What a difference a year can make for a young hockey player aspiring to future National Hockey League heights.

In the summer of 2023, prospect Lleyton Roed was invited to the Kraken’s development camp ahead of his sophomore year at NCAA Division I Bemidji State. His freshman season was a rousing success, with 13 goals and 18 assists in 31 games, being named the top rookie in his conference (CCHA). Kraken amateur scout Eddie Olczyk was a vocal advocate for Roed’s tryout, leveraging his ties to the Snow Sharks program as an assistant coach from 2016 to 2021.

Roed arrived at the Kraken Community Iceplex in July 2023 with a clear ambition: “My skating is a big thing. Just wanted to come here, make an impression with my skating, be a good guy off the ice and try and be a leader if you can. The big thing with development camp is just learning what you can. You’re in a pro-environment for the first time. It was really good for me to take all of that to Bemidji right away.”

The 6-foot, 179-pound forward put those pro lessons to formidable use in a sophomore season in which he was a Hobey Baker Award nominee, first-team CCHA and his squad’s leading scorer with 14 goals and 16 points in 36 games. Other NHL teams showed interest in Roed as an undrafted free agent, but the Kraken-Olczyk connection held sway.

After his Bemidji State team fell just one conference title game short of an NCAA men’s hockey tournament bid, Roed signed with Seattle. He headed to Coachella Valley to play for now-Kraken coach Dan Bylsma, arriving soon enough to play five AHL regular season games and earning the opportunity to play five more games in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Roed scored a goal in the regular season and another during the playoffs.

From Roed’s first practice, Bylsma said the prospect’s speed stood out. The coach equally liked Roed’s willingness to mix it up and hold his ice net-front in the offensive zone. During Thursday’s opening practice for the rookies, Roed was back at it, staying on his feet in front of the crease despite zealous muscling and bodying from defenders looking to make their own impressions upon Laxdal and his fellow CVF assistant coaches.

“That’s where the goals are scored,” said Roed during a Thursday rinkside conversation after practice. “If you want to get in the action, that’s a good spot to go. It ended up working for me in the [Calder Cup] final. I found one out front. I’ve always been taught by coaches to go to dirty areas.”

When Roed landed in Coachella Valley, he was determined to “keep my ears and eyes open.” He found the adjustment to be smooth and credited veteran teammates.

“A big thing was the group that we had down there,” said Roed. “The leadership was second to none. It was an older group, they made easy. If you had questions about anything, they were right there for you. And then, once you get to the ice, you have to play with confidence. You can’t play scared. That’s something I tell myself a lot.”

As proven, Roed is always looking to garner ideas on how to better his skills and game sense. When asked about his personal growth goals for the coming season, the answer was quick and detailed.

“Two things I need to work on, one is puck play under pressure, handling pressure, making plays under pressure,” said Roed, actively chewing gum and achieving plenty of eye contact. “At this level, everything happens so much faster, so that’s a big thing. The second thing is being strong and holding my own on the puck.”

Had to ask: With his elite speed (he outraced everyone on the ice on the opening day of rookie camp practice), is it difficult for the rest of your body to keep up with the legs and feet?

“The feet come first for me; that’s my forte,” said Roed. “My hands have got to catch up to my feet. But it’s quite simple. If I’m trying to do too much with my hands, holding on to the puck, I adjust. I’m quite confident and let my feet carry me to good [scoring] areas.”

Roed, 22, grew up in White Bear Lake, son of dad Peter, who was a San Jose Sharks NHL second-round draft choice in 1995 and played eight professional seasons in the U.S. and Europe (“my dad was a really good skater,” said Roed). His two younger brothers play the sport. Nolan just finished high school and will play at USHL Tri-City (NE) this season and has committed to St. Cloud State for the 2025-26 NCAA season. Youngest brother Nash is a freshman at White Bear Lake High.

Lleyton Roed played for his high school team, then notched a season in USHL with Tri-City before going the college route. He said he was not highly sought after by NCAA schools (reasoning he was never the best player on his high school squad). He is grateful to Bemidji State’s interest and head coach Tom Serratore’s belief exhibited by giving him big minutes even as a freshman.

His high school team did make it to the later rounds of the storied Minnesota State Boys Hockey Tournament, appearing before 18,000-plus at the Xcel Energy Center, home of the Minnesota Wild.

“It’s an awesome atmosphere,” said Roed, smiling. “It’s called ‘The State of Hockey’ for that reason. I mean, you play with your buddies and your group of guys all the way up from the youngest days of sports to high school. Local communities really rally around it. We were playing in front of 4,000 people at every high school game. Then, you’re lucky enough to go to the state tournament. There are 18,000 in the Excel Center at 11 am. So, yeah, it’s a pretty surreal experience.”

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