season was on Jan. 5 when he stopped 41 of 42 shots against the Calgary Flames, earning a SV% of .976. His SV% only dipped below .900 in back-to-back losses against the New Jersey Devils and the Utah Mammoth. However, the Devils’ loss was in overtime, so they salvaged a point.

In January, the Kraken finally utilized Grubauer and Joey Daccord in tandem. Grubauer started just one more game (9) than Daccord (8). After his incredible performance this month, Grubauer has proved himself.

First Star: Jared McCann

Jared McCann had a rough start to the season. He was out with a lower-body injury in October but returned in late November. He was re-injured on Dec. 12 and returned on Dec. 28. January was McCann’s first full month of the season, and his performance did not disappoint.

In 17 games, McCann recorded 20 points via 10 goals and 10 assists. He set a new record for the most points recorded in one month by a Kraken. He has 29 points through 30 games this season, scoring the bulk of his points in January.

Seven of those 20 points were scored in the last week and earned him First Star of the Week honors from the NHL. On Jan. 27, he scored three goals, but one was waved off due to a high stick from Beniers. He also recorded an assist on Ryan Winterton’s goal in the same game, but this goal was also waved off. Still, recording seven points in three games is reason enough to name him First Star of the month.

Kraken Looking to Keep the Win Streak Alive in February

The Kraken have five games this month, beginning with back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday when they visit the Anaheim Ducks and the LA Kings before the Olympic break. After that, their schedule resumes against the Dallas Stars on Feb. 25.