Overview

• On June 25, a grizzly bear charged toward forward John Hayden and the team’s sea-troll mascot Buoy during a fly-fishing segment in Katmai National Park.
• Video released by the Kraken shows the group calmly exiting the shallow river as the bear splashed toward them before turning away.
• The outing was part of the team’s annual Bristol Bay Native Corporation partnership, which included professional guides to navigate bear territory and support youth hockey outreach.
• Kraken center John Hayden quipped that Buoy’s oversized sea-troll costume likely attracted the bear’s curiosity.
• The viral footage has renewed attention to bear-country safety protocols for immersive sports marketing in wilderness settings.