Seattle pick has a Sault side
Towering defenseman Finn Kearns became property of the Seattle Kraken at the recent 2026 National Hockey League Draft. And the 6 foot 3, 210 pound defender who played most of the past two seasons with St. Andrew’s College of Aurora before finishing the ’25-26 campaign with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League, has Sault Ste. Marie roots through his dad, Martin.
The elder Kearns, who was born and raised in the Sault, was also a defenseman in his playing days. He was good enough to perform at the Junior B level in southwestern Ontario before going on to Wilfrid Laurier University, where he played for five years and was team captain.
As for the younger Kearns, who was taken by Sudbury in the eighth round of the 2024 OHL priority selections draft from the York Simcoe Express before going on to be a standout at St. Andrew’s, the scouting report on him from Seattle scout –and Sault Ste. Marie native — Mike Dawson is a glowing one.
“Finn is a a big, physical, mean shut down defenseman who relishes defending teammates. Any team he’s on will not be pushed around,” Dawson relayed to Hockey News North of Kearns “He has tremendous character and leadership and was the captain at St. Andrew’s before going to Sudbury to finish the year.”
Of further note, Kearns has a Division 1, National Collegiate Athletic Association commitment to play at UMass effective the ”27-28 season.
