Kraken Mascot & John Hayden Chased by Bears in Viral Social Media Mishap

A fishing trip turned terrifying for Seattle Kraken mascot Buoy and forward John Hayden when two bears crashed their peaceful day on the water.

The close call, captured on video and shared on Buoy’s social media last weekend, shows what started as a simple promotional shoot quickly becoming a scene straight out of a survival show.

Buoy, Hayden, and the Kraken’s digital team were quietly waiting for fish to bite when they spotted something much bigger than their intended catch. Two bears emerged from the woods and headed straight for their boat.

One of the bears actually charged at Buoy. But the mascot kept his cool – pretty impressive considering he’s wearing a giant costume while being chased by wild animals.

“It’s definitely not what we expected when we planned a casual fishing video,” a team spokesperson confirmed to CBS Sports. And no, this wasn’t staged – the bears and the chase were completely real.

The whole crew managed to escape safely, though it’s safe to say their fishing trip was cut a bit short.

While NHL mascots are known for their wild antics (looking at you, Gritty), this might be the first time one has had to dodge actual bears instead of just the Boston Bruins kind.

It’s probably not the kind of fish story Buoy planned on telling, but it’s certainly one that’ll be hard to top.

The incident adds another chapter to the already colorful life of NHL mascots, who usually deal with rowdy fans and tricky stunts – not wildlife encounters. Though after this adventure, maybe dealing with drunk hecklers doesn’t seem so bad.

Alex Thompson
Alex Thompson
Alex Thompson is a Senior Writer for HockeyMonitor. With a background in Sports Media, Alex joined the team in 2022. He focuses on providing the latest hockey news, game scores, and fresh NHL trade rumors.

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