Coachella Valley Firebirds Hockey Team Captain, Forward Max McCormick Retires

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) - Coachella Valley Firebirds team captain and forward Max McCormick has retired from professional hockey after 12 seasons, it was announced today.

"The decision to retire from the game I have loved for as long as I can remember has not been easy, and as much as I wish I could play forever, it's time to hang up the skates,'' McCormick said in a statement.  

The Green Bay, Wisconsin, native ranks second all-time in points, scoring 140, is the franchise's all-time leader in goals, 67, and has played in 158 games for the Firebirds. He helped lead the team to back-to back Western Conference Championships and holds the team's record for most goals, scoring 32, and most points, 67, in a single-season, officials said.   

He made his National Hockey League debut on Oct. 25, 2015, playing for the Ottawa Senators against the Arizona Coyotes.

McCormick missed the entirety of the Firebirds' 2025-26 season due to hip surgery. He was named the Firebirds' winner of the American Hockey League's IOA/American Specialty Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the community and charitable organizations.  

"Max made an immediate impact on our organization from the moment he arrived in the Coachella Valley,'' Firebirds' General Manager Troy Bodie said in a statement. "He set the standard with his professionalism, leadership and the way he competed every single day. What he accomplished on the ice speaks for itself, but his impact in our locker room and throughout the community is what he made him a pillar of this organization."  

The Firebirds will celebrate his career during a 2026-2027 home game, with additional details to be announced at a later date, officials said.