The Coachella Valley Firebirds strike first on teddy bear toss night
The Coachella Valley Firebirds strike first on teddy bear toss night against the Ontario Reign, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024.
The Coachella Valley Firebirds return home from Seattle Kraken training camp on Monday, following two weeks of training with their NHL affiliate. Firebirds players will then begin a second, albeit shorter, training camp at the Berger Foundation Iceplex and will open the regular season against the San Diego Gulls on Oct. 10 inside Acrisure Arena.
The Firebirds will start the season with 20 players in uniform and a few others as no-dress injury replacements for a total of about 23 players. That group is expected to include 14 forwards (12 in uniform), seven defensemen (six in uniform) and at least two goalies.
Captain Max McCormick, who remains injured since January and did not participate in training camp, could open the season on the long term injured reserve list, which would take him out of the mix for a roster spot to start the season. Troy Bodie, the Firebirds’ vice president of hockey operations, said that McCormick’s status remains uncertain.
Though Bodie would not confirm any roster decisions, as they are not yet finalized, a look at the available forwards returning to the Kraken from last season makes it seem likely that either John Hayden, Jani Nyman or another forward who spent time with the Firebirds last season could begin the season with the Kraken.
Berkly Catton, Seattle’s first round draft pick in 2024, is still with the Kraken in training camp and could also make the roster, pushing Hayden or Nyman to Coachella Valley to start the season. Catton is among the teenage prospects in the Kraken organization who are eligible to start the season with Seattle but not Coachella Valley, due to a CHL/NHL transfer agreement that prevents teenage CHL players from starting the season in the AHL.
Bodie said that once the rosters are sorted out, he’s looking forward to seeing the growth of the second and third year players and how the rookies will fit in with the Firebirds.
“It’s a really exciting time of year,” Bodie said, “because you look at the potential roster and you ask, ‘Who’s going to make a big jump this season?’
“Someone will step up early and take the bull by the horns and it’s not always who you expect.”
With that in mind, here’s a look what the Firebirds’ roster could look like on opening night.
Forwards
Max McCormick: As mentioned, McCormick should begin the season with an undisclosed injury. The 33-year-old Wisconsin native missed the final 37 regular season games and all six Calder Cup Playoff games with a hip injury last season. He becomes a free agent after this season, making this very likely his last with the organization, if he even plays at all.
John Hayden; The 30-year-old American forward signed a two-year, one-way contract extension with the Kraken in May. A one-way deal could signal that Hayden expected to be in the Seattle lineup this season, but it’s unclear given how crowded the Kraken are on the wing. Hayden is one of just three players remaining with the Firebirds from their inaugural season, in 2022-23.
Whether he starts the season with the Kraken or not, I expect Hayden to spend about 30 or 40 games in Seattle and the rest of the season in the Coachella Valley as a much-needed mentor for the young guys on the roster.
Jani Nyman: The star prospect from Finland, who just turned 21 in July, was an all-star last season and led the Firebirds with 28 goals despite playing in just 58 games. He was second on the team in points (44) and his big shot was the Firebirds’ best weapon on the power play.
The belief here is that Nyman will play only a handful of games in a Firebirds uniform this season. He’ll likely spend a good chunk of the season as the 13th of 14th forward in Seattle, though it may not be immediately to start the season.
Ben Meyers: Meyers led the Firebirds with 51 points last season (23 goals, 28 assists) in just 57 games. The 26-year-old is a quality veteran who is in the final year of his contract. Expect Meyers to play most of, if not all, of the season with the Firebirds.
Mitchell Stephens: A 28-year-old Toronto area native was playing his best hockey of the year when he broke his ankle in Game 2 of the Firebirds’ Calder Cup Playoffs series against the Wranglers. Mitchell scored two goals in Game 1 and then another in the second game, before suffering the injury. Mitchell, who played 28 games with the Kraken last season, is under contract for one more season and I’d expect that to be played mostly in the Coachella Valley.
Ryan Winterton: Coming off his second season in the AHL, Winterton is likely to spend at least some time with the Kraken this season. But I expect him to be with the Firebirds for most of the year, as the Kraken lines at forward appear to be mostly set. The 6-foot-2 Toronto area native just turned 22 this month and his mature offensive game and skill level will surely give him one or two NHL opportunities this season.
Jagger Firkus: Firkus is coming off his first AHL season. The Alberta native played like a savvy veteran, with a ton of poise and confidence at the end of the Calder Cup Playoffs. He recorded 15 goals and 21 assists in 69 regular season games last season. Physically, though, Firkus is probably not quite ready for full-time action in the NHL. He’ll get his shot, but the belief here is that he’ll spend most of the season in the Coachella Valley and that he’ll become a star.
Eduard Sale: Also entering his second pro season, this 20-year-old from Czechia is among the top four or five prospects in the Kraken organization. His rookie season was a bit of a roller coaster, with flashes of brilliance and quite a bit of inconsistency. Sale (pronounced like “chalet”) recorded six goals and 15 assists in 51 games.
Bodie said that Sale crushed the fitness test in Seattle this month. While his skill level for his age is undeniably impressive, Sale could use more time developing before being thrown into full-time NHL duty. But I expect him to get a shot at some point this season.
Jacob Melanson: There are some who believe that the 22-year-old from Nova Scotia’s gritty play makes him an ideal fit with the Kraken as a reserve on the fourth line. After all, Melanson did play well at the end of the last AHL last season, making several big off-the-puck plays and scoring a walk-off overtime goal to beat the Wranglers in Game 2 of their playoff series.
But in terms of offensive production, Melanson does have additional room for growth and if the Kraken are indeed high on him, allowing him to continue developing in the Coachella Valley would be the smart move. The opinion here is that he’ll still get one or two stints in Seattle this season.
Logan Morrison: The Toronto area native, 23, recorded 14 goals and 28 assists for 42 points during the regular season. He had no goals but three assists in six postseason games. Morrison is a solid AHL forward and still young enough to be a legit NHL prospect without having the kind of upside some other players in the organization have.
The opinion here is that Morrison will spend the season almost exclusively with the Firebirds, barring a big jump in his development over the offseason.
David Goyette: The 21-year-old forward from Quebec is entering his second pro season. Goyette looked very comfortable at the end of last season, scoring five goals during a late 12-game stretch for the Firebirds. Now, expect Goyette to take another step forward as a player this season. He may get an opportunity with the Kraken, though he’ll likely spend much of the season in the Coachella Valley.
Lleyton Roed: A 23-year-old from Minnesota, Roed finished last season injured but is expected to be healthy to start what will be his third season with the Firebirds. Roed showed glimpses of promise each of the last two seasons, and there’s no reason to believe that he can’t again be a valuable contributor.
Carson Rehkopf: The 6-foot-2 Toronto area native should be fun to watch this season. He’s a physical presence and aggressive as a scorer, particularly on the rush. There’s a strong belief that he’ll be a fan favorite in the Coachella Valley, similar to what Jacob Melanson has become. That said, while he may get a shot in Seattle, I expect him to play mostly in the Coachella Valley.
Ian McKinnon: McKinnon, 27, is coming off a career season, totaling 11 points in 53 games played for Coachella Valley. He’ll return as the team’s enforcer, having racked up 417 penalty minutes over the course of 130 career AHL games.
Oscar Fisker Mølgaard: Another 20-year-old, Mølgaard is a center from Denmark who played seven games for the Firebirds late in last season. In those games, he scored a pair of goals and assisted on another. Mølgaard is still with Seattle in training camp and has made a positive impression there. He should be in a Kraken uniform soon enough, but for this season expect Fisker Mølgaard to play mostly in the Coachella Valley, where he’ll likely be a fan favorite.
Jon-Randall Avon: At 22, the 6-foot Canadian reminds us a bit of former Firebirds forward Luke Henman. Both are skilled skaters with strong offensive instincts yet both also are slight in weight and not the most physically intimidating players. Expect Avon to be a third or fourth line forward with the Firebirds.
Andrei Loshko: A 6-foot-1 forward from Belarus, Loshko scored a pair of goals, on just four shots, in his lone game with the Firebirds last season. His offensive upside is high, he’s a quality skater and plays both ways. While he isn’t considered one of the top prospects in the Kraken organization, expect him to have some memorable moments in the Coachella Valley this season.
Defensemen
Gustav Olofsson: The 30-year-old veteran from Sweden signed a two-year contract extension over the summer and should again be one of the veteran voices in the locker room for the Firebirds. Olosffon may spend some time in Seattle as an injury replacement but is expected to play mostly with the Firebirds.
Cale Fleury: Fleury is arguably the Firebirds’ best two-way blueliner, and having him back would be huge for Coachella Valley. While Fleury is likely to play in Seattle as either an injury reserve or as one of their six defensemen in uniform, I expect that he’ll do a lot of bouncing back and forth between the Pacific Northwest and Southern California this season.
Ville Ottavainen: Ottavainen, who is 23, might be the best young blueliner in the Kraken organization after Ryker Evans. He’s a big, skilled, two-way defenseman and he too could spend a chunk of time in Seattle as an injury replacement. But having him in the Coachella Valley would be a real boost to the Firebirds. My guess is that he’ll start with the Firebirds and bounce between here and the NHL a few times this season.
Ty Nelson: Nelson, 21, is coming off a strong end to his first pro season, and after a few months of learning, he really looked liked he belonged at the pro level last spring. Nelson is also a two-way player and plays with a hard shot and a fiesty demeanor. He’ll get his shot in te NHL eventually but I think the line to gether there as a blueliner is a little longer than he would like at the moment.
Lukas Dragicevic: He just turned 20 in April, but his skill level for his age is said to be incredibly high. He’s 6-foot-2, from British Columbia, and could quickly emerge as a very important player in the Firebirds’ lineup, once he gets comfortable to the speed and physicality of the AHL.
Caden Price: A Saskatchewan native who just turned 20 in August, Price has been compared to Evans due to his size, puck moving ability and smarts. He’ll be one of the youngest players in the AHL this season, and for that reason I think that he’ll spend most of his time in the Coachella Valley as opposed to Seattle.
Tyson Jugnauth: Jugnauth, a 21-year-old who played collegiately at the University of Wisconsin, had a very strong season for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL last season. He scored 13 goals and added 76 assists in 65 games to lead all WHL blueliners in points and assists. He’s also very effective on the power play.
Jugnauth may get his shot in Seattle at some point, he should get lots of opportunity in the Coachella Valley and should be a nice addition.
Kaden Hammell: Hammell starred for the Everett Silvertips of the WHL last season, recording 10 goals and 28 assists in 59 regular season games and four goals and nine assists in 13 postseason games. The 6-foot-1 British Columbia native is a very good puck mover and should be an option on the power play for the Firebirds.
Goaltenders
Nikke Kokko: With Joey Daccord entrenched as the starter in Seattle, and Philipp Grubauer also still under contract, expect the 21-year-old Kokko to be the primary netminder in the Coachella Valley. That’s excellent news for the Firebirds, as the 6-foot-4 Finnish goalie was excellent last season, with a record of 20-10-2 and a regular season goals-against average (GAA) of 2.26 and a save percentage (SV%) of 91.3%.
There’s no reason to not expect more of the same this year from Kokko. As much upside as Kokko has, goalies tend to take longer to develop, so I don’t expect Kokko in Seattle much this season, except as in injury fill-in. We’ll see.
Victor Östman: The 25-year-old from Sweden should be Coachella Valley’s main backup to Kokko. He played five regular season games for the Firebirds last season, with a GGA of 2.38 and a SV% of 91.6%. His record was 2-1-2 and he recorded one shutout. He and Kokko would make a solid duo.
Andrew John covers the Firebirds for The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com.