The Coachella Valley Firebirds have opened the door on another round of bargain hockey, and if you live in the Springs or the Desert, the price point is hard to ignore. Single-game tickets are now on sale, with the starting price set at 22 bucks.
That puts fans in position to watch the Kraken’s American Hockey League affiliate and get a look at future NHLers without paying NHL prices. Jacob Melanson, Oscar Fisker-Molgaard, John Hayden, and at least a half-dozen other Firebirds all spent time with the Kraken last season, which is exactly why this level of hockey matters. It’s not the NHL, but it’s still a chance to see up-and-comers before they move on.
The Firebirds also added another goalie to the mix by signing Logan Terness to a one-year contract. The 23-year-old undrafted netminder is from Burnaby, BC, and spent most of his rookie 2025-26 season with the ECHL’s Kansas City Mavericks.
He joined Coachella Valley on a professional tryout agreement in April and went 1-0-1 with the Firebirds. In Kansas City, Terness put together a 21-3-0 record with a 2.26 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage in 24 regular-season appearances, helping the Mavericks reach the Kelly Cup Final.
There was also a familiar name back on the blue line. Last week, the Kraken affiliate re-signed left-shot defenseman Charlie Wright to a one-year deal. Fans of the Thunderbirds and Silvertips may remember him from his five seasons with the Saskatoon Blades in the Western Hockey League.
Wright is heading into his third season with the club after appearing in 46 regular-season games and six Calder Cup Playoff games last season. He also spent time with the ECHL’s Mavericks, where he helped push them to the Kelly Cup Final.
A steady defender, Wright has one goal and five assists in 67 AHL games.
In Other News...
Kraken's Division Climb Depends On One Problem They Still Haven't Fixed
Seattle has put itself in the mix for a climb up the division ladder heading into the Olympic break, with the next stretch likely to decide whether this team can keep pushing toward a finish as high as fourth. The Kraken have gotten enough from their overall structure to stay within striking distance, and the depth additions of Mackie Samoskevich and Bobby McMann only add to the sense that there is a workable path if the roster keeps coming together.
The catch is that the margin for error remains thin, especially with the divisions bigger names still carrying their own issues and opportunities. Seattle can talk about race position all it wants, but the real question is whether the parts that have lagged most can be lifted soon enough to matter when the standings tighten, because that is the area that could decide whether this surge is real or just a pause before the pack pulls away. [Read more 🡒]
Shane Wright Enters Kraken Camp With His Future Suddenly In Doubt
The Kraken are about to get back to work, with rookie camp opening Sept. 11, training camp following on Sept. 17 and a four-game preseason slate beginning Sept. 19. For Shane Wright, the timing matters more than most. The 22-year-old center is still in Seattle after a reported offseason move never came together, leaving him in camp with plenty to prove and a roster spot that feels less secure than it once did.
Wright heads into the fall needing a sharper showing after a disappointing season, and the next few weeks will give the Kraken a close look at whether he can reset his trajectory. Training camp and the preseason are now his chance to show the kind of progress that can quiet the uncertainty around his future, or at least give Seattle a reason to keep him in the picture a little longer. [Read more 🡒]