By Cami Kepke via Western Hockey League

KELOWNA, B.C. – The Seattle Kraken have signed Kelowna Rockets defenceman Caden Price to a three-year, entry-level contract, the NHL club announced Wednesday.

The contract will take effect in the 2024-25 season and Price will join Seattle’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, on an amateur tryout contract for the AHL playoffs.

“We are excited for Caden to officially join our organization after a career year in the WHL,” Seattle Kraken General Manager Ron Francis said. “We’ve been impressed with his progress so far and are looking forward to seeing him continue to develop going forward.”

The 18-year-old tallied 13 goals and 42 assists for 55 points in 62 regular-season games in 2023-24, establishing new WHL career highs in goals, assists and points.

Price also garnered a goal and 10 assists in 11 postseason contests with the Rockets.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound defenceman was selected by the Kraken with the 84^th overall pick in the third round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.

He has spent three seasons with Kelowna, tallying 20 goals and 96 assists for 116 points in 174 regular season games.

Price has been named the Rockets’ top defenceman for the past two seasons after leading the team’s blueliners in scoring.

The Saskatoon, Sask. product has represented Canada at the 2023 IIHF U18 World Championship, where he helped the team earn a bronze medal, and was a member of the gold medal-winning squad at the 2022 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup.