Seattle Kraken sign a 6-foot-9 bruiser who fights – a lot

The Seattle Kraken just got significantly bigger and tougher, signing massive forward Curtis Douglas on the first day of NHL free agency Wednesday.

Seattle Kraken Free Agency Check-In: Two originals leave

The 6-foot-9, 243-pound Douglas is one of the tallest players ever to step on NHL ice, and he isn’t afraid to put his size to work. Douglas made his NHL debut in 2025-26, playing 43 games combined with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Vancouver Canucks. In that short time, he participated in 10 fights, according to his profile on HockeyFights.com, which put him in a tie for the most fights by a single player in the NHL last season.

The Kraken aren’t shying away from Douglas’ reputation for speaking with his fists, as they noted in a press release announcing his addition that he led Tampa Bay during his 29 games on the roster with 92 penalty minutes, and even that he fought in his very first NHL shift in his debut with the Lightning last October.

That almost sells short the immediacy of Douglas’ first NHL fight. As you can see in the video at this link, Douglas comes off the bench at the 5-second mark, skates straight over to the other side of the ice and drops his gloves to square off with Ottawa’s Kurtis MacDermid at the 10-second mark. And yes, Douglas won.

WELCOME ABOARD! 🦑

The #SeaKraken have agreed to terms with forward Curtis Douglas on a 2-year deal. pic.twitter.com/vJlbMiSqCj

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) July 1, 2026

A 26 year old from Ontario, Douglas has 53 career fights listed on HockeyFight.com covering his time in the NHL, AHL and OHL dating back to the 2016-17 season.

“Curtis adds size and a strong physical presence to our forward group,” Kraken general manager Jason Botterill said in the press release. “He competes with an edge, brings energy and is difficult to play against. We look forward to seeing him in our lineup next year.”

Douglas, who is set to make an average annual value of $1.25 million, scored his first NHL goal on April 12 for Vancouver and had two points in 14 games after being claimed off of waivers in March. He also had two assists in his time with the Lightning.

A big celly for a big man! 💪

6'9" Curtis Douglas has scored his first NHL goal! pic.twitter.com/3rF8q6mtxv

— NHL (@NHL) April 13, 2026

Seattle Kraken news and more

• Kraken trade for Mackie Samoskevich, re-sign Bobby McMann
• Former Kraken forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare retiring at 41
• Samoskevich brings skill to offensively challenged Seattle Kraken

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