Firebirds return to the ice as fans bring energy to season opener
THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) — The Coachella Valley Firebirds are back on the ice, and fans are already bringing the energy.
Friday night’s season opener drew hundreds of fans to Acrisure Arena as the Firebirds kicked off another season in the Coachella Valley.
For longtime supporters, the return of hockey has become an annual tradition. For others, Friday night marked their first Firebirds game.
“This is my first season with them,” she said. “I moved in from Indiana, big Hawks fan, but Coachella took my heart.”
The crowd also included some of the youngest Firebirds fans. One grandfather brought his granddaughter to her first game.
Fans said the team has become about more than hockey, describing Firebirds games as a way for people across the Coachella Valley to come together.
“It’s something we need in the valley very much,” one fan said. “We were dying without something like this. It brought the whole community together.”
Of course, fans also came prepared for some traditional game-night food, including bacon cheese fries.
For some families, the Firebirds have even helped inspire the next generation of hockey players.
One fan said his son started playing hockey in the Coachella Valley and now plays Division II hockey.
With the new season underway, fans aren’t shy about their expectations.
“I’m thinking we’re going to win the Calder Cup,” one fan said. “All the way, the whole AHL.”
The Firebirds will look to build on that excitement as the season continues at Acrisure Arena.
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