Kraken hire Sportsology Group to audit organization

The Kraken organization has its auditor, and the process is underway.

The organization brought in Sportsology Group, a London and New York-based firm known for its internal analysis of professional sports franchises. Sportsology's audit is happening parallel to the Kraken's own annual end-of-season review.

According to the team, Sportsology is "conducting a full assessment of all areas of hockey operations including organizational structure, communication and decision-making processes, player development, amateur and professional scouting, analytics integration, coaching, roster construction philosophy, sports science and medical support, overall resources and the alignment between" the Kraken and its top affiliate, Coachella Valley of the American Hockey League, where young talent develops.

The executive chairperson of Sportsology Group is Mike Forde, a Manchester, England, native and former executive for Chelsea FC, according to a Ringer profile from 2021 which described Forde as "the most powerful person in the NBA that you don't know." According to Forde, during a 2021 interview on Sportsnet's 32 Thoughts podcast, Sportsology operated on five continents and had worked with nine sports.

Sportsology was founded in 2014 and has helped NBA, NFL, MLS and NHL teams, among others, perform internal assessments and fill GM vacancies if needed.

That last option seemingly won't be needed. Jason Botterill is the Kraken's GM. Ron Francis, the president of hockey operations, stepped down following the 2025-26 season after the Kraken missed the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons of play. The team finished with 79 standings points and 27th in the 32-team NHL.

Francis was the general manager when the franchise launched and oversaw the expansion draft. He moved into a new role and Botterill was promoted in April, 2025.

Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke announced the audit April 9, the day after Francis' departure was formally announced and two days before the Kraken were eliminated from the postseason, though it was a foregone conclusion at that point. At the time, Leiweke expressed hope that the audit is a "symbol to … our fans that we're serious about this."

"The report will land on the owner's desk," Leiweke added.

It did not sound as if they wanted a replacement for Francis. Botterill, who is expected to be retained, will take on more responsibilities.

"We're going to go back to the model we started with," Leiweke said. "We're going to have a GM who makes the decisions."

Botterill and Leiweke gave every indication Lane Lambert, who just wrapped up his first season as head coach, would be retained as well.

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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 4:52 PM.