Back home in Saskatchewan for the middle three games of the Western Hockey League final, Kraken 2022 second-rounder Jagger Firkus and his Warriors teammates needed only four games to sweep Portland in the best-of-seven series. Wednesday’s hard-fought 4-2 victory before a raucous crowd punched Moose Jaw’s ticket to the coveted Memorial Cup tournament that starts in late May.
The Memorial Cup is the championship trophy of the Canadian Hockey League, which includes the WHL, Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. With Wednesday’s fourth win, Moose Jaw completed the field of WHL, OHL and QMJHL champs, and the host Saginaw (MI) Spirit, plus made history with all three league champs sweeping their finals. The London Knights won the OHL, and the Drummondville Voltigeurs swept in the “Q.” It is Moose Jaw’s first-ever WHL crown in 40 years of franchise history and its first opportunity to play for the Memorial Cup. Firkus and his squad will host Saginaw in the opening game on May 24.
Firkus helped his team establish momentum in Wednesday’s win, assisting on a Moose Jaw ice-breaker goal eight minutes into the first period. Firkus notched his 18th assist to go with 12 goals for a WHL-high 32 points in 20 postseason games (second overall in the CHL).
Though Portland and Kraken 2022 sixth-round draft choice Tyson Jugnauth couldn’t secure a victory in the series, three games were tightly contested (one went to overtime), and the 5-1 Moose Jaw win was fueled by a pair of Firkus goals in the final period.
With the Western Hockey League final switching locales from Portland to Moose Jaw, SK, for Game 3 on Tuesday night, the visiting Winterhawks were in desperate need of a goal, trailing Moose Jaw, 3-2, early third period Monday night in Game 3. Stellar Winterhawks defenseman Jugnauth was there for the pick-me-up, notching the primary assist on a game-tying goal early third period. The score stayed knotted at 3-3 until Moose Jaw prevailed with a goal 2:20 into the overtime period.
Jugnauth, second in scoring among WHL D-men this postseason, finished with four goals and 12 assists as a key cog in all zones.
Firebirds Win Game One
With a mix of prospects revving up their postseason play along with productive veterans, the Kraken’s American Hockey League affiliate, Coachella Valley, continued its winning ways in the AHL Calder Cup Playoffs. After dropping the opening game in a Pacific Division semifinal against Calgary, the Firebirds swept their heated rival to move on to the division best-of-five final against Ontario (CA).
In Wednesday’s Game 1 at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, CVF was up to the task of winning a fourth straight playoff game, edging the visiting Reign, 3-2, in a game that was in the balance until three Ontario shots were saved by Chris Driedger in the final minute of regulation. Driedger finished with 31 saves (per AHL stats) in what qualified as a quality start, per our SportLogiq Post-Game Instant Analysis graphic we are posting on the Kraken app and website each game.
While Ontario opened the scoring four-plus minutes into the game and finished the goal count with a second score just 24 seconds into the third period, the Firebirds scored three straight goals to pull ahead in the first-to-win-three-games-advances series. Captain Max McCormick knotted the game at 1-1 at the 14:37 mark of the opening period. Veteran Devin Shore scored just over a minute later to make it 2-1 at the first intermission. Both McCormick and Shore have four goals in the team’s five playoff games to date.
Firebirds defenseman Jimmy Schuldt upped the ante to 3-1 mid-second period with assists going to prospects Logan Morrison (his 3rd postseason assist) and Jacob Melanson (two assists and a goal in the playoffs so far). Some of the prospects made it hard on the home squad with penalties, one resulting in the third-period Ontario goal. Melanson was whistled for interference at 18:21 of the second period, and fellow prospect Ryan Winterton joined him in the penalty box, sent off for hooking at 19:43. Eight minutes into the final period, Shane Wright was called for tripping, but the Firebirds penalty killers delivered. Game 2 is Friday in the southern California desert.
It promises to be an arduous task for the Firebirds to advance and move on to the Western Conference final in the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs. Ontario, the affiliate of Seattle’s division rival Los Angeles Kings, swept the first two rounds of their postseason, most recently dispensing of No. 2 seed Abbotsford in the Pacific Division bracket of the playoffs. The winner of CVF-Ontario advances to the AHL Western Conference final.
The No. 1 seed Firebirds and No. 3 seed Reign split their season series at four wins, with Coachella Valley winning three games in regulation and another in overtime. Ontario’s four victories included a pair of OT wins plus another in a shootout. Ontario outscored the Firebirds, 19-17, in those games, and the road team won six times.
The road stat is notable. The two home arenas are a 90-minute bus/car ride apart, easier on both the players and traveling fanbases. The buildings will be full and loud. Also notable: Coachella Valley led the AHL this season in most road goals scored and the fewest road goals allowed.
Like the Firebirds getting goals and scoring plays from prospects such as Wright, Winterton, Morrison and Melanson, plus stellar defensive work from D-men Ryker Evans (31 games for the Kraken this year) and Ville Ottavainen during 5-on-5 play and penalty kills, Ontario can lean in on some young players too. Defenseman Brandt Clarke (25 NHL games over two seasons) is a 21-year-old AHL rookie drafted No. 8 overall in 2021 and a point-per-game scorer during his 50 regular season games with the Reign.
“Rivalries usually don’t [full-throttle] start until you face a team in the playoffs,” said Firebirds head coach Dan Bylsma after the Friday victory. “I guess this one can start now.”
Firkus Racks Up WHL Honor, Fires Up His Teammates
While no NHL draft pick can be considered a success story without playing meaningful seasons in the world’s best league, the Kraken’s selection of winger Jagger Firkus in the 2022 second round (35th overall) is certainly trending toward prosperity. Firkus led the Western Hockey League and the entire Canadian Hockey League (includes Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League) in regular season scoring. Plus, he is WHL’s top scorer in the postseason, with 14 goals and 17 assists for 31 points in 19 games. Plus, he is the aforementioned WHL’s top scorer in the postseason, with 14 goals and 18 assists for 32 points in 20 games.
There’s more: Firkus has been named WHL Player of the Year for the 2023-24 season, in which he scored 63 goals and added 65 assists for 126 points in 63 games. He entered the season with the nickname “Firkus Circus” for his eye-popping offensive skill set and did nothing to tarnish the moniker but instead humbly supporting the distribution of custom “Firkus Circus” t-shirts that were a huge hit with Warriors fans.
For what it’s worth [FWIW to those on the app], Firkus has some big skates to fill at the pro level, considering recent and past WHL Player of the Year winners. Last season? Likely NHL rookie of the year Connor Bedard (Regina Pats). In 2021, the winner was Logan Stankoven of the Dallas Stars, currently playing meaningful minutes and totaling two goals and three assists in 11 postseason games to go along with six goals and eight assists in 24 games since called up from the AHL later during the NHL regular season.
Two more WHL Player of the Year honorees: Kraken forwards Jordan Eberle (Regina, 2009-10) and Oliver Bjorkstrand (Portland Winterhawks, 2014-15).
Not to be overlooked when in the bright lights of Firkus’ playmaking prowess: The Kraken prospect, who plays on a team with promising draft choices (two of them picked in recent first rounds), is the undisputed champion of bringing energy and an esprit de corps to Moose Jaw.
“Sitting in my office here, Jagger's the voice I always hear,” said Moose Jaw Head Coach Mark O’Leary about a team that includes 2023 first-round draft choice Brayden Yager (14th overall, Pittsburgh) and 2022 first-rounder Denton Mateychuk (12th overall Columbus). “It's rah-rah, cheering guys on. It's having fun, and it doesn't matter if it's a 16-year-old kid [first-year players in major juniors] or a 20-year-old guy; he wants everybody to feel a part of it, and he wants everybody to feel good. It’s genuine, and it’s rare.”
