How Kraken coach Dan Bylsma uses the ‘Bylbrary’ to help players grow

SEATTLE – There’s a celebrated but somewhat romanticized Icelandic tradition called Jólabókafló, or “Christmas book flood,” where publishers release new titles in time for the holidays. They make popular gifts in the well-read country. After presents are unwrapped on Christmas Eve, recipients can curl up with their new books and hot chocolate and read into the night.

Despite what “D2: The Mighty Ducks” would have us believe, Iceland is no international hockey power. But should the Seattle Kraken ever want to take a page out of their book in the literary sense, perhaps kick back with a guide to life, there are relevant titles available right outside their locker room.

When Kraken coach Dan Bylsma transitioned from college to pro hockey, all the hours that used to be spent studying were just … free. He had too much time on his hands.

“My mind was idle,” Bylsma said. “So I started reading books – I’ll just call them self-help books – looking for messages, looking for guidance, looking for the recipe. For a pathway.”

He bought a lot of tomes over 35 years. His wife said he needed to cull the collection at one point, so the books made their way to the rink. They’re currently on a shelf at Kraken Community Iceplex. From Mother Teresa’s “In the Heart of the World” to Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” to “Who Moved My Cheese?” there’s something for everyone.

Bylsma is known to reference these books in meetings, to pull one out and quote something in it. There are some he revisits yearly, maybe not in entirety, but certain chapters.

“Growth, as a person and as a player, can come in a lot of different ways,” Bylsma said. “They’re some of the books that I read, that I continue to read, that helped me along the way.”

The shelf nicknamed the “Bylbrary” moved with him from the American Hockey League, where he coached the Kraken’s affiliate the past two years. There was a notepad for signing out books in Coachella Valley, but once he was promoted to the NHL, it shifted to a fully functional honor system. Forward John Hayden borrowed a book from the shelf in California and brought it with him this fall to Seattle’s training camp for return.

No late fee was assessed.

Young Kraken center Shane Wright prefers nonfiction, particularly sports biographies. Mark Messier’s, Tom Brady’s and Tiger Woods’ are some of his all-time favorites. He borrowed and enjoyed “99: Stories of the Game,” Wayne Gretzky’s memoir, from Bylsma.

He’ll revisit the shelves when the time is right.

“It’s there if we want it,” Wright said.

In the past Bylsma has gifted players books, including “Life’s Greatest Lessons: 20 Things That Matter” by Hal Urban and “Legacy: What the All Blacks Can Teach Us About the Business of Life,” by James Kerr. It’s about rugby, but with greater takeaways about leadership and teamwork. Wright also enjoyed that one.

“I had the ‘Legacy’ book in my hand today, talking to a player,” Bylsma said on a recent game day.

Idle or occupied minds – whatever helps, really – are encouraged as the Kraken begin their four-day break for Christmas. Just don’t think about work. The Kraken are dropping in the Pacific Division and lost their fifth straight game Sunday night in Colorado.

“We need to forget about hockey for a little bit, come in with a clean slate,” winger Jared McCann said of Seattle’s next game Dec. 28 in Vancouver.

“We believe in each other in this room. We’re not going to rely on anyone else. It’s going to come from in here.”

Sounds like the first chapter of a great book.