High Decibels and Morale Post-Game
In a jubilant Firebirds locker room, amid high fives, loud tunes and a much different demeanor than first intermission with CVF down 3-1, head coach Derek Laxdal handed out a game puck to Roed for the game-winner, and Meyers received what appeared to be the best hat thrown on the ice by fans’ traditional celebration. Teammates egged him on to try on the hat, which, of course, he did, with hoots and hollers to follow.
“We had contributions from, I think, pretty much everybody [in fact, 12 different Firebirds had at last one point], especially the young guys who really stepped up this year, especially early in the season,” said Meyers. “They’re helping us win games.”
The aforementioned Laxdal coached the Texas Stars for five seasons from 2014 through 2019, taking the squad to the Calder Cup Final as 2017 Western Conference champions. He actually coached some of the current Stars coaches and ventured they were happy to beat his CVF team in a shootout last Saturday here at Acrisure Arena. Laxdal is rightfully proud of those days and equally pleased with how his team bounced back from a first period that included Texas scoring in the first 31 seconds. The game was chippy with a couple of fights, late-game misconducts and plenty of chirping among former teammates, with ex-Firebirds Kole Lind and Cameron Hughes now wearing Texas green.
Spirited Rivalry in the Making
“Obviously there was a lot of talking going on the ice,” said Laxdal, who is expansive and concise at the same time in his post-game reviews. “A lot of gamesmanship, I guess you could call it that. But I think there’s a pretty good rivalry building there, a good hatred, they don’t like the Firebirds and we don’t like the Stars. It will make for a good series when we go down to Texas [Jan. 31, Feb. 1]”
After spotting the visiting Texas Stars a 3-1 lead and seeing rookie goalie Nikke Kokko depart after getting injured during a net-front scrum, the Firebirds rallied back to knot the game at three goals apiece on their second power play score of this raucous night. Third-season CVF forward Luke Henman worked a close-in, gritty turnaround pass to Ben Meyer, who then scored his fifth goal of the season.
But Texas retook the lead just one minute, 17 seconds later, scoring on Ales Stezka, who made a Grade-A point-blank save during the first shift after he replaced Kokko in the Firebirds net. Later second period, the Czech-born Stezka kept it a one-goal game, turning a Texas shorthanded mini-breakaway attempt.
McCormick Steady Leader for the Franchise
In all, though Firebirds veteran forward Ian McKinnon scored the first goal of the game on the team’s first shot on goal, the opening period tilted toward the Stars, who outshout CVF 14 to 2 and bagged three goals in the process. The second period was much better (understatement alert), featuring two power play goals. Captain Max McCormick, just some two hours earlier reviewing power play video and strategy with assistant coach Brennan Sonne, took the first-year Coachella Valley assistant’s review to the ice and the back of the net.
It’s yet another example of McCormick’s leadership as a franchise leader and two-time AHL Western Conference champ leaning into advice from the fast-rising Sonne, who elevated to the AHL this season after consistent success at the juniors level as a Western Hockey League head coach. Behind the bench with the Saskatoon (SK) Blades for three seasons (2021-22 to 2023-24), Sonne, 37, compiled a record of 136-54-14 as his squad reached three consecutive WHL playoff runs and two Eastern Conference Final appearances.
