Firkus Goal Disallowed, Firebirds Must Wait, Kraken Add TV Executive

The "Circus" pulled into Saginaw, Michigan Friday, for the opening game of the 2024 Memorial Cup major junior tournament.

The "Circus" is known to Moose Jaw Warriors fans as prolific scorer Jagger Firkus, a 2022 Seattle Kraken draft choice.

As the team from the host city, the OHL Saginaw Spirit surprised the WHL champion Warriors 5-4.

Firkus, who scored 126 points in the regular season, was held to one assist. A Firkus goal was overturned upon review after the play was found to be offside.

Firkus and Moose Jaw's next game in the round-robin tournament is Monday, May 27 at 4:30 pm Pacific time against the OHL champion London Knights.

More Time Off For Coachella Valley

By winning the regular season AHL Western Division title, the Coachella Valley Firebirds earned a 1st round playoff bye.

At the time, Firebirds coach Dan Bylsma called the two week wait to play postseason hockey "Painstakingly agonizing."

Paradoxically, the Firebirds' success has caused the "agony" to return.

Having dispatched the Calgary Wranglers and Ontario Reign with six consecutive victories, Coachella Valley finds itself back in a holding pattern.

Friday, Grand Rapids squared its Northern Division series with Milwaukee at two wins apiece. A pivotal Game 5 Sunday will decide the Firebirds' opponent in the Calder Cup Western Conference Finals. Meanwhile, the Kraken farm club has been cooling its skates since sweeping the Regin last Sunday.

Kraken Hire Exec

The Kraken, who moved their broadcasts from ROOT Sports to free, over-the-air KONG-TV and Prime Video streaming last month, have a new executive to oversee those productions.

Chris Brumwell has been named senior vice president of Kraken broadcast and media relations, according to Daily Hive .

Brumwell spent 18 total years in two separate stints with the Vancouver Canucks front office. Beginning in 1996, he served as director of media relations. After leaving to work for Vancouver's Olympic Committe, he returned to the Canucks as VP of communications and community partnerships.

Brumwell was terminated by the Canucks in 2022.

From his professional website: "One of my proudest achievements was leading the Canucks 50th season strategy, collaborating with a fantastic cross-functional team that repositioned the team's brand and led to an NHL award for best marketing campaign of the year."