Seattle Kraken hire legendary NHLer Gary Roberts

The NHL's 32nd franchise the Seattle Kraken have announced several key hirings today with former NHLer Gary Roberts headlining the group. 

Kraken GM Ron Francis has introduced head athletic trainer Michael Booi, head strength and conditioning coach Nate Brookreson, head equipment manager Jeff Camelio and head video analyst Tim Ohashi. Roberts, one of the fittest men to ever play in the NHL will act as the Kraken's sports science and performance consultant.

Check it out:

"Today marks another milestone for the Kraken as we bring on core components of the hockey operations staff," said Francis in a prepared statement. "Each individual brings years of experience and a desire to make us a great hockey franchise." 

For those who don't know, Roberts is an absolute freak of nature and his "Gary Roberts High Performance Centre" in Toronto is relied upon by dozens of NHLers. In short, Roberts is known as THE go to guy when it comes to hockey strength and conditioning. He also happens to be a former teammate of Kraken GM Ron Francis.

From Robert's personal website:

"My inspiration to start Gary Roberts HPT has grown out of my own journey to regenerate myself after I suffered a serious neck injury that forced me to retire from the NHL in 1996 after 10 seasons. After two neck surgeries and with the assistance of many experts, I embarked on a program that combined specialized training, proper nutrition, rehabilitative therapies and recovery strategies. It was this integrated routine that enabled me to resume my career for another 12 years."

"Now my passion is sharing what I've learned with players, alongside an elite team of training, nutrition and sports therapy professionals, to teach them how to effectively prepare to play in a way that gives them a chance at longevity in the game. My hope is that they will be able to avoid many of the challenges that can arise in professional sports or at least be as prepared as they can be to overcome them."

One thing's for sure, the Kraken are NOT going to be out of shape when they hit the ice in 2021-22. The jury is still out on whether or not they'll be any good, but at the very least they'll be the best conditioned team in the NHL.