The Coachella Valley Firebirds, the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, will kick off their 2024-25 season Friday evening by hosting the Bakersfield Condors.
Friday’s showdown against the Condors at 7 p.m. in Acrisure Arena marks the regular season debut for Firebirds coach Derek Laxdal, who joined the team from the Ontario Hockey League’s Oshawa Generals in July. He replaced departing coach Dan Bylsma, who was named as the Kraken’s new coach in May.
The franchise is entering its third season in the AHL, having reached the Calder Cup Finals in both of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns.
Among the Kraken’s 23-player roster, seven are returning to the Firebirds from 2023-24 — forwards David Goyette, Luke Henman, Ian McKinnon, Jani Nyman, Tucker Robertson and Lleyton Roed, as well as defenseman Ryan Jones.
The roster also features defenseman Maxime Lajoie, who played in the NHL last season, recording one assist in seven games with the Toronto Maple Leafs. After becoming an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, Lajoie signed a one-year, two-way contract with Seattle on July 1.
The Firebirds and Condors faced off eight times last season, with each winning four times.