Farm Living Is The Life For Surging Coachella Valley Firebirds

A parade of callups to the Seattle Kraken hasn't prevented their AHL affiliate from reclaiming the top spot in that league's 10-team Pacific Division.

Since New Year's Day - a stretch of 23 games - the Coachella Valley Firebirds have lost only three times in regulation. Their 15-3-5 record in that span has vaulted them from sixth to first place in the division.

Two factors make that rise even more impressive.

First, a non-stop rash of Kraken injuries forced the team to repeatedly summon replacements from the Firebirds. Nine Coachella Valley players have dressed for Seattle: Devin Shore (21 games), Ryan Winterton and Shane Wright (3), Chris Driedger, John Hayden, Andrew Poturalski and Marian Studenic (2), Kole Lind and Max McCormick (1).

Several of those players, most notably Driedger, spent considerably more time with the NHL club despite not seeing action. A tenth player who started the season with the Firebirds, defenseman Ryker Evans, remains on Seattle's roster.

That's the job of an AHL farm team, to keep players prepared when needed for their NHL parent. It's equally fair to laud Coachella Valley for overcoming the constant churn of available players.

The second notable factor for the rise of the Firebirds is the contribution of rookies. Three of five top goal-scorers are in their first full season: Wright, 18 goals (2nd on team); Winterton, 14 goals (4th); Logan Morrison, 12 goals (5th). In addition, rookie defenseman Ville Ottavainen is tied for ninth on the Firebirds with 24 points.

Wright, Winterton, and Ottavainen are all Seattle Kraken draft picks. Seattle in 2022 signed the undrafted Morrison to a three-year entry-level contract.

“We have eight rookies that came in and they needed to get accustomed to not just the team but the league itself,” netminder Driedger told the Desert Sun .

“It’s an adjustment. I remember my first season as a pro. It’s a big difference; you’re going from (playing) kids to men, so it takes a little bit of time. But we have a heck of a group of young players, and I think they’ve adjusted nicely and they contribute every night.”

During the 2024 portion of their schedule, the Firebirds have won four times via shutout, while averaging four goals per game on offense. Poturalski pointed out that nothing succeeds like success.

“After we got some of those wins, it really helped us build that confidence,” Poturalski said. “Now that things are rolling, it’s fun to come to the rink and makes competing that much more fun.”