The Coachella Valley Firebirds secured a 4-3 victory over the Henderson Silver Knights on Friday night at Lee’s Family Forum. The win came in the second-to-last game before the All-Star break and saw several players contribute with multi-point performances.
Jani Nyman, Ville Ottavainen, and Logan Morrison each recorded multiple points for the Firebirds. Andrei Loshko scored the go-ahead goal in the third period, helping his team return to winning form.
The Silver Knights opened scoring late in the first period with a powerplay goal from Dylan Coghlan. Early in the second period, Coachella Valley tied it when Nyman tipped an Ottavainen shot. Coghlan scored again on another powerplay to restore Henderson’s lead, but Ottavainen responded for Coachella Valley to tie it up again midway through the second.
A defensive error by Henderson led to Jagger Firkus giving Coachella Valley its first lead of the game with an unassisted goal late in the second period. Ben Hemmerling tied it for Henderson early in the third, but Loshko answered just over a minute later with his third goal of the season after deflecting Eduard Sale’s shot.
In the closing minutes, Victor Ostman made a key save on Jaycob Megna during a shorthanded rush by Henderson to preserve Coachella Valley’s lead. Ostman finished with 29 saves on 32 shots for his tenth win of the season. The Firebirds were outshot 32-26 and went 0-for-2 on powerplays while killing two out of four penalties.
With this result, Coachella Valley improved its record to 24-15-5-0 for the season. The team has experienced deep playoff runs and division titles since its inception as an American Hockey League affiliate of the Seattle Kraken, bringing professional hockey to California’s Coachella Valley region as part of an expansion into the Pacific Division. The organization is known for supporting community efforts through youth hockey development, education initiatives, health programs, and partnerships with local nonprofits via its foundation (https://cvfirebirds.com/).
The three stars of Friday’s game were Jeremy Davies (Henderson), who recorded three assists; Andrei Loshko (Coachella Valley), whose third-period goal was decisive; and Ville Ottavainen (Coachella Valley), who had both a goal and an assist.
The Firebirds conclude their road trip Saturday against Henderson before returning home February 13th to face Tucson Roadrunners during “Kraken Night.” Fans are encouraged to secure parking ahead of time using advance purchase options due to increased rates on game day.
Ticket packages remain available for fans interested in joining upcoming events or accessing premium seating experiences at Acrisure Arena. The club also continues introducing enhancements aimed at improving accessibility and convenience during games.
For more information about tickets, premium seating options, community programs, or other updates regarding fan engagement initiatives—including youth outreach—visit https://cvfirebirds.com/.
