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The '''Coachella Valley Firebirds''' are a professional [[ice hockey]] team based in [[Southern California]]'s [[Coachella Valley]. 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 AHL season]]. The team is an owned-and-operated affiliate of the [[Seattle Kraken]]. The team plays their home games at [[Acrisure Arena]] in the town of [[Thousand Palms, California]]. |
The '''Coachella Valley Firebirds''' are a professional [[ice hockey]] team based in [[Southern California]]'s [[Coachella Valley]]. 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 AHL season]]. The team is an owned-and-operated affiliate of the [[Seattle Kraken]]. The team plays their home games at [[Acrisure Arena]] in the town of [[Thousand Palms, California]]. |
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==History== |
==History== |
Revision as of 00:19, 11 February 2024
Coachella Valley Firebirds | |
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City | Thousand Palms, California |
League | American Hockey League |
Conference | Western |
Division | Pacific |
Founded | 2022 |
Home arena | Acrisure Arena |
Colors | Deep sea blue, red alert, orange, ice blue[1] |
Mascot | Fuego |
Owner(s) | Seattle Hockey Partners Oak View Group (David Bonderman, Jerry Bruckheimer, Tod Leiweke and Tim Leiweke) |
General manager | Troy Bodie (de facto - VP of Hockey Operations) |
Head coach | Dan Bylsma |
Captain | Max McCormick |
Media | The Desert Sun KDGL |
Affiliates | Seattle Kraken (NHL) Kansas City Mavericks (ECHL) |
Website | cvfirebirds.com |
Championships | |
Conference titles | 1 (2022–23) |
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The Coachella Valley Firebirds are a professional ice hockey team based in Southern California's Coachella Valley. 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 AHL season. The team is an owned-and-operated affiliate of the Seattle Kraken. The team plays their home games at Acrisure Arena in the town of Thousand Palms, California.
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]
The Firebirds finished their inaugural 2022–23 season in second place of the Pacific Division. They won the Western Conference and advanced to the Calder Cup final, where they lost to the Hershey Bears in seven games.
Arena
The Firebirds play their home games at 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]
Season-by-season record
Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 |
Players
Current roster
Updated January 31, 2024.[8][9]
Team captains
- Max McCormick, 2022–present
References
- ^ "Firebirds to take flight in Coachella Valley". TheAHL.com. November 5, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
- ^ Baker, Geoff (June 26, 2019). "NHL Seattle chooses Palm Springs as site for new AHL farm team". The Seattle Times.
- ^ "AHL expanding to Palm Springs in 2021–22". American Hockey League. September 30, 2019.
- ^ "CHECKERS ADD SEATTLE KRAKEN AS NHL AFFILIATE". Charlotte Checkers. June 28, 2021.
- ^ "New Coachella Valley hockey team will be called Firebirds, with red, orange and black colors". Palm Springs Desert Sun. November 5, 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "TheAHL.com | The American Hockey League". theahl.com. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
- ^ "Coachella Valley Firebirds current roster". eliteprospects.com. January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
- ^ "Coachella Valley Firebirds current roster". Coachella Valley Firebirds. January 31, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2024.