Coachella Valley Firebirds open training camp ahead of fifth AHL season
PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) -- The Coachella Valley Firebirds are back in the desert preparing for their fifth season as a franchise.
The Firebirds opened training camp Wednesday at Acrisure Arena after spending time in Seattle with their NHL parent club, the Seattle Kraken.
Last season, the Firebirds entered the year with the youngest roster in the American Hockey League. Head coach Derek Laxdal said that is no longer the case, with several of the team's young players now bringing additional experience into the new season.
“We talked about last year being the youngest team in the league. This year we're not. We're going to be a year older,” Laxdal said.
Laxdal pointed to players such as Jagger Firkus and Ty Nelson, both entering their third professional seasons, as examples of players who have continued to develop.
“It just seems like yesterday they were first-year players,” Laxdal said. “So it's exciting for the group and exciting for our fans with all these players coming back.”
The additional experience could be important for a Firebirds team looking to continue developing its young core while competing for another deep postseason run.
“It's another year of guys getting older, guys figuring out their games a little bit more and, you know, the development of everyone, too,” said Mitchell Stephens.
The Firebirds also enter the season with an appreciation for playing in front of their home fans in the Coachella Valley.
“We love the desert. Love playing in front of the fans here. It's awesome,” said Ty Nelson. “We want to run it back to where we want to go even further this year.”
The Firebirds will get their first preseason test this Sunday when they host the Ontario Reign at Acrisure Arena at 5 p.m.
Less than a week later, Coachella Valley will host Ontario in the AHL regular season opener on Friday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m.
The Firebirds are entering their fifth season in the AHL, with another season of hockey in the Coachella Valley officially underway.
Stay with KESQ News Channel 3 for continuing coverage of Firebirds hockey.
