Firebirds players practice on main rink for first time in preparation for Sunday debut
"What's behind that door?" It's a staple question on old TV game shows, and it's been a pressing question for the players on the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
They've been at Acrisure Arena practicing and working out in their plush new digs for more than a month, but they were never able to open the one door they've been wanting to. The door to the main ice rink.
That changed Monday morning. At long last, the Firebirds players finally were able to skate on the rink that will be their new home starting with Sunday's much-anticipated home opener. The ice was officially laid down on Wednesday and after a road trip over the weekend, the coaches and players held a full practice on the main ice rink at Acrisure Arena.
"It's our first look at it today, we haven't been allowed to really be out there so it will be cool to see and then obviously when you step out there and you see all the stands and how big it is will be amazing," said Firebirds left-winger Tye Kartje. "We're all hoping it will be pretty packed, and I've just kind of been envisioning the atmosphere and how cool that will be on Sunday."
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While construction on the practice rink, locker room and weight room has been completed and walled off using temporary walls for legal purposes, the main part of Acrisure Arena is still considered an active construction zone, so the players were not allowed to use the rink or even walk in and see it without wearing protective equipment.
Monday's practice was just a little taste for the team as the Firebirds have a busy week. So busy, in fact, that goalkeeper Joey Daccord was lamenting not being in town for Wednesday's Dave Chappelle-Chris Rock comedy show which will open the new arena. Instead he and the team will be out of town. The Firebirds play back-to-back road games on Tuesday and Wednesday at Tucson and another road game Friday at San Diego before returning home Sunday to christen the arena for hockey in a 6 p.m. game against Tucson.
The Firebirds, the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Seattle Kraken, currently boast a 12-4-3 record, which is not bad for 19 games without a true home game. After what will be 22 straight road games (four of which were technically home games played in Seattle), the players are eager to have some true home-ice advantage.
"Everybody is super excited. It's been a long wait. It seems like we've been on the road forever," said Firebirds team captain Max McCormick. "To finally play a game on our home rink, which is beautiful and state-of-the-art, I think everybody is looking forward to it."
For players who have been around and played at the NHL level and on other AHL teams, the momentousness of Sunday night's game is not lost on them.
"Every guy in this league wants to be in the NHL at the next level, of course, but it is quite exciting to be playing here and being part of something like this," said Andrew Poturalski, the leading scoring in the AHL last season. "It's pretty cool to be the first team in history here and to be able to celebrate with these fans. We can tell this community is so excited, as are we. We're looking forward to making some memories and going down in the history books."
Added Kartye: "This is a special moment for this community and we don't take that lightly."
Shad Powers is a sports columnist for The Desert Sun. Reach him at shad.powers@desertsun.com.
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This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Firebirds players practice on main rink for first time ahead of Sunday debut
