Shane Wright will not start the National Hockey League season.
The Seattle Kraken demoted the young forward to the American League, to the Coachella Valley Firebirds in California.
Wright was limited to one assist in three preseason games with the Kraken.
Normally, at age 19, Wright would not be eligible to play in the American League this season, but the NHL granted whoever received exceptional player status the privilege to play in the Ontario League at age 15.
Wright, who many Montreal Canadiens fans tipped to be the first overall pick in the 2022 draft, was selected fourth overall by the Kraken, behind Juraj Slafkovsky, Simon Nemec and Logan Cooley. Everything indicates that Slafkovsky, Nemec and Cooley will begin the season in the NHL.
Watch the video above to see Wright’s first NHL goal, scored against the Canadiens last year.