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AHL Coachella Valley Firebirds

Assessing the Homestretch

February 20, 2025 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Coachella Valley Firebirds News Release


Lace-up for a sprint toward the finish line.

With just 23 games left to play in the regular season, this third version of the 'Birds finds themselves perched in a position equally fine and fickle.

In contrast with the two seasons' previous, the Pacific Division sports a field deeper and a standings ladder more tenuous. Parity abounds across the Pac in '25, with a heater week seeing squads slide up three or four slots, while a tough stretch has teams move rapidly in the direction inverse.

While jockeying ensues down the homestretch, and CV aims for Playoff Past to equal Prologue en route to the Calder Cup Finals, here are a few items of consideration:

Stay on Schedule

As the calendar turns toward spring, the Firebirds face something of a schedule unkind. While 11 of CV's final 23 games are on Acrisure Arena ice, the 'Birds will play a mere three home games in March; to further illustrate the dearth: between hosting San Jose on Sunday, February 23 and hosting Colorado on Wednesday, April 2, those three home games occur across a (wide) span of 38 days.

Of these 23 games, 13 are versus teams currently in the playoffs, with the exceptions being five remaining games against Henderson, three against San Diego and two versus Bakersfield. Here's a breakdown of what the remaining home and away schedule holds, including the 'Birds' record to-date against said opponents:

Tucson (one home game remaining); 1-1-1 record against

Calgary (one home game; four away games) 2-1

San Jose (two home games); 0-4-0-2

Colorado (two home games); 3-2-0-1

Henderson (two home games; three away); 1-2

Bakersfield (one home game; one away); 3-3

San Diego (one home game; two away); 4-1

Abbottsford (one home game); 3-0

Chicago (two away games); 2-0

Pac Mentality

Through 49 games played to-date, the 'Birds' 26-17-1-5 (58 points) mark finds them in fourth place in the division, only four points behind first-place Calgary.

Seeking some "points" of contrast? Charting back to the Firebirds' inaugural season of 2023, first-place Calgary owned a massive 37-point final standing difference between themselves and seventh-seeded Tucson, while the second place 'Birds had 34 points of spacing. The gap between third-place Colorado and Tucson that year was a substantial 21 points.

Last season, the Pac champion Firebirds held a 24-point edge over seventh-seeded Calgary, while second-place Tucson owned a margin of 13 over the Wranglers; third-place Ontario outpaced the Roadrunners by a dozen.

Looking for enhanced parity? This year, between Calgary and (final playoff seed) Tucson, a standings point difference of 14 points currently exits, while a differential of 12 may be found between second (Colorado) and seventh places, respectively; between third (Ontario) and seventh, there's a point difference of 11.

For those looking to recall how the 'Birds have the closed the door on the past two regular seasons, one need not fly far for good memories. Through 49 games played in '23, CV owned a mark of 34-9-4-2; in '24, the record through 49 played stood at 29-14-4-2.

Across the final 23 games of '23, CV went 14-8-1; last year, the Firebirds finished the final 23 on a total year with a mark of 17-1-2-3.

With their record of 26-17-1-5 through 49 games played thus far in '25, it may provide some salve to consider that the boys are just six points behind last season's pace.

Young, but not Restless

Amid a cacophony of roster movement which further contrasts that of the last two seasons, the 'Birds, in brief, have had Captain Max McCormick for just 19 games due to injury, while, concurrently, CV has welcomed the NHL veteran likes of forward Daniel Sprong (17 points in 15 games) and goalie Philip Grubauer (2-1, 2.66 Goals Against).

Coupled with the Kraken reassignments, the Firebirds roster turnover this season has seen nine rookies grace the sheet. All-Star Jani Nyman currently leads all AHL rooks in goals with 20, while fellow rookies Lleyton Roed, Jagger Firkus and Ty Nelson have all hit the 20-point mark on the season.

In net, of course, 20-year-old rookie Nikke Kokko has been namely exceptional, sporting a mark of 14-4-1, along with a Goals Against of 2.52 and Save % of .908 - all metrics which chart in the AHL's top 15.

Beyond the crease, CV sports scoring stats which prove sanguine, if not in need of a little more juice.

Back in '23, CV tallied 257 goals, good for best in the West and third in the AHL; all told, the squad had an impressive 11 players who surpassed the 30-point mark and CV finished the season with four players in the league's top 32-scorers.

Last season, the Firebirds scored 252 times, which led the entire league; again, 11 players had at least 30-point seasons, with three 'Birds finishing amid the AHL's top 20 in points.

This year, through 49 games, the 'Birds have scored a solid 157 times, which currently charts fifth in the conference and seventh (tied) in the league, putting them on pace to tally 230 goals on the season. With 23 to play, though there are 11 Firebirds who already lay claim to 20-point campaigns, just one, Ben Meyers, charts in the league's top 42 scorers.

Fresh legs and future studs considered, the 'Birds have netted a bit less in contrast with recent years, and such scoring prowess may well be needed to pass the earnest tests which remain.

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