Behind Enemy Lines: Bakersfield Condors broadcaster shares insight ahead of first round series
COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) -- The Coachella Valley Firebirds face off against the Bakersfield Condors in the first round of the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs.
News Channel 3 has brought you coverage of Firebirds players, coaches, fans and even the broadcast team, but we've yet to hear from the opposition.
Sports Director Blake Arthur went behind enemy lines to chat with Bakersfield broadcaster Ryan Holt, getting his perspective ahead of this highly anticipated series.
"Two good teams that I think look in the mirror and see themselves," said Holt.
Birds of a feather flock together, but not this week when the Firebirds and Condors face off in the first round.
"Younger leaning teams, two teams that have a ton of skill, two teams that can certainly put pucks in the back of the net. The difference in the series is which team can defend the best, and those are the types of teams that move on. And I think at times this year, both teams have struggled defensively," said Holt.
During the regular season, the Condors had the Firebirds' number, finishing 6-1 and 1 head to head. But here in the postseason, you can throw those results out the window.
"Many of those games were tight. Three of them went to overtime. I don't put a ton of stock into it. The injuries and call-ups and what do the lineups look like when you catch teams at various times, right? We haven't seen Coachella Valley since mid-February, so we really didn't see them on their big run at the end of the year to get home ice advantage in round one," said Holt.
That's the good news for the Firebirds, having home ice advantage, but both teams know anything can happen, especially in a best-of-3 game series.
"25 home wins was a new team record. This year, they had the third best home record in the league, and on the Coachella Valley side, they were a very good road team," said Holt. They were a team that were able to bank points on the road and have that be a strength of theirs. From a Condors perspective, I think it's vitally important to get game one, just from a perspective of having to go on the road for two. And if you're Coachella, you're saying, well, if you drop game one, we got two at home ice, right?"
So, what's Holt's final prediction?
"Two teams that are top whatever it is, 11 or 12 in the AHL and they meet in round one. That's just the way the cookie crumbles. I just think it's gonna be a dynamite series. I wouldn't put it past me that we're talking Sunday night in Coachella Valley Acrisure Arena but I'll take the Condors in 3 games. I'll go with that. I think that's a fair assessment," said Holt.
Stay with KESQ News Channel 3 for continuing coverage of the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs.
