The Florida Panthers‘ Stanley Cup conquests could never be explained without key contributions from several players. Unsung heroes, if you will. On that note, Zac Dalpe is one name that might not be etched in Lord Stanley, but Matthew Tkachuk and company know he deserves a share of the credit. Now, Dalpe has joined an NHL organization in a new role for the 2025-26 season.
Dalpe was mostly deployed with the Panthers‘ AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, but when his name was called in the NHL, he didn’t disappoint. The now-retired forward joined Tkachuk and the Cats during the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He wasn’t a part of the Cats’ back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2024 and 2025, though.
Through 13 postseason games with Florida, Dalpe recorded only one goal—but it was a memorable one. Fans in Sunrise have mixed feelings about that run, as the Panthers fell in the Cup Final. Still, Dalpe’s tally in Game 6 against Brad Marchand and the Boston Bruins never fails to put a smile on their faces.
Drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2008 NHL entry Draft (45th overall pick), Dalpe called it a career after the 2024-25 campaign. However, the 35-year-old knows his place on earth is close to the rink. Thus, it didn’t take long before he joined the NHL in a new capacity.
As announced by the organization on its social media, the Seattle Kraken have signed Zac Dalpe as a player development consultant ahead of the 2025-26 NHL season.
Into the abyss
Dalpe decided to hang up the skates without savoring the sweet taste of victory in professional hockey. In addition to the defeat in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final, Dalpe was a member of the Checkers’ roster this past season. Though he didn’t play in the Calder Cup Playoffs, his team made it to the ultimate stage, where the Abbotsford Canucks prevailed.
Now, Dalpe will chase silverware from a different vantage point. His place is no longer on the ice but in close proximity to the players. As he joins the league’s newest team (not counting the relocated Utah Mammoth), Dalpe hopes to guide the Kraken to the treasure chest on the ocean floor.
Uncharted territory
Contrary to the example the Vegas Golden Knights might have set, having success early on is extremely difficult for new franchises in the NHL. The Kraken aren’t exempt from that premise, having made the playoffs just once in their first four seasons.
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However, the tide might be turning, and the Kraken could very well be on the rise. That’s what fans in the Emerald City hope, at least. Seattle failed to meet expectations last season and now has some ground to cover in that regard. Will it be enough to make it out of a battlefield-like Pacific Division? Only time will tell.