Firebirds name John Hayden as team captain

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – The Coachella Valley Firebirds announced on Wednesday that forward John Hayden has been named the Firebirds team captain. Hayden becomes the second captain in franchise history.

The Firebirds also announced Gustav Olofsson, Mitchell Stephens, Logan Morrison and Ty Nelson have been named alternate captains for the 2026-27 season.

"It's a great place to to be named captain," Hayden said. :I love this valley, the community, the fans and, it's a place that my family and all my friends who visited really adore."

Hayden, 31, has been a member of the Firebirds since the team's inaugural season in 2022. He's played in a franchise-high 223 regular season games. In his four seasons with Coachella Valley, Hayden has netted 110 points for 56 goals and 54 assists.

He follows in the footsteps of forward Max McCormick who served as the Firebirds captain for four years. McCormick announced his retirement in June.

"I'd like to, to thank Max McCormack for everything he did," Hayden said. "He's one of my best buddies from hockey. That's a beautiful thing about our sport is he came brothers along the way, and he's one of them. So, he's someone I'll be leaning on, during this captaincy."

"He's [John Hayden] an original Firebird," Troy Bodie said. "He's always been a leader. We have other leaders as well, and John's always stepped up in a leadership role. He really helped Max, and Max helped him."

He will enter his 11th season of professional hockey, playing across a variety of teams. Hayden has played 272 career NHL games, lacing up for the Chicago Blackhawks, New Jersey Devils, Arizona Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres, and Seattle Kraken.

Hayden will debut the new "C" on his sweater Friday, October 2 at 7 p.m. at Acrisure Arena, where the Firebirds start their season against the Ontario Reign.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing coverage of the Coachella Valley Firebirds.