Coachella Valley Firebirds

The Coachella Valley Firebirds are a professional ice hockey expansion team based in Thousand Palms, California, that began play in the 2022–23 American Hockey League (AHL) season. The team is an owned-and-operated affiliate of the Seattle Kraken, which began play during the 2021–22 National Hockey League season. Located in Southern California's Coachella Valley, Acrisure Arena in Thousand Palms is the team's home arena.

Coachella Valley Firebirds
CityThousand Palms
LeagueAmerican Hockey League
Founded2022
Home arenaAcrisure Arena
ColorsDeep sea blue, red alert, orange, ice blue[1]
       
Owner(s)Seattle Hockey Partners
(David Bonderman, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Tod Leiweke)
General managerVacant
Head coachDan Bylsma
CaptainMax McCormick
MediaThe Desert Sun
KDGL
AffiliatesSeattle Kraken (NHL)
Kansas City Mavericks (ECHL)
Websitecvfirebirds.com
Current season

History

On December 4, 2018, the NHL Board of Governors voted unanimously to approve Seattle's National Hockey League expansion team, the Seattle Kraken, to begin play in the 2021–22 season. 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 it down 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.[2] The expansion franchise was approved by the AHL board of governors on September 30, 2019, with plans to begin play in the 2021–22 season.[3] 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 interim Seattle affiliated with the Charlotte Checkers for the 2021–22 season, sharing the team with the Florida Panthers.[4]

On November 5, 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.[5]

Arena
Main article: Acrisure Arena

The home ice for the Firebirds is Acrisure Arena located in Thousand Palms, California, just east of Palm Springs. The Firebirds played four "home" games in the Seattle region in late October 2022 while awaiting the mid-December completion of the new arena: one game at Climate Pledge Arena, the home ice of the parent Seattle Kraken; one game at Angel of the Winds Arena, home of the Everett Silvertips; and two games at the Kraken Community Iceplex, official practice facility of the Kraken.[6] The Firebirds finally stepped on their home ice on December 18, 2022, in which they defeated the Tucson Roadrunners 4-3 in regulation. Cameron Hughes scored the first ever goal at Acrisure Arena, at the 8:49 mark in the 1st period.[7]

Players

Current roster

March 31, 2023.[8][9]

Team roster
No. Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace Contract
37 Russia Max Andreev (ATO) F L 24 2023 Moscow, Russia Firebirds
35 United States Joey Daccord G L 26 2022 Boston, Massachusetts Kraken
60 Canada Chris Driedger G L 28 2023 Winnipeg, Manitoba Kraken
41 Canada Ryker Evans D L 21 2022 Calgary, Alberta Kraken
32 Finland Christopher Gibson G L 30 2022 Karkkila, Finland Kraken
10 Canada Luke Henman C L 22 2022 Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Kraken
19 Canada Cameron Hughes C L 26 2022 Edmonton, Alberta Kraken
12 Canada Tye Kartye C L 21 2022 Kingston, Ontario Kraken
16 Canada Kole Lind RW L 24 2022 Swift Current, Saskatchewan Kraken
17 United States Max McCormick (C) LW L 30 2022 De Pere, Wisconsin Kraken
40 Canada Jeremy McKenna RW R 23 2022 Canmore, Alberta Firebirds
21 Canada Ian McKinnon C L 25 2022 Whitby, Ontario Firebirds
2 United States Jake McLaughlin D L 27 2022 Hinsdale, Illinois Firebirds
26 Canada Tristan Mullin LW L 26 2022 Cartwright, Manitoba Firebirds
23 Sweden Gustav Olofsson (A) D L 28 2022 Boras, Sweden Kraken
9 United States Nick Pastujov LW L 25 2022 Bradenton, Florida Firebirds
33 Finland Ville Petman C L 23 2022 Lappeenranta, Finland Kraken
14 United States Austin Poganski RW R 27 2022 St. Cloud, Minnesota Kraken
22 United States Andrew Poturalski (A) C R 29 2022 Williamsville, New York Kraken
25 United States Brogan Rafferty D R 27 2022 Dundee, Illinois Kraken
44 United States Jimmy Schuldt D L 27 2022 Minnetonka, Minnesota Firebirds
6 Finland Peetro Seppala D L 22 2022 Kuusankoski, Finland Kraken
27 United States Luke Stevens LW L 26 2022 Duxbury, Massachusetts Firebirds
8 United States Matt Tennyson D R 32 2022 Minneapolis, Minnesota Firebirds
11 Denmark Alexander True C L 25 2022 Copenhagen, Denmark Kraken
18 Canada Carsen Twarynski LW L 25 2022 Calgary, Alberta Kraken
20 United States Eddie Wittchow D/RW L 30 2022 Burnsville, Minnesota Firebirds

References
  1. "Firebirds to take flight in Coachella Valley". TheAHL.com. November 5, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. Baker, Geoff (June 26, 2019). "NHL Seattle chooses Palm Springs as site for new AHL farm team". The Seattle Times.
  3. "AHL expanding to Palm Springs in 2021–22". American Hockey League. September 30, 2019.
  4. "CHECKERS ADD SEATTLE KRAKEN AS NHL AFFILIATE". Charlotte Checkers. June 28, 2021.
  5. "New Coachella Valley hockey team will be called Firebirds, with red, orange and black colors". Palm Springs Desert Sun. November 5, 2021.
  6. Powers, Shad (May 3, 2022). "Kraken GM says Firebirds will play early AHL games at Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena is completed". Palm Springs Desert Sun. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  7. "TheAHL.com | The American Hockey League". theahl.com. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  8. "Coachella Valley Firebirds current roster". eliteprospects.com. March 25, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  9. "Coachella Valley Firebirds current roster". Coachella Valley Firebirds. March 31, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.


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