Coachella Valley Firebirds

In this article we will analyze the impact of Coachella Valley Firebirds in today's society, exploring its implications in different areas. Coachella Valley Firebirds has been the subject of research and debate in recent years, and its influence is evident in areas such as technology, politics, culture and economics. Through this analysis, we will seek to understand the extent to which Coachella Valley Firebirds has transformed our way of thinking, interacting and living in the contemporary world. Likewise, we will examine the challenges and opportunities that Coachella Valley Firebirds presents for the future, taking into account the diverse perspectives and opinions on the matter.

Coachella Valley Firebirds
CityThousand Palms, California
LeagueAmerican Hockey League
ConferenceWestern
DivisionPacific
Founded2022
Home arenaAcrisure Arena
ColorsDeep sea blue, red alert, orange, ice blue[1]
       
MascotFuego
Owner(s)Oak View Group
General managerVacant
Head coachDerek Laxdal
CaptainMax McCormick
MediaThe Desert Sun
KDGL
AffiliatesSeattle Kraken (NHL)
Kansas City Mavericks (ECHL)
Websitecvfirebirds.com
Championships
Division titles1 (2023–24)
Conference titles2 (2023, 2024)
Current uniform
Current season

The Coachella Valley Firebirds are a professional American ice hockey team based in the Coachella Valley in Southern California. They are members of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference of the American Hockey League (AHL). The Firebirds began play in the 2022–23 season as an expansion franchise.[2] The team is an owned-and-operated affiliate of the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Seattle Kraken. The team plays their home games at Acrisure Arena in Thousand Palms, California.

After the approval of the Kraken to join the NHL, the Kraken's ownership group had narrowed down its AHL affiliate options to promoting the ECHL's Idaho Steelheads in Boise, Idaho, or a new expansion team in Palm Springs, California. On June 26, 2019, it was reported the Seattle ownership group had chosen Palm Springs as the site for Seattle's AHL affiliate.[3]

The Firebirds ranked second overall in their first regular season, behind only the Calgary Wranglers.[4] During that season's Calder Cup playoffs, the Firebirds reached the Finals and lost in overtime of game seven to the Hershey Bears.[5] They finished as runners-up again in their second season, achieving 103 points in the regular season[6] and reaching the Finals before losing to the Bears again, this time in overtime of game six.[7]

History

Establishment (2018–2022)

On December 4, 2018, the National Hockey League (NHL) Board of Governors voted unanimously to approve a Seattle NHL expansion team, the Seattle Kraken, to begin play in the 2021–22 season.[8] The new ownership group then began making plans for acquiring a minor league affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL). By early 2019, they had narrowed down their options to promoting the ECHL's Idaho Steelheads in Boise, Idaho, or a new expansion team in the area around Palm Springs, California. On June 26, it was reported the Seattle ownership group had chosen Palm Springs as the site for their AHL affiliate, as the Boise option would require the Steelheads' arena to be revamped.[3] The expansion franchise was approved by the AHL Board of Governors on September 30, with plans to begin play in the 2021–22 season.[9] Delays associated with the construction of an arena in the Palm Springs area caused the team's debut to be pushed back to the 2022–23 season. In the meantime, Seattle affiliated with the Charlotte Checkers for the 2021–22 season, sharing the team with the Florida Panthers.[10]

In November 2021, the new team revealed its name, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, as well as its logos and colors, at a ceremony held on the construction site of their new arena. Since the Kraken was a mythical creature, the organization chose another mythical creature for its affiliate.[11]

On June 21, 2022, Dan Bylsma, who had won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009,[12] was named the inaugural head coach of the Firebirds.[13] The Firebirds signed their first free agents, Samuel Bucek and Ian McKinnon, on July 11.[14] On the day of the Firebirds' first game, October 16, Max McCormick was announced as the team's captain, with Andrew Poturalski and Gustav Olofsson being named alternate captains.[15]

First seasons (2022–present)

The Firebirds played their first game on October 16, 2022, a 6–5 win against the Calgary Wranglers, and they also won the rematch the next day.[16] During the first stretch of the season later that month, the Firebirds played their home games in the Seattle metropolitan area, playing four games against the Abbotsford Canucks and the Wranglers at the Kraken Community Iceplex and Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, as well as the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett.[17] The Firebirds' first game at Acrisure Arena took place on December 18, a 4–3 win in front of a 10,087-people sellout crowd against the Tucson Roadrunners, with Cameron Hughes scoring the first ever home goal for the Firebirds, at the 8:49 mark in the first period.[18][19][20] From December 22, 2022, to January 26, 2023, the Firebirds achieved a fourteen-game points streak, the current franchise record.[21] The Firebirds finished the 2022–23 season with 103 points, good for second place of the Pacific Division, behind only the Wranglers, who captured the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy. During the 2023 Calder Cup playoffs, the Firebirds captured the Western Conference title and advanced to the Calder Cup Finals, where they faced off against the Hershey Bears.[22] Goaltender Joey Daccord recorded back-to-back shutouts in the first two games of the series,[23] but the Firebirds fell short of the championship, losing in overtime of game seven.[24]

On March 23, 2024, the Firebirds clinched their place in the 2023–24 playoffs following a 4–3 shootout loss against the San Diego Gulls. It was their second consecutive season with a playoff berth.[25] Eventually, the Firebirds won their first Pacific Division title, earning a bye in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs following a 3–1 win on April 10, 2024, over the Ontario Reign.[26] During the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs, the Firebirds again captured the Western Conference title[27] and progressed to the Calder Cup Finals, where they once again faced the Hershey Bears. For the second straight season, the Firebirds fell short of the championship, losing in overtime of game six.[7]

Arena

Main article: Acrisure Arena
ice rink surrounded by stands filled with fans, hockey players on the ice
Interior of Acrisure Arena during Game 6 of the 2023 Calder Cup Finals

The Firebirds play their home games at Acrisure Arena, an 11,000-seat venue north of Palm Desert in the unincorporated area of Thousand Palms, California. The arena hosted its first game on December 18, 2022, after a year of construction at an estimated cost of $290 million.[28][29] During the 2023 Calder Cup playoffs, the Firebirds established an American Hockey League record for total playoff attendance with 138,053 fans attending 16 postseason games.[30]

After Palm Springs was chosen as the site of Seattle's AHL affiliate, Oak View Group (OVG) announced a partnership in June 2019 with the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians to build a 10,000-seat arena.[3] The multi-purpose venue would be built on land owned by the Agua Caliente Band adjacent to the Spa Resort Casino and was estimated to cost $250 million.[31][32] It would also have had an adjoining facility to serve as a year-round community gathering space as well as the training center for the AHL team.[33] Groundbreaking and construction on the arena was expected to begin in February 2020, with completion by late 2021, but was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting ban on large gatherings including concerts and sporting events.[34][35] By September 2020, OVG's negotiations with the tribe had come to a halt and the agreement was ended due to COVID-19 financial impacts on the tribe.[36]

On September 16, 2020, OVG and the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation announced they had chosen a new location for the arena in the middle of the Coachella Valley in unincorporated Thousand Palms, but it would not open until at least 2022.[37] The arena site is on Foundation land between Interstate 10 and the Foundation's Classic Club golf course; the land would be leased by OVG from the Foundation.[38] Groundbreaking on the project took place on June 2, 2021.[39]

On January 6, 2024, the AHL announced that the Firebirds and Acrisure Arena would host the 2025 AHL All-Star Game.[40]

Uniforms

The Firebirds announced their inaugural season uniforms on January 24, 2022, at the Palm Springs Air Museum. They were delivered by the Seattle Kraken, the jerseys themselves in treasure chests. The Firebirds have two main uniforms, one a dark blue color and the other white. Both uniforms feature the Firebirds logo in the center, as well as red, orange, and light-blue stripes around the sleeves, with red and light-blue stripes in the bottom.[41] The blue eye color of the Firebird logo is a tie-in to the blue used by the Kraken.[11] The Kraken logo adorns one shoulder.[11]

On November 8, 2023, the team revealed their "Red Alert" third jersey in red with orange, black and light blue trim. The regular logo is replaced with the team's secondary logo, which depicts a mountain range with a palm tree in front. The palm tree has nine fronds, one for each city in the Coachella Valley. During the 2022–23 season, the team wore the jersey on most Sunday home games.[42]

Mascot

The Firebirds' mascot is an orange, feathered bird named Fuego (Spanish for fire).[43] Fuego was announced on August 4, 2022, before the start of the season. Fuego wears a Firebirds jersey, featuring the number 22 on the back. His first game appearance was on October 16.[44]

Broadcasting

Radio

All Firebirds games are broadcast on KDGL (106.9 FM). The network broadcast all 72 games of the Firebirds' inaugural season.[45]

Television

When the Firebirds began play, the News-Press & Gazette Company stations of KESQ-TV, KDFX-CD, and KCWQ-LD split a 10-game package.[46] In 2024, the Firebirds and Entravision Communications, owner of NBC affiliate KMIR-TV and KPSE-LD, reached a new media agreement. KPSE-LD was rebranded My Firebirds TV and became the broadcaster of all 36 regular-season home contests.[47]

Season-by-season record

Main article: List of Coachella Valley Firebirds seasons
Regular season[2][48][49] Playoffs[50][51]
Season Games Won Lost OTL SOL Points PCT Goals
for 		Goals
against 		Standing Year Prelims 1st
round 		2nd
round 		3rd
round 		Finals
2022–23 72 48 17 5 2 103 .715 257 194 2nd, Pacific 2023 W, 2–1, TUC W, 3–2, COL W, 3–2, CGY W, 4–2, MIL L, 3–4, HER
2023–24 72 46 15 6 5 103 .715 252 182 1st, Pacific 2024 BYE W, 3–1, CGY W, 3–0, ONT W, 4–1, MIL L, 2–4, HER

Players and personnel

Current roster

Main article: List of Coachella Valley Firebirds players

Updated April 16, 2025.[52][53]

No. Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace Contract
11 Canada Brandon Biro LW L 27 2024 Sherwood Park, Alberta Kraken
16 Canada Nikolas Brouillard D L 30 2024 Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec Kraken
56 Canada Clarke Caswell (ATO) LW L 19 2025 Brandon, Manitoba Firebirds
52 Czech Republic Jakub Fibigr (ATO) D L 18 2025 Unicov, Czech Republic Firebirds
57 Canada Jagger Firkus RW R 20 2023 Irma, Alberta Kraken
78 Norway Oscar Fisker Mølgaard C L 20 2025 Hjørring, Denmark Kraken
8 Canada Cale Fleury (A) D R 26 2023 Calgary, Alberta Kraken
88 Canada David Goyette F R 21 2024 Saint-Jérôme, Quebec Kraken
10 Canada Luke Henman C L 24 2022 Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Kraken
68 United States Justin Janicke (ATO) LW L 21 2025 Maple Grove, Minnesota Firebirds
20 United States Ryan Jones D L 28 2023 Crown Point, Indiana Firebirds
35 Finland Niklas Kokko G R 21 2023 Oulu, Finland Kraken
58 Canada Max Lajoie D L 27 2024 Quebec, Quebec Kraken
17 United States Max McCormick (C) LW L 32 2022 De Pere, Wisconsin Kraken
21 Canada Ian McKinnon C L 27 2022 Whitby, Ontario Firebirds
63 Canada Jacob Melanson RW R 21 2023 Amherst, Nova Scotia Kraken
39 United States Ben Meyers C L 26 2024 Delano, Minnesota Kraken
96 Canada Logan Morrison C R 22 2023 Guelph, Ontario Kraken
24 Canada Ty Nelson D R 21 2024 Toronto, Ontario Kraken
33 Finland Jani Nyman RW L 20 2024 Valkeakoski, Finland Kraken
23 Sweden Gustav Olofsson (A) D L 30 2022 Borås, Sweden Kraken
35 Finland Victor Ostman G R 24 2024 Danderyd, Sweden Kraken
36 Finland Ville Ottavainen D R 22 2023 Oulu, Finland Kraken
74 Canada Carson Rehkopf C L 20 2025 Barrie, Ontario Kraken
62 Canada Tucker Robertson C R 21 2023 Toronto, Ontario Kraken
29 United States Lleyton Roed LW L 22 2024 White Bear Lake, Minnesota Kraken
12 Czech Republic Eduard Sale F L 20 2024 Brno, Czechia Kraken
67 Canada Mitchell Stephens C R 28 2024 Peterborough, Ontario Kraken
30 Czech Republic Ales Stezka G L 28 2023 Plzeň, Czech Republic Kraken
90 Canada Nathan Villeneuve (ATO) C L 19 2025 Ottawa, Ontario Firebirds
27 Canada Ryan Winterton F R 21 2023 Markham, Ontario Kraken

Owners

The team is owned by Oak View Group, the organization that also owns Climate Pledge Arena.[54] Tim Leiweke serves as their CEO.[55] Steve Fraser led as president of the Firebirds and Acrisure Arena from 2021 to 2023. His work established the team in the region, broke numerous AHL records for revenue and attendance and secured the 2025 AHL Allstar game.[56]

Head coaches

Team captains

Inaugural Firebirds captain Max McCormick.

Team and league honors

League awards

References

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