Firebirds On Road To Calder Cup: Western Conference Finals 2024

PALM DESERT, CA — The Coachella Valley Firebirds will open the Western Conference Finals of the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs Wednesday evening at Acrisure Arena against the Milwaukee Admirals in a rematch of last season's conference finals.

The teams did not meet during the regular season under the American Hockey League's schedule format which emphasizes divisional play. The Firebirds defeated Milwaukee in six games in last season's best-of-seven Western Conference Finals, then lost to the Hershey Bears in seven games in the Calder Cup Finals.

The Firebirds enter the series on a six-game winning streak after opening the playoffs May 3 with a 4-1 loss to the Calgary Wranglers. They won the next three games of the best-of-five Pacific Division Semifinals against the Calgary Flames' AHL affiliate, then swept the Ontario Reign, the Los Angeles Kings' AHL affiliate, in the best-of-five Pacific Division Finals.

The Admirals advanced to the conference finals with a 2-0 victory over the Grand Rapids Griffins on Sunday in Milwaukee in Game 5 of the best-of- five Central Division Finals.

Milwaukee, the Nashville Predators' AHL affiliate, lost their first two playoff games, then won the next three to win their Central Division Semifinal series over the Texas Stars in five games. Milwaukee also lost Game 1 of the Central Division Finals, won Games 2 and 3, then lost Game 4 to force Sunday's decisive Game 5.

The Firebirds had the best regular-season record in the AHL's 17-team Western Conference, 46-15-6-5 for 103 points, and were the Pacific Division regular-season champions. Milwaukee had the conference's second-best record, 47- 22-2-1 for 97 points, and were the Central Division regular-season champions.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series will be played Friday, also at Acrisure Arena. The series will shift to Milwaukee for Game 3 on Tuesday, Game 4 on June 6, and if necessary, Game 5 on June 8. If a Game 6 is necessary, it would be played June 10 at Acrisure Arena.

Game 7, if necessary, would be played June 12, also at Acrisure Arena.

The series begins one day after the Seattle Kraken, the Firebirds' NHL parent team, announced the hiring of Firebirds' coach Dan Bylsma as their coach, replacing Dave Hakstol, who was fired April 29, 11 days after the team completed its season with a 34-35-13 record for 81 points to finish sixth in the eight-team Pacific Division and miss the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Bylsma will remain as the Firebirds' coach for the duration of the playoffs.