Overview

• On June 25, a grizzly bear charged at NHL Seattle Kraken mascot Buoy and forward John Hayden during a fly-fishing shoot at Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park.
• The NHL team confirmed no injuries and said professional guides oversaw the outing in line with National Park Service bear encounter guidelines.
• The close call was captured on video, posted to social media on July 31, and has since been widely viewed and shared across news outlets and fan platforms.
• The encounter was part of the Kraken’s annual Bristol Bay Native Corporation community trip promoting youth hockey and experiential marketing in Alaska’s wilderness.
• The video has prompted debate over how to balance experiential marketing with risk management when shooting in remote wildlife habitats.