Despite their parent NHL team failing to qualify for the playoffs, the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Calgary Wranglers are alive and well. The team finished the 2023-24 season with a 35-28-9 record to reach the postseason for the second straight season since rebranding from the Stockton Heat and moving to Cowtown. Their success continued with the recently eliminated Tucson Roadrunners in Round 1, winning two away games to claim the best-of-three matchup. The Roadrunners (Arizona Coyotes affiliate) were highly favoured as the second seed in the AHL’s Pacific Division, but the Wranglers bested them 2-0 in Game 1, and 4-3 in Game 2.
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Next up for the Wranglers is the Western Conference’s best team this season, the Coachella Valley Firebirds. The Firebirds are the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken and ended the season first in the West and second league-wide after going an impressive 46-15-11 for 103 total points. The Wranglers clashed with them eight times in 2023-24, winning just two matches. The Firebirds also eliminated the Wranglers in the 2023 Pacific Division Final in five games, with two games going to overtime. This was a part of a run to the Calder Cup Final where they lost to the Hershey Bears. They will now engage in a best-of-five to determine who moves on to the Division Final. Let’s take a closer look at each team’s X-factor player(s) as well as how the two squads match up.
Firebirds X-Factor: Shane Wright
For the Firebirds, their player of note will be Burlington, Ontario’s Shane Wright. The Kraken’s fourth overall pick from the 2022 NHL Entry Draft is their most coveted prospect and he is seemingly ready to take the next step. At just 20 years of age, Wright put up a very notable 22 goals and 47 points in 59 games. This was his first full pro season after having cups of coffee in both the NHL and AHL in 2022-23, finishing the season with the Ontario Hockey League’s Windsor Spitfires. Wright got into another eight NHL contests this season and dazzled with four goals and five points.
The Firebirds have a handful of impact forwards such as Kole Lind, Max McCormick, and Cameron Hughes, among others. However, the greatest postseason teams are always the deepest. If a player like Wright can step up and provide secondary scoring, the Firebirds could go a long way. This playoff could also serve as his true coming of age and final opportunity to coerce regular NHL duties in…
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