For Firebirds Like Hayden, Calder Cup Final Doubles As Kraken Audition

If Coachella Valley Firebirds players needed extra motivation during the Calder Cup Final, it's been presented by a unique circumstance.

Every game they play is directly in front of coach Dan Bylsma, also the next coach of the Seattle Kraken.

"It's an excellent audition," Troy Bodie, Firebirds Director of Hockey and Business Operations, said in a KDGL-FM interview. "This is the start of tryouts next (season). Some of these guys have taken notice."

Bodie isn't only speaking about high-round Kraken draft picks, like center Shane Wright, defenseman Ryker Evans, and winger Ryan Winterton.

John Hayden (photos above and at left) is typical of the less-publicized AHL player still harboring dreams of The Show.

A third round Blackhawks draft pick in 2013, he played 240 total NHL games in Chicago, Arizona, Buffalo and New Jersey.

The 29-year-old center signed a one-year contract with Seattle in 2022, and a two-year deal last summer. He's played nine games with the Kraken in that span.

Hayden's other 112 games in the past two years have come with the Firebirds. Of late, he's been hotter than the triple-digit temperatures in Palm Desert.

The Chicago native scored a hat trick in CV's Game 5 clincher over Milwaukee, followed by two goals in a Game 1 Final victory over Hershey.

Bodie can relate. In addition to 159 games for three NHL teams, he made American Hockey League stops in Hamilton, Springfield, Iowa, San Antonio, Toronto, Syracuse, Norfolk, and Portland, ME.

"John Hayden is really vying for a spot. He's a big, strong guy, he skates well, and he's found his scoring touch. Dan's very impressed with him. We all are, and it's great to see him contributing."

A third group of Firebirds are more recent draft picks and free agent signings who joined Coachella Valley after their junior and college seasons ended.

"They're tremendous young players," Bodie says. "Jagger Firkus, CHL player of the year. David Goyette led the Ontario Hockey League in scoring. We've got some young kids even further down the line.

"We're getting a good look; a lot of them are here. They're practicing, they're training. They're going to try out for coach Dan as well. They're making the most of it and getting great experience just being here, whether they're in the lineup or not."