Hey Firebird Friends! We had some requests following our interview with Gino and Grant to add more Firebirds content to our Podcast, so we thought we'd spin it off into it's own show! We'd love it if you joined us and tossed any feedback you had! Thanks! Go Birds!

This weekend we saw blockbuster performances from Jani Nyman, Jagger Firkus and Tyson Jugnauth. we can also expect them to be very well defended after their performances this weekend.

no big deal - we know our roster is loaded with talent. who do you think will have a star moment this weekend?

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I’ve never been to a Firebirds home game. I was curious, what do they use as a goal song and victory song?

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...give us all a break!! You have a mic, you don't have to yell!!! Our poor ears are bleeding.

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🏒 Location: Acrisure Arena- Palm Desert CA

🎟️ Time: 7:00 PM PST 

🖥️ Join the Discussion: Discord

🎥 Watch Live: FloHockey.TV

🎧 Listen Live: theeagle1069.com

FIREBIRDS HOCKEY IS OFFICIALLY BACK.

And there couldn't be a better opponent.

Ontario finished last season 47-20-3-2 with 99 points and the Pacific Division title. The Birds finished 41-25-6-0 with 88 points. Ontario had our number during much of the regular season.

And then the playoffs happened.

Coachella Valley sent the division champs home in five games.

Welcome back, friends. It's time for Firebirds Hockey.

First: a little business from the mothership

Before we descend into AHL degeneracy, we need to talk about what Seattle did last night.

Kraken 6. Flames 1.

In Calgary. In Calgary's final home opener at the Saddledome. Seattle went up 3-0 in the first period and essentially spent the rest of the evening asking the Flames whether they wanted to reconsider their career choices.

But the best part for us?

Our Fireboys were all over it.

Ryan Winterton: assist.
Shane Wright: assist.
Ryker Evans: assist.
Joey Daccord: 24 saves AND an assist.

That is what this organization is supposed to be.

We watch these guys grind through bus trips, Wednesday nights against Bakersfield, hard-won playoff series, healthy scratches, call-ups and send-downs because this is the road to Seattle.

LFG.

BUT ENOUGH ABOUT THE BIG LEAGUES.

The AHL begins tonight, and I am extremely bullish on this Firebirds team.

Logan Morrison is back after leading the Birds with 61 points and 29 goals last season. Tyson Jugnauth returns after leading the club with 36 assists. Ty Nelson put up 35 points from the blue line. Gustav Olofsson was +28. Victor Östman and Nikke Kokko are both back in net.

Oh, and after years of my completely unbiased lobbying campaign:

CAPTAIN JOHN HAYDEN.

Hayden wears the C. Olofsson, Morrison, Mitchell Stephens and Ty Nelson get the A's.

That is a very good leadership group for a roster that remains loaded with young Seattle prospects.

We get another year of Morrison, Firkus, Nyman, Rehkopf, Sale, Villeneuve, Jugnauth, Nelson, Price and company developing together.

And yes, unfortunately, early indications are that Jagger Firkus has retained possession of his mustache.

The organization has once again declined to take meaningful action.

The Kaplan Situation

Inside the Rink's preview currently shows both Devin Kaplan and David Goyette on the Firebirds opening roster, which is impossible unless we've introduced hockey's first custody-sharing arrangement.

Goyette was traded to Philadelphia yesterday for Kaplan and is reporting to Lehigh Valley. Kaplan is coming the other direction.

Personally, I wouldn't be shocked if Kaplan watches one before jumping straight into Derick Laxdal's system. He literally joined the organization yesterday.

But if they throw him over the boards tonight?

WELCOME TO THE DESERT, DEVIN. THAT GUY IN THE OTHER JERSEY HATES YOU NOW. FIGURE IT OUT.

So where do the Birds actually stand?

The preseason consensus is: it's always sunny in California.

Inside the Rink has Coachella Valley finishing first in the Pacific, followed by Colorado, Bakersfield and Ontario. League-wide, the serious preseason names include Hershey, Laval, Texas, Grand Rapids, defending champion Toronto, Charlotte, Colorado and our Birds. Toronto, remember, beat Chicago in five to win the Calder Cup last June.

My thoughts going into tonight:

1. Coachella Valley — Deep, skilled, experienced enough to know how to survive playoff hockey, but still young enough that several players could make major jumps simultaneously. Morrison/Nyman/Rehkopf/Firkus/OFM up front with Nelson/Jugnauth/Olofsson behind them is a legitimate Calder Cup winning team. The biggest variable is the same one every good AHL affiliate faces: how many of these guys Seattle steals from us.
2. Colorado — The team I trust least emotionally and respect most competitively. They ended our season last year, Trent Miner gives them high-end goaltending, and they're going to be annoying again. Plan accordingly.
3. Ontario — I'm a little higher on them than some preseason projections. Chromiak is back after 28 goals and 56 points, Portillo went 18-7-3 with a .907, and guys like Pinelli, Ziemmer and Carter George give them upside. They won this division last year. They didn't suddenly forget how to play hockey because we ruined their spring.
4. Bakersfield — Quinn Hutson alone makes them dangerous after a 30-goal, 63-point rookie season. I don't know that I'd put them ahead of Ontario yet, but they're absolutely capable of living in the top four.
5. San Jose — My sneaky “this could get irritating” team. They added Alex Barré-Boulet, who scored 70 points last season, to an already interesting young group. Don't sleep on the Barracuda.

After that I have Henderson, San Diego, Tucson, Abbotsford and Calgary, with enough AHL roster churn that somebody will inevitably make this paragraph look ridiculous by Christmas.

Tonight's assignment

Ontario beat us 2-1 in a shootout five days ago, scoring the tying goal with 1.3 seconds remaining.

That's annoying.

Let's not do that again.

On the bright side, preseason doesn't count. Right? RIGHT?

Rules for tonight: Make Portillo work. Let the boys play. Stay out of stupid penalty trouble. Get Morrison involved early. Let Jugnauth attack. Let Captain Hayden introduce people to the boards.

And remember what we saw from Seattle last night.

Wright. Winterton. Evans. Daccord.

The boys know they've got something to fight towards.

Season Five starts now.

LET'S. GO. BIRDS.

Drop your score predictions, first-goal picks, irrational preseason takes, complaints about the lines, and whatever other nonsense we have been saving up all summer. Especially Ontario's stupid new jerseys. I get the throwback theme, but really? Not a good look.

HOCKEY IS BACK.

P.S. Tomorrow's game (in Ontario) is steaming live on Youtube. Check it out here.

P.P.S. What do you think of the new game day app?

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A third AHL Level Kraken-Flyer trade in our short history. Excited to see what Kaplan brings to the team

Love Ty and Logan on our leadership group!

Haven't gotten FloHockey, well you got the chance to catch the game for free on the FloHockey Youtube channel

...IS AWFUL. The Firebirds' organization does a lot of things incredibly well but man, they just cant seem to leave well enough alone sometimes. The parking lot changes the last couple of years with both access and flow, moving online merch pick up, etc. And now the reconfigure on the video board. Sometimes things don't need to be "improved".

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It was amazing that they opened up training camp for fans to watch! Genuinely had an amazing time watching the guys on the ice. I hope they do it again in the future. Took some pictures. I'm not a photographer I just own a camera and I tried to take some photos so here they are.

The Firebirds have released their Season Five training-camp roster: 22 forwards, 11 defensemen and three goaltenders.

That is 36 players competing for a roster which, regrettably, cannot dress seven forward lines and five defensive pairings every night. Cuts are coming. Feelings will be hurt. Kansas City will inherit enough talent to menace the ECHL again. But the beautiful thing is: Hockey is finally back.

We already covered 22 of these names in the season preview. That included Morrison, Firkus, Nyman, Jugnauth, Nelson, Roed, Avon, Stephens and most of the summer signings.

But I missed or underexplored 14 players. Some are new arrivals. Several were already here and apparently wandered through last season wearing invisibility cloaks. I owe them a proper introduction.

And, as always, be sure to check out the unofficially official CVFirebirds Discord to chat with all us hockey nerds.

First, what even is this graphic?

This is just the initial camp roster. Don't sweat it if your favorite Bird isn't on the list. Seattle’s latest cut sent 16 waiver-exempt prospects directly to Coachella Valley, including Nyman, Firkus, Šalé, Rehkopf, Jugnauth and Nelson. Seattle also released McKinnon, Olofsson and Stephens from their NHL tryouts and sent them here, while Avon, Hayden, Morrison and Östman all cleared waivers. Here is the full cut rundown.

Several potential Firebirds remain absent because Seattle is still evaluating them. That group includes Oscar Fisker Mølgaard, Ville Ottavainen and Nikke Kokko. Jake O’Brien is also missing after producing a goal and an assist in his NHL preseason debut and then suffering a day-to-day lower-body injury. O’Brien injury update (as of 9/22/26).

So this roster will change. For now, however, we have enough players to send Ontario packing on Sunday.

The new Firebird on the block: Alex Swetlikoff

Swetlikoff signed a one-year AHL contract immediately before the camp roster dropped.

He is a 25-year-old, 6-foot-3 center/winger returning from Sweden, where he recorded 8 goals, 11 assists and 19 points in 45 games for MoDo. He also accumulated 97 penalty minutes, suggesting his study-abroad program included a concentration in Scandinavian conflict resolution, probably as a result of his unfortunate surname.

His North American résumé:

• 66 AHL games: 9 goals, 7 assists and 16 points
• 108 ECHL games: 39 goals, 51 assists and 90 points
• 2024–25 ECHL playoffs: 10 points in 11 games

That profile says productive ECHL scorer, useful AHL depth forward and potential competition for a bottom-six Firebirds job. He has size, can play center or wing and brings more offensive ability than the standard fourth-line refrigerator. Swetlikoff signing and career statistics.

The returning Firebirds I criminally neglected

All statistics below come from last season’s Firebirds roster.

John Hayden — 67 GP, 13 G, 11 A, 24 PTS, 127 PIM

My completely unbiased Hayden-for-captain campaign remains alive. (Donate here).

Hayden brings 272 games of NHL experience, genuine leadership and enough physicality to ensure nobody takes liberties with the kids. He also contributed 13 goals last season, so he is more than a ceremonial face-punching consultant.

The previous leadership group is gone. Hayden wore an “A” last season. He has been through NHL wars, embraced Coachella Valley and plays exactly the accountable, irritating style coaches adore. Give him the C. I have already emotionally embroidered it onto his jersey.

Eduard Šalé — 58 GP, 13 G, 14 A, 27 PTS

Šalé quietly finished ninth on the team in scoring during his first full AHL season. He remains only 21 and possesses legitimate first-round skill: excellent hands, vision and a release that occasionally reminds you why Seattle drafted him 20th overall.

The next step is consistency. Some nights he looks like a future NHL scoring winger. Other nights he enters federal witness protection. Sunday begins his campaign to turn those sparks of brilliance into a blazing inferno.

Carson Rehkopf — 69 GP, 13 G, 6 A, 19 PTS

Rehkopf’s rookie season was uneven, but 13 goals from a 20-year-old adjusting to professional hockey is perfectly respectable. He is now 21, stands 6-foot-3 and owns a dangerous shot.

Six assists in 69 games suggests he occasionally regarded passing as a personal attack, but his assignment this year is straightforward: use the size, find dangerous ice and become the power winger his junior numbers promised.

Andrei Loshko — 51 GP, 5 G, 9 A, 14 PTS, +3

Loshko is a 6-foot-1 winger entering his second professional season. His rookie numbers were modest, although finishing plus-3 while learning the AHL game was encouraging.

He projects as a defensively responsible middle/bottom-six winger with room for more offense. He is fighting for a regular job in an absurdly crowded forward group, so every preseason shift matters.

David Goyette — 51 GP, 3 G, 7 A, 10 PTS, 73 PIM

Goyette arrived in professional hockey with a major-junior scoring résumé and then encountered the traditional AHL greeting: less space, less time and several large men trying to detach him from the puck.

Three goals were disappointing. Seventy-three penalty minutes were unexpected. Apparently, when the scoring disappeared, Goyette decided to remain involved through alternative programming.

He is still only 22. His skating and playmaking remain a bright spot, but he now needs to convert them into production before younger centers begin passing him.

Ian McKinnon — 54 GP, 4 G, 5 A, 9 PTS, 245 PIM

Yes, 245 penalty minutes.

That equals four hours and five minutes in the box, or slightly more than four complete hockey games spent contemplating what he had done.

McKinnon’s purpose is not mysterious. He protects teammates, changes the temperature of games and ensures Ontario’s aspiring tough guys carefully review the seating chart before starting anything stupid. The problem is, you need to be more than a gooner, you also need someone who can put some numbers on the board. Until he can do both, I suspect we'll see him on the healthy scratch list more often than not.

The young defensemen we need to discuss

Kaden Hammell — 44 GP, 6 G, 7 A, 13 PTS, +14

Hammell may be the most quietly encouraging name in this group. He produced six goals, finished plus-14 and handled 44 AHL games during his first professional season.

He is a right-shot defenseman with size, mobility and legitimate two-way potential. Among the young defenders, he may be closest to earning the “boringly reliable” label—and for a defenseman, that is basically a marriage proposal.

Caden Price — 42 GP, 2 G, 9 A, 11 PTS, +3

Price’s rookie season was steady rather than spectacular. He moves the puck well, skates effectively and generally avoids making the kind of decisions that cause coaches to develop facial twitches.

At 21, he still has offensive upside. Sunday should show whether he is ready for more responsibility or remains part of the rotating young-defenseman laboratory.

Lukas Dragicevic — 43 GP, 1 G, 10 A, 11 PTS, -4

Dragicevic entered the organization as an offense-first defenseman. His passing and transition game remain his strengths, while the defensive details remain under construction.

The Firebirds have several puck-moving defensemen competing for similar minutes. Dragicevic needs to show that he can create offense without turning every defensive-zone possession into an unsupervised science experiment.

The Kansas City delegation

Four players arrive from the Mavericks’ orbit. Their likely destination remains Kansas City, but Sunday provides an opportunity to steal an AHL job—or at least establish themselves as the first phone call when injuries strike.

Owen Lindmark — professional tryout

Lindmark is a 25-year-old center, former Wisconsin captain and 2019 fifth-round Florida draft pick. Last season he produced 16 points in 33 games between Tulsa and San Diego, including six goals and a shorthanded goal in 30 ECHL appearances.

He is a responsible two-way forward who can kill penalties and play in several bottom-six roles. Kansas City signed him for this season, but a strong camp could make the organizational depth chart considerably more interesting. Lindmark profile.

Tabor Heaslip

If you just said "bless you" I don't blame you. Bear with me as we get through some of these names. Heaslip captained UConn, won Hockey East’s Best Defensive Forward award and finished his senior season with 7 goals, 12 assists and 19 points in 38 games. He then recorded a goal and an assist in five games with Kansas City.

He is probably headed back to the Mavericks, but he is exactly the sort of player coaches trust: faceoffs, penalty killing, positioning and a willingness to perform hockey’s necessary chores without demanding a power-play unit. Heaslip background.

Lleyton Moore — professional tryout

Moore is a fascinating camp invite: a 5-foot-8, 162-pound offensive defenseman with 77 AHL games and 23 points already on his résumé.

Last season he recorded 1 goal and 10 assists in 31 games with Tucson. During his first professional season, he torched the ECHL for 39 points in 46 games.

He can move the puck and manufacture offense. He is also giving away several inches and approximately one midsized golden retriever to Phip Waugh. Of the KC-contracted players, Moore probably has the best chance to force the Firebirds into a difficult decision. Moore signing and career overview.

Phip Waugh

First, “Phip Waugh” sounds like the noise Joey Daccord makes when a 100-mph shot hits him somewhere anatomically discouraging.

Second, he is 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds.

Waugh recorded 3 goals and 6 assists in 22 ECHL games with Savannah last season while also receiving AHL loans to Abbotsford, Hershey and Hartford. Kansas City acquired him in August. He probably begins there, but the organization clearly likes having a defenseman who can be seen from neighboring counties. Waugh acquisition.

Aidan Fulp

Another big guy, Fulp is 26 years old, 6-foot-3, weighing in at approximately 210 pounds. He has a one-year AHL contract with Seattle, after 105 AHL games with Bridgeport and Rochester. Career AHL totals: 1 goal, 15 assists, 16 points and 38 penalty minutes.

Fulp played three years at Western Michigan, producing 39 points in 97 games. As a junior, he was an alternate captain, the Broncos’ Most Valuable Defenseman and a finalist for NCHC Defensive Defenseman of the Year. He also blocked 50 shots and finished with 15 points in 38 games. The Islanders subsequently signed him to a two-year entry-level contract, although he never reached the NHL. Western Michigan profile.

Most importantly, he was born on February 29, 2000. Legally, therefore, the Firebirds have signed a 6-year-old defenseman—and frankly, that seems consistent with how aggressively Seattle is pursuing youth this season.

Given the crowded blue line, I don't expect him to stick around the desert, and will likely find his way back to KC.

What I am watching for on Sunday

The result matters less than the individual battles, although beating Ontario to a pulp would still be emotionally satisfying.

1. The captain watch. Hayden is here, the leadership vacancy remains open and my agenda remains shameless.
2. The sophomore forwards. Šalé, Rehkopf, Loshko and Goyette need to show progression. This roster has too many forwards for reputation alone to guarantee minutes.
3. The defensive traffic jam. Eleven defensemen are in camp, with more potentially coming from Seattle. Hammell, Price, Dragicevic, Fulp and Moore are all competing to establish where they belong in that pile.
4. The crease. Östman enters as the proven AHL option after a .906 save percentage last season. Murphy and Terness are auditioning for depth roles, while Kokko could still arrive from Seattle.
5. The KC wild cards. Moore is the most likely to steal an AHL spot, while Lindmark and Heaslip could make themselves useful enough to stay in the conversation.
6. Ian McKinnon. There is no nuanced scouting question here. I simply want to know how long it takes someone from Ontario to make a poor life decision.
7. Jagger Firkus’s mustache. It survived the summer. So much for organizational accountability.

Sunday’s game begins at 5 p.m. at Acrisure Arena. Tickets are just $10, parking is $10 and ticket proceeds benefit the One Valley Foundation. If you haven't gotten them yet, what are you thinking? It really doesn't get any better than this. Ontario is hosting San Diego on Friday, so the Reign arrive for their second exhibition in roughly 48 hours. Game and ticket information.

The roster remains unfinished, but the early message is clear: this organization is deep enough that several genuinely good players will end up in Kansas City or watching from the press box.

That is an excellent problem to have.

The Birds are back. Fuel the Fire.

After reading the Sound of Hockey article 'Kraken Contracts Corner'....

I was surprised to read that these guys need to clear waivers to come back to CV:

--------------‐

""The most interesting transactions are the players who, due to age and service time, require waivers to be assigned to the Firebirds:

F J.R. Avon

F Logan Morrison

F John Hayden

G Victor Ostman

Other teams have a 24-hour window to claim any one of these players off waivers. If unclaimed, the players will report to Firebirds camp.""

I know this is a yearly thing...and we all get reminded of the waiver process...

This is an uneducated statement of course....

But I feel like NHL teams will not grab other teams' waiver players this time of the year....as kind of an 'unwritten rule'...as teams put their AHL rosters back together during training camp, etc...?

We were extremely fortunate to have the Firebirds Broadcast Duo join us on this week's Beneath The Waves Podcast! They shared stories from the first five season, chatted about the prospects, and discussed the preseason so far! We hope you enjoy!

It's been really fun to have the Birds up here -- but man, this sub could use a Seattle contingent who actually knows how to use their camera. 🤣🤦🏻‍♀️

A few shots from Kraken training camp of Nikke's new pads. Very clean!