Derek Laxdal
Head Coach
Laxdal joins the Coachella Valley from the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Oshawa Generals where he led his team last season to an 89-point (40-19-7) regular season record and a spot in the OHL Championship Series. As a result, he was voted OHL Coach of the Year by his coaching peers from across the league.
Brennan Sonne
Assistant Coach
Sonne joins Coachella Valley from the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Saskatoon Blades, where he served as head coach. In 2023-24, Sonne guided the Blades to a 105-point (50-13-5) season and the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as WHL regular-season champions. Sonne was named the WHL East Division Coach of the Year finalist for the second straight season in 2023-24 after earning WHL Coach of the Year honors in 2022-23.
Firebirds Affiliates
NHL: Seattle Kraken
The Coachella Valley team is affiliated with the NHL’s newest franchise, the Seattle Kraken, for the 2021-22 season. The affiliation is expected to last one season while construction is completed on an arena that will host the Kraken’s AHL expansion franchise in Palm Desert, California.
ECHL: Kansas City Mavericks
The Mavericks have entered into a new multi-year affiliation agreement with the NHL’s Seattle Kraken. The Mavericks will serve as the ECHL affiliate for the Kraken and their American Hockey League affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, starting in the 2022-23 season.
About Us
The Coachella Valley Firebirds are the 32nd Franchise to enter the American Hockey League (AHL) with a goal of developing players and personnel for the National Hockey League (NHL). The Firebirds strive to accomplish this by passionately building an organization from the ground up focusing on talent, entertainment, service and community.