Uncharted: On the Fly with Will Borgen

By Alison Lukan; @AlisonL nhl.com/kraken. March 06, 2024

Welcome to UNCHARTED. Developed in partnership with Filson, this is a series of profiles showcasing the natural beauty and unique experiences found in the Pacific Northwest while getting to know more about our Kraken players. You can find previous installments HERE.

As we headed to Seahurst Park in Burien, it was the kind of day that personifies the Pacific Northwest. It was cloudy, but still bright… ever-changing color palettes painting the sky. It was crisp…but the kind that made you want to snuggle up in layers of warmth (thank goodness for my Filson flannel, hat, and gloves!). And all around was the visual contrast of the Puget Sound seemingly running right into the base of the Olympic Mountains.

It was the kind of day that impressed my soon-to-be fishing buddy, and Kraken defenseman, Will Borgen when he first arrived in Seattle.

“My favorite thing (about Seattle) is the views,” Borgen said. “(Seeing) the mountains and stuff when it's nice out. It was a shock my first day here - I landed (at SEATAC) and was just driving around and seeing all the mountains everywhere. It was so nice. I’m from a really flat area so it was pretty awesome to see.”

With those mountain views as a backdrop, we set off to meet our guide for the day, Jordan Young-Treadway, a fly fishing guide born and raised in Washington state.

Borgen had been fly-fishing “a few times,” but his enthusiasm was obvious as Young-Treadway explained the type of water we wanted to find (it’s called a seam where soft water meets choppy), and the science and art of casting in hopes of catching a fish. We pulled out our fly lines and learned to move our arms between the positions of 10 and 2 as if on a clock face - building up momentum to hopefully throw our fly into the perfect spot to land a fish.

“This is a very hard skill,” Borgen said between casts. “I think you have to do it a lot to get good at it. But I think this is fun to learn.”

And putting in the work to master a craft isn’t unfamiliar to the 27-year-old defenseman. Three years ago, when the Kraken drafted their inaugural roster, Borgen was Seattle’s pick from the Buffalo Sabres. He played 36 games that first year, often sitting for long stretches as the right on-ice combinations were under discovery.

Borgen was patient and focused. Now, three years into his Kraken career, the Moorhead, MN native is a fixture in the top 4 of the defensive corps, and already has posted career highs in goals (3 in 2022-23), and points (22, 2023-24) with more time to add to those totals.

That’s quite a journey for a kid who grew up with the primary activity usually being fishing or hunting and who only picked up skating because one of his mom’s cousins took him to a rink one day while the rest of the family went skiing.

“I don't think my parents cared (if I played) because none of (my family) played hockey,” Borgen said. “I just wanted to keep doing it…and one of my buddies played and then I joined.”

As Borgen chats about his family – he sees them every summer and shares a cabin with his sister – he remains intently focused on his new craft. Standing alongside, Young-Treadway offers gentle adjustments – coaching his student to a more and more effective cast.

Each effort gets an instant self-review from Borgen – mostly honest, often self-deprecating.

“Every time I get in a little bit of a groove – it’s becoming more like muscle memory,” Borgen said. “But I'm kind of whipping it. (Coordinating movements with my left hand) is messing me up. It's like it's like playing an instrument and I cannot play an instrument. You know how people say, ‘tap your head and rub your tummy or do two things?’ I tried. I tried out for percussion. It just didn't work.”

In the midst of a busy 82-game season, you can sense Borgen embracing the meditative energy of getting a fly to dance in the wind. A slight smile on his face, he tracks the lead back and forth while simultaneously watching for a fish to give away its location via a pop to the water’s surface.

You get a sense fly fishing might just get added to the list of hobbies Borgen already has: he and his teammates love to engage in fantasy football; and during downtime, when he’s not hanging out with roommate Matty Beniers (“I don’t know if we have many boundaries,” Borgen laughs), he’ll watch some shows. Recent favorites include “Hard Knocks,”, and “The Last of Us” (a common selection among more than a few Kraken players).

The sun is now starting to set, meaning our time on the water will soon come to an end. Borgen wades out into the water to try and throw a few more casts. You get the sense that the process of trying to catch a fish has become almost more enjoyable than achieving the goal itself.

And as the defenseman throws one last line into the Sound, he looks more and more like a seasoned pro. And the lessons he learned on his way to building an established NHL career seem applicable here, too.

“When you first get into the NHL, you kind of just worry about…at least for me, I was worried about not making too many mistakes,” Borgen said. “You want to stick but also, you're trying to play safe a little bit. I'm a little more confident now that I've been in the lineup a couple more times.”

It looks like you might stick as a fly fisherman, Will. And when you’re ready, the Sound will be waiting.