SEATTLE – Colin Zulianello has again gotten the call to the big leagues.
The longtime coach on Wednesday was named goaltending coach of the National Hockey League’s Seatle Kraken, three years after joining the franchise in a similar role with the American Hockey League Coachella Valley Firebirds.
The 46-year-old Zulianello, who hails from Thunder Bay, worked extensively with goaltender Joey Daccord and, according to a release issued by the Kraken, drew high praise from Philipp Grubauer when he joined the Firebirds for a stint.
Daccord and the Firebirds came one win shy of winning the 2023 Calder Cup, posting a 15-11 record with a .926 save percentage.
It was only natural for Zulianello to make the jump to the parent Kraken for the 2025-26 season.
“With everything Colin, as in Coachella Valley, his past history in terms of a teacher, he’s a very well-rounded individual,” said Seattle coach Lane Lambert.
“We certainly feel his relationship with our guys was going to be a really great fit moving forward. The goaltending coach role has evolved. Colin can definitely help us with solving opposing goalies, too.”
Before being hired by the Kraken, Zulianello was a long-time assistant coach with the Lakehead Thunderwolves men’s hockey team, between 2009 and 2013. From 2016 to 2019 he was a developmental goaltending coach for the Calgary Flames and their AHL affiliate, the Stockton Heat.
A graduate of Colorado College and a former goaltender with the Thunder Bay Flyers, Zulianello spent four seasons in the ECHL as a player and played four games over two seasons in the AHL, retiring after the 2004-05 campaign.
“I trust Colin is going to do the right thing and be able to have those hard conversations with the goalies when needed,” said current Coachella Valley coach Derek Laxdal. “I think he does a great job of presenting the message, delivering the message and getting the message through with our goaltenders.”
