Coachella Valley Firebirds Chase The Calder Cup In Rematch With Bears

PALM DESERT, CA — The Coachella Valley Firebirds will begin their Calder Cup Finals rematch against the Hershey Bears Friday on the road.

The defending champion Bears advanced to the finals with a 3-2 overtime victory over the Cleveland Monsters Wednesday in Hershey, Pennsylvania to win the Eastern Conference Finals, four games to three. Hershey won the first three games of the best-of-seven series, then lost the next three.

The Firebirds wrapped up the Western Conference Finals with a 5-1 victory over the Milwaukee Admirals Saturday, winning the series, four games to one, to become the fourth team in American Hockey League history to reach the Calder Cup Finals in each of its first two seasons.

The series matches the teams with the league's best regular-season records. The Bears, the Washington Capitals' AHL affiliate, had a league-best 53-14-0-5 record for 111 points. The Firebirds, the Seattle Kraken's AHL affiliate, were 46-15-6-5 for 103 points.

The teams did not meet during the regular season under the AHL's schedule format which emphasizes divisional play. Hershey defeated the Firebirds, four games to three in last season's Calder Cup Finals, winning Game 7 in overtime in Acrisure Arena for its record 12th championship in 24 finals appearances.

This is the fourth time the same two teams have played in the Calder Cup Finals in back-to-back years, and the first since the Springfield Indians and Rochester Americans squared off both in 1990 and 1991. Springfield won the championship in both years.

The Firebirds are 10-2 in the playoffs. They lost their opener May 3, 4-1, to the Calgary Wranglers, then won their next nine -- defeating Calgary, three games to one in the best-of-five Pacific Division Semifinals, sweeping the Ontario Reign, the Los Angeles Kings' AHL affiliate, in the best-of-five Pacific Division Finals, and winning the first three games against Milwaukee, before a Game 4 loss.

The Bears are 10-4 in the playoffs, defeating the Leigh Valley Phantoms, three games to one in an Atlantic Division Semifinal series, and the Hartford Wolf Pack, three games to none, in the Atlantic Division Finals.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series will be played Sunday, also at Giant Center. The series will shift to Acrisure Arena for Game 3 on Tuesday, Game 4 on next Thursday, and if necessary, Game 5 on June 22.

If a Game 6 is necessary, it would be played June 24 at Giant Center. Game 7, if necessary, would be played June 26, also at Acrisure Arena.