Meet The Coachella Valley Firebirds: Seattle Kraken’s AHL Affiliate

As of the 2025–26 season, the Seattle Kraken’s primary American Hockey League affiliate is the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Established as the 32nd AHL franchise, the Firebirds began play in the 2022–23 season and serve as the central development vehicle for Seattle’s pipeline of talent.

Despite their newbie status, Coachella Valley has made waves. The Firebirds reached the Calder Cup Final in each of their first two seasons and made the Calder Cup playoffs the last three consecutive years — an impressive feat for a brand-new franchise. 

The Firebirds’ home, Acrisure Arena in Thousand Palms, Calif., opened in December 2022 and offers fans a modern venue to closely follow prospects stepping toward the NHL. 

The path to the Seattle Kraken affiliation involved thoughtful planning. When Seattle was awarded an NHL franchise, its ownership considered multiple AHL options — including promoting the ECHL Idaho Steelheads or creating an expansion club in the Palm Springs area. 

By late 2019, the decision settled on Palm Springs, and the Firebirds’ expansion was officially approved September 30, 2019. Due to delays in arena construction, Seattle temporarily shared the Charlotte Checkers with Florida during the 2021–22 season. 

For Kraken followers, the Firebirds are more than a minor league affiliate — they are a front-row seat to the future. The speed, grit, and chemistry you see in Thousand Palms could be the next wave arriving in Seattle.

Who Is The Head Coach Of The Coachella Valley Firebirds?

The head coach of the Coachella Valley Firebirds is Derek Laxdal, who joined the  program in 2024.

Coachella Valley Firebirds 2025-26 Schedule

View the regular season schedule for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins below. Catch it all streaming live on FloHockey including All-Star festivities and the entire journey to crowning the 2026 Calder Cup champion.

October

Fri, Oct 10 – 10:00 PM ET vs. San DiegoSat, Oct 18 – 9:00 PM ET vs. ColoradoSun, Oct 19 – 7:00 PM ET at BakersfieldWed, Oct 22 – 10:00 PM ET at San JoseFri, Oct 24 – 9:00 PM ET at CalgarySat, Oct 25 – 8:00 PM ET at CalgaryThu, Oct 30 – 9:30 PM ET vs. San Diego

November

Sat, Nov 1 – 9:00 PM ET vs. ColoradoWed, Nov 5 – 9:30 PM ET vs. ColoradoFri, Nov 7 – 9:00 PM ET at TucsonSat, Nov 8 – 9:00 PM ET at TucsonTue, Nov 11 – 9:30 PM ET vs. BakersfieldSat, Nov 15 – 10:00 PM ET at BakersfieldSun, Nov 16 – 8:00 PM ET vs. AbbotsfordFri, Nov 21 – 10:00 PM ET vs. San DiegoSun, Nov 23 – 5:00 PM ET vs. CalgaryFri, Nov 28 – 9:00 PM ET at San DiegoSat, Nov 29 – 9:00 PM ET vs. Texas

December

Wed, Dec 3 – 9:30 PM ET vs. TexasSat, Dec 6 – 10:00 PM ET at AbbotsfordSun, Dec 7 – 7:00 PM ET at AbbotsfordTue, Dec 9 – 9:00 PM ET at CalgaryThu, Dec 11 – 9:00 PM ET at CalgaryWed, Dec 17 – 9:30 PM ET vs. San JoseFri, Dec 19 – 10:00 PM ET vs. BakersfieldSat, Dec 20 – 10:00 PM ET at BakersfieldSat, Dec 27 – 9:00 PM ET vs. AbbotsfordSun, Dec 28 – 8:00 PM ET at HendersonWed, Dec 31 – 8:00 PM ET vs. Bakersfield

January

Fri, Jan 2 – 10:00 PM ET at San DiegoSat, Jan 3 – 9:00 PM ET at OntarioWed, Jan 7 – 9:30 PM ET vs. HendersonSat, Jan 10 – 9:00 PM ET vs. HendersonTue, Jan 13 – 8:00 PM ET at TexasWed, Jan 14 – 8:00 PM ET at TexasSat, Jan 17 – 9:00 PM ET at San DiegoSun, Jan 18 – 8:00 PM ET vs. AbbotsfordWed, Jan 21 – 9:30 PM ET vs. San JoseFri, Jan 23 – 10:00 PM ET vs. OntarioWed, Jan 28 – 9:30 PM ET vs. ColoradoFri, Jan 30 – 10:00 PM ET vs. San Diego

February

Sun, Feb 1 – 6:00 PM ET at OntarioWed, Feb 4 – 10:00 PM ET at San JoseFri, Feb 6 – 10:00 PM ET at HendersonSat, Feb 7 – 9:00 PM ET at HendersonFri, Feb 13 – 10:00 PM ET vs. TucsonSun, Feb 15 – 6:00 PM ET vs. TucsonWed, Feb 18 – 9:30 PM ET at BakersfieldFri, Feb 20 – 9:05 PM ET at ColoradoSat, Feb 21 – 9:05 PM ET at ColoradoThu, Feb 26 – 9:30 PM ET vs. HendersonSat, Feb 28 – 9:00 PM ET vs. Bakersfield

March

Wed, Mar 4 – 10:00 PM ET at HendersonSat, Mar 7 – 9:00 PM ET vs. CalgarySun, Mar 8 – 6:00 PM ET vs. CalgaryFri, Mar 13 – 10:00 PM ET vs. OntarioSat, Mar 14 – 9:00 PM ET at OntarioWed, Mar 18 – 1:30 PM ET at San JoseSat, Mar 21 – 8:05 PM ET at ColoradoSun, Mar 22 – 5:05 PM ET at ColoradoWed, Mar 25 – 9:30 PM ET vs. CalgarySat, Mar 28 – 9:00 PM ET vs. San JoseSun, Mar 29 – 6:00 PM ET vs. San Jose

April

Wed, Apr 1 – 9:30 PM ET vs. OntarioFri, Apr 3 – 10:00 PM ET at AbbotsfordSat, Apr 4 – 10:00 PM ET at AbbotsfordWed, Apr 8 – 9:30 PM ET vs. HendersonFri, Apr 10 – 10:00 PM ET at OntarioSat, Apr 11 – 9:00 PM ET vs. OntarioTue, Apr 14 – 10:00 PM ET at San JoseSat, Apr 18 – 9:00 PM ET at San DiegoSun, Apr 19 – 6:00 PM ET vs. AbbotsfordHow to Watch Coachella Valley Firebird Games In 2025-2026

Fans can watch every single Utica Comets AHL game live and on-demand on FloHockey and the FloSports app from the preseason through to the last game of the Calder Cup finals.

AHL Opening Weekend Schedule On FloHockey

Here’s every AHL game that will happen in week one, with all times listed in Eastern Time. All games can be streamed on FloHockey and the FloSports App. Subscribe here to not miss any of the action.

Friday, October 107:00 pm — Cleveland vs Utica7:05 pm — Toronto vs Rochester8:00 pm — Laval vs Manitoba8:00 pm — Grand Rapids vs Texas9:05 pm — Calgary vs Colorado10:00 pm — Tucson vs Ontario10:00 pm — Abbotsford vs Henderson10:00 pm — San Diego vs Coachella ValleySaturday, October 113:00 pm — Cleveland vs Utica4:00 pm — Rochester vs Toronto6:00 pm — Bakersfield vs San Jose6:05 pm — Hartford vs Wilkes-Barre/Scranton6:05 pm — Charlotte vs Springfield7:00 pm — Providence vs Bridgeport7:00 pm — Syracuse vs Hershey7:00 pm — Chicago vs Iowa7:05 pm — Belleville vs Lehigh Valley8:00 pm — Milwaukee vs Rockford8:00 pm — Grand Rapids vs Texas9:00 pm — Abbotsford vs Henderson9:05 pm — Calgary vs ColoradoSunday, October 123:00 pm — Belleville vs Bridgeport3:00 pm — Laval vs Manitoba3:05 pm — Charlotte vs Providence3:05 pm — Wilkes-Barre/Scranton vs Lehigh Valley5:00 pm — Syracuse vs Hershey6:00 pm — Rockford vs Iowa6:00 pm — Tucson vs OntarioTop AHL Prospects

While we’re still waiting for NHL camps to finish to see the final rosters, here are some of the top AHL prospects going into the 2025-26 season.

Artyom Levshunov, RockfordIsaac Howard, BakersfieldMatt Savoie, BakersfieldJacob Fowler, LavalDalibor Dvorsky, SpringfieldAndrew Cristall, HersheyIvan Miroshinchenko, HersheyIlya Protas, HersheyAxel Sandin Pellikka, Grand RapidsNate Danielson, Grand RapidsSebastian Cossa, Grand RapidsEmil Hemming, TexasTanner Molendyk, MilwaukeeDanila Yurov, IowaLiam Ohgren, IowaWhat were the 2024-25 AHL Standings?

View the full 2024-25 AHL regular season standings below. Click here to view the latest standings.

Atlantic Divisiony – Hershey Bears – 96x – Charlotte Checkers – 94x – Providence Bruins – 90x – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins – 88x – Lehigh Valley Phantoms – 80x – Springfield Thunderbirds – 74Hartford Wolf Pack – 69Bridgeport Islanders – 37North Divisiony – Laval Rocket – 101x – Rochester Americans – 92x – Syracuse Crunch – 86x – Toronto Marlies – 86x – Cleveland Monsters – 81Belleville Senators – 79Utica Comets – 70Central Divisiony – Milwaukee Admirals – 91x – Texas Stars – 89x – Grand Rapids Griffins – 80x – Chicago Wolves – 78x – Rockford IceHogs – 70Iowa Wild – 62Manitoba Moose – 56Pacific Divisiony – Colorado Eagles – 94x – Abbotsford Canucks – 92x – Ontario Reign – 90x – Coachella Valley Firebirds – 84x – Calgary Wranglers – 81x – San Jose Barracuda – 81x – Tucson Roadrunners – 74Bakersfield Condors – 74San Diego Gulls – 66Henderson Silver Knights – 63

x = Clinched Playoff Position

y = Clinched Division

Who Won The 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs?

The Abbotsford Canucks won the finals of the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs against the Charlotte Checkers in six games. It’s the franchise’s first Calder Cup.

How To Watch AHL Hockey Live This Season

Fans can watch every AHL game live and on-demand on FloHockey from the preseason through to the last game of the Calder Cup finals.

When Do The Calder Cup Playoffs Start?

The last game of the 2025-26 AHL regular season is scheduled for Sunday, April 19. The Calder Cup playoffs typically begin a few days after the conclusion of the regular season.

NHL Prospect Coverage On FloHockey

The best, and most complete, coverage of the NHL minor league hockey and NHL Draft is found on FloHockey. Don’t miss the latest new prospect guides, rankings and more from Chris Peters and the FloHockey staff.

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