SEATTLE, WA — July 5, 2024 — The Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) announced today that they have agreed to a three-year, entry-level contract (average annual value of $975,000) with forward Barkley Catton. Catton was Seattle's first pick (8th overall) in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft from the Washington state-based Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League (WHL).
“We are pleased to have Barkley sign his first professional contract,” Seattle Kraken General Manager Ron Francis said. “He has elite hockey sense, scoring ability and a high level of competition. He has had an outstanding three seasons in the WHL and we look forward to watching him continue to develop.”
In his third WHL year with the Chiefs, Catton recorded 116 points (54 goals, 62 assists) in 68 regular season games, matching his career high across the scoresheet. The co-captain led the team in both goals and points, ranking third and fourth, respectively, among all WHL skaters for the 2023-24 season. 96 of his 116 points came in 37 multi-point games, including one five-point game, six four-point games, and seven three-point games. For his performance, he was named the WHL's U.S. Division Most Valuable Player and was named to the WHL First All-Star Team at the end of the season. Catton appeared in four WHL playoff games with Spokane, playing at a pace of one point per game and recording four assists.
The 5-foot-11, 174-pound Catton has played in 140 WHL games with the Chiefs over three seasons from 2021-22 to 2023-24, totaling 175 points (78 goals, 97 assists). Prior to playing in Spokane, he played his junior career with the Saskatoon Outlaws and Bandits of the U-15 Saskatchewan AA Hockey League (SAAHL) (2018-19 to 2019-2020), the Saskatoon Contact of the U-18 Saskatchewan Men's AAA Hockey League (SMAAAHL) (2019-20 to 2021-22) and the Shattuck St. Mary's 16U team (2021-22).
A native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Catton represented his country at the U17 World Hockey Challenge (WHC), IIHF U18 World Junior Championship (WJC) and Hlinka Gretzky Cup. In 2022-23, Catton won a WHC silver medal, was selected to the U17 WHC All-Star Team and won a bronze medal at the U18 World Junior Championship. He then won gold at the 2023-24 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, finishing as the player with the most goals (8) and most points (10).
