PALM DESERT, Calif. — Before he fully dives into his new role as the head coach of the Seattle Kraken, Dan Bylsma is on a mission to bring a championship to the team's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate.
Bylsma and the Coachella Valley Firebirds are in the Calder Cup Finals, and play Game 3 on Tuesday night. Their opponent, the Hershey Bears, is the same one who beat the Firebirds in overtime of Game 7 of the 2023 Calder Cup Finals.
Coachella Valley won the first game of the series 4-3 in Hershey, but the Bears knotted the series with a 5-2 win on Sunday. The Bears are the AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals.
Bylsma was tapped to become the new Kraken head coach in May after the first coach in franchise history, Dave Hakstol, was dismissed following his third season. Seattle made the playoffs in 2023, but has struggled in its two other years of existence, finishing in a tie for 11th in the Western Conference with 81 points this past season.
Kraken ownership has invested significantly in Coachella Valley, and the team already has delivered some quality contributors to Seattle. Tye Kartye came to the Kraken from the Firebirds, and Ryker Evans also played in 36 games with Seattle last season. Shane Wright, the No. 4 overall pick by the Kraken in the 2022 NHL Draft, has spent much of the past few years in Coachella Valley.
Game 3 coincides with Game 5 of the NHL's Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday, but the NHL Network is expected to broadcast Games 4-7 if any Seattle fans want to tune in and watch some of the organization's future stars pursue a title. Below is the rest of the schedule for the series.
- Game 3 - Tuesday, June 18 at 7:00 p.m.
- Game 4 - Thursday, June 20 at 7:00 p.m.
- Game 5 - Saturday, June 22* at 6:00 p.m.
- Game 6 - Monday, June 24* at 4:00 p.m.
- Game 7 - Wednesday, June 26* at 4:00 p.m.
