Seattle Kraken introduce AHL expansion affiliate Coachella Valley Firebirds
The American Hockey League has its 32nd franchise. The Coachella Valley Firebirds have been unveiled Friday as the Seattle Kraken’s AHL affiliate.
The organization is jointly owned by the Oak View Group led by CEO Tim Leiweke and the Kraken ownership group led by David Bonderman.
Today, @SeattleKraken announced that their new AHL affiliate will be called the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
— DailyFaceoff.com Hockey (@DFOHockey) November 5, 2021
On a scale of 1-10, the grade you would give the new Firebirds logo would be a ________? pic.twitter.com/3ZsI4IPaG8
The Firebirds took inspiration as a spiritual descendant of the Kraken the club said, settling on a team name that “rises out of the flames of the desert to soar high above,” the club said.
On a scale of 1-10, the score you'd give the Coachella Valley Firebirds' secondary logo would be a _________? pic.twitter.com/jt3DBIaUrH
— DailyFaceoff.com Hockey (@DFOHockey) November 5, 2021
“In this spirit, the Firebirds embody the yang to the Kraken’s yin, opposites that complete each other — fire and ice, sea and desert,” the team added.
“Over the last two years, and after listening to fans, our leadership, and partners, we’ve been heavily involved in identifying the best team name and brand to represent the nine cities of the Coachella Valley,” Leiweke said in a statement. “As a proud resident of the valley, I think the Firebirds has a meaningful representation for the beauty and what people experience when they come to our great community.”
The Firebirds will play their home games in Palm Springs, California at the yet-to-be-completed Coachella Valley Arena, which will seat 10,000 spectators and is expected to be completed in late 2022. The Kraken are currently utilizing the Charlotte Checkers as their AHL affiliate, sharing the affiliation with the Florida Panthers.