The AHL’s 32nd franchise, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, today unveiled the inaugural season hockey jerseys during a special event at the Palm Springs Air Museum. In addition to debuting the team’s jerseys, the Firebirds presented a $10,000 check to the Desert Blaze to support youth hockey within the community. Beginning in January, the Firebirds have successfully hosted a series of Street Hockey 101 events with the goal of teaching kids and physical education teachers in the local community the game of hockey. By February, the program will reach approximately 4,000 children.
Unveiled by Oak View Group CEO Tim Leiweke and Tod Leiweke, president and CEO, Seattle Kraken, in front of fans who had invested in season tickets, as well as the first 300 fans to purchase the team jersey during a blind pre-sale event in December, the jerseys were delivered to the event by fan ambassador Janet Larson and her family, all of whom have ties to the Kraken and the Firebirds. Arriving in a treasure chest via Alaska Airlines, a founding partner of Coachella Valley Arena and Climate Pledge Arena, home of the Kraken, the Leiweke’s presented the jerseys to Steve Fraser, president of Coachella Valley Arena and the Firebirds, symbolically uniting the NHL & AHL teams.
Fraser commented, “This marks another milestone in our organization and brings us one step closer to the Firebirds team taking shape in the AHL.”
Embodying the spirit of both clubs throughout the design, the design of the bird uses a similar beveling technique as the Seattle Kraken’s “S” logo as another visual tie to the team’s parent NHL organization, which has further been carried out into the team’s wordmark. In embracing the team’s roots in the Coachella Valley, the type design embodies the mid-century modern design aesthetic for which the Valley has become world-famous.
For the secondary logo, the Firebirds have looked to its home for inspiration, featuring a palm tree against a field of mountains, showcasing the iconic landscape of the Coachella Valley. This is no ordinary palm tree, however, it has nine fronds, one for each city in the Valley, uniting us all together under one banner. Additionally, as part of its commitment to inclusivity, the primary and secondary Firebirds logos will be included in special color variants for friends, family, and neighbors in the LGBTQIA+ community.
Retail brand ambassadors were also on-hand to assist with jersey orders on-site today. Limited-edition authentic pro or replica jersey options in both dark and light colors are available for pre-purchase via Shop.CVFirebirds.com and the Firebirds’ team store located in Palm Desert, CA. The authentic Firebirds jerseys are the exact on-ice jersey worn by the players featuring the same game weight, stitching, tailored fit, and premium fabric. Twill numbers and lettering round out the superior craftsmanship of this pro-grade sweater. All jerseys sold in 2022 will sport the inaugural season patch included as part of the purchase. The team jerseys will be shipped in September 2022 ahead of the start of the Firebirds’ inaugural season.
Located on 43.35 acres of land at I-10 and Cook Street, in Riverside County on land owned by the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation, the arena will be more than 300,000 square feet and feature 11,000-plus seats and include modern suites and premium hospitality clubs. The arena will include an adjoining facility that will serve as a year-round community gathering space and the training center for the AHL team.