The Firebirds have released their Season Five training-camp roster: 22 forwards, 11 defensemen and three goaltenders.

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That is 36 players competing for a roster which, regrettably, cannot dress seven forward lines and five defensive pairings every night. Cuts are coming. Feelings will be hurt. Kansas City will inherit enough talent to menace the ECHL again. But the beautiful thing is: Hockey is finally back.

We already covered 22 of these names in the season preview. That included Morrison, Firkus, Nyman, Jugnauth, Nelson, Roed, Avon, Stephens and most of the summer signings.

But I missed or underexplored 14 players. Some are new arrivals. Several were already here and apparently wandered through last season wearing invisibility cloaks. I owe them a proper introduction.

And, as always, be sure to check out the unofficially official CVFirebirds Discord to chat with all us hockey nerds.

First, what even is this graphic?

This is just the initial camp roster. Don't sweat it if your favorite Bird isn't on the list. Seattle’s latest cut sent 16 waiver-exempt prospects directly to Coachella Valley, including Nyman, Firkus, Šalé, Rehkopf, Jugnauth and Nelson. Seattle also released McKinnon, Olofsson and Stephens from their NHL tryouts and sent them here, while Avon, Hayden, Morrison and Östman all cleared waivers. Here is the full cut rundown.

Several potential Firebirds remain absent because Seattle is still evaluating them. That group includes Oscar Fisker Mølgaard, Ville Ottavainen and Nikke Kokko. Jake O’Brien is also missing after producing a goal and an assist in his NHL preseason debut and then suffering a day-to-day lower-body injury. O’Brien injury update (as of 9/22/26).

So this roster will change. For now, however, we have enough players to send Ontario packing on Sunday.

The new Firebird on the block: Alex Swetlikoff

Swetlikoff signed a one-year AHL contract immediately before the camp roster dropped.

He is a 25-year-old, 6-foot-3 center/winger returning from Sweden, where he recorded 8 goals, 11 assists and 19 points in 45 games for MoDo. He also accumulated 97 penalty minutes, suggesting his study-abroad program included a concentration in Scandinavian conflict resolution, probably as a result of his unfortunate surname.

His North American résumé:

• 66 AHL games: 9 goals, 7 assists and 16 points
• 108 ECHL games: 39 goals, 51 assists and 90 points
• 2024–25 ECHL playoffs: 10 points in 11 games

That profile says productive ECHL scorer, useful AHL depth forward and potential competition for a bottom-six Firebirds job. He has size, can play center or wing and brings more offensive ability than the standard fourth-line refrigerator. Swetlikoff signing and career statistics.

The returning Firebirds I criminally neglected

All statistics below come from last season’s Firebirds roster.

John Hayden — 67 GP, 13 G, 11 A, 24 PTS, 127 PIM

My completely unbiased Hayden-for-captain campaign remains alive. (Donate here).

Hayden brings 272 games of NHL experience, genuine leadership and enough physicality to ensure nobody takes liberties with the kids. He also contributed 13 goals last season, so he is more than a ceremonial face-punching consultant.

The previous leadership group is gone. Hayden wore an “A” last season. He has been through NHL wars, embraced Coachella Valley and plays exactly the accountable, irritating style coaches adore. Give him the C. I have already emotionally embroidered it onto his jersey.

Eduard Šalé — 58 GP, 13 G, 14 A, 27 PTS

Šalé quietly finished ninth on the team in scoring during his first full AHL season. He remains only 21 and possesses legitimate first-round skill: excellent hands, vision and a release that occasionally reminds you why Seattle drafted him 20th overall.

The next step is consistency. Some nights he looks like a future NHL scoring winger. Other nights he enters federal witness protection. Sunday begins his campaign to turn those sparks of brilliance into a blazing inferno.

Carson Rehkopf — 69 GP, 13 G, 6 A, 19 PTS

Rehkopf’s rookie season was uneven, but 13 goals from a 20-year-old adjusting to professional hockey is perfectly respectable. He is now 21, stands 6-foot-3 and owns a dangerous shot.

Six assists in 69 games suggests he occasionally regarded passing as a personal attack, but his assignment this year is straightforward: use the size, find dangerous ice and become the power winger his junior numbers promised.

Andrei Loshko — 51 GP, 5 G, 9 A, 14 PTS, +3

Loshko is a 6-foot-1 winger entering his second professional season. His rookie numbers were modest, although finishing plus-3 while learning the AHL game was encouraging.

He projects as a defensively responsible middle/bottom-six winger with room for more offense. He is fighting for a regular job in an absurdly crowded forward group, so every preseason shift matters.

David Goyette — 51 GP, 3 G, 7 A, 10 PTS, 73 PIM

Goyette arrived in professional hockey with a major-junior scoring résumé and then encountered the traditional AHL greeting: less space, less time and several large men trying to detach him from the puck.

Three goals were disappointing. Seventy-three penalty minutes were unexpected. Apparently, when the scoring disappeared, Goyette decided to remain involved through alternative programming.

He is still only 22. His skating and playmaking remain a bright spot, but he now needs to convert them into production before younger centers begin passing him.

Ian McKinnon — 54 GP, 4 G, 5 A, 9 PTS, 245 PIM

Yes, 245 penalty minutes.

That equals four hours and five minutes in the box, or slightly more than four complete hockey games spent contemplating what he had done.

McKinnon’s purpose is not mysterious. He protects teammates, changes the temperature of games and ensures Ontario’s aspiring tough guys carefully review the seating chart before starting anything stupid. The problem is, you need to be more than a gooner, you also need someone who can put some numbers on the board. Until he can do both, I suspect we'll see him on the healthy scratch list more often than not.

The young defensemen we need to discuss

Kaden Hammell — 44 GP, 6 G, 7 A, 13 PTS, +14

Hammell may be the most quietly encouraging name in this group. He produced six goals, finished plus-14 and handled 44 AHL games during his first professional season.

He is a right-shot defenseman with size, mobility and legitimate two-way potential. Among the young defenders, he may be closest to earning the “boringly reliable” label—and for a defenseman, that is basically a marriage proposal.

Caden Price — 42 GP, 2 G, 9 A, 11 PTS, +3

Price’s rookie season was steady rather than spectacular. He moves the puck well, skates effectively and generally avoids making the kind of decisions that cause coaches to develop facial twitches.

At 21, he still has offensive upside. Sunday should show whether he is ready for more responsibility or remains part of the rotating young-defenseman laboratory.

Lukas Dragicevic — 43 GP, 1 G, 10 A, 11 PTS, -4

Dragicevic entered the organization as an offense-first defenseman. His passing and transition game remain his strengths, while the defensive details remain under construction.

The Firebirds have several puck-moving defensemen competing for similar minutes. Dragicevic needs to show that he can create offense without turning every defensive-zone possession into an unsupervised science experiment.

The Kansas City delegation

Four players arrive from the Mavericks’ orbit. Their likely destination remains Kansas City, but Sunday provides an opportunity to steal an AHL job—or at least establish themselves as the first phone call when injuries strike.

Owen Lindmark — professional tryout

Lindmark is a 25-year-old center, former Wisconsin captain and 2019 fifth-round Florida draft pick. Last season he produced 16 points in 33 games between Tulsa and San Diego, including six goals and a shorthanded goal in 30 ECHL appearances.

He is a responsible two-way forward who can kill penalties and play in several bottom-six roles. Kansas City signed him for this season, but a strong camp could make the organizational depth chart considerably more interesting. Lindmark profile.

Tabor Heaslip

If you just said "bless you" I don't blame you. Bear with me as we get through some of these names. Heaslip captained UConn, won Hockey East’s Best Defensive Forward award and finished his senior season with 7 goals, 12 assists and 19 points in 38 games. He then recorded a goal and an assist in five games with Kansas City.

He is probably headed back to the Mavericks, but he is exactly the sort of player coaches trust: faceoffs, penalty killing, positioning and a willingness to perform hockey’s necessary chores without demanding a power-play unit. Heaslip background.

Lleyton Moore — professional tryout

Moore is a fascinating camp invite: a 5-foot-8, 162-pound offensive defenseman with 77 AHL games and 23 points already on his résumé.

Last season he recorded 1 goal and 10 assists in 31 games with Tucson. During his first professional season, he torched the ECHL for 39 points in 46 games.

He can move the puck and manufacture offense. He is also giving away several inches and approximately one midsized golden retriever to Phip Waugh. Of the KC-contracted players, Moore probably has the best chance to force the Firebirds into a difficult decision. Moore signing and career overview.

Phip Waugh

First, “Phip Waugh” sounds like the noise Joey Daccord makes when a 100-mph shot hits him somewhere anatomically discouraging.

Second, he is 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds.

Waugh recorded 3 goals and 6 assists in 22 ECHL games with Savannah last season while also receiving AHL loans to Abbotsford, Hershey and Hartford. Kansas City acquired him in August. He probably begins there, but the organization clearly likes having a defenseman who can be seen from neighboring counties. Waugh acquisition.

Aidan Fulp

Another big guy, Fulp is 26 years old, 6-foot-3, weighing in at approximately 210 pounds. He has a one-year AHL contract with Seattle, after 105 AHL games with Bridgeport and Rochester. Career AHL totals: 1 goal, 15 assists, 16 points and 38 penalty minutes.

Fulp played three years at Western Michigan, producing 39 points in 97 games. As a junior, he was an alternate captain, the Broncos’ Most Valuable Defenseman and a finalist for NCHC Defensive Defenseman of the Year. He also blocked 50 shots and finished with 15 points in 38 games. The Islanders subsequently signed him to a two-year entry-level contract, although he never reached the NHL. Western Michigan profile.

Most importantly, he was born on February 29, 2000. Legally, therefore, the Firebirds have signed a 6-year-old defenseman—and frankly, that seems consistent with how aggressively Seattle is pursuing youth this season.

Given the crowded blue line, I don't expect him to stick around the desert, and will likely find his way back to KC.

What I am watching for on Sunday

The result matters less than the individual battles, although beating Ontario to a pulp would still be emotionally satisfying.

1. The captain watch. Hayden is here, the leadership vacancy remains open and my agenda remains shameless.
2. The sophomore forwards. Šalé, Rehkopf, Loshko and Goyette need to show progression. This roster has too many forwards for reputation alone to guarantee minutes.
3. The defensive traffic jam. Eleven defensemen are in camp, with more potentially coming from Seattle. Hammell, Price, Dragicevic, Fulp and Moore are all competing to establish where they belong in that pile.
4. The crease. Östman enters as the proven AHL option after a .906 save percentage last season. Murphy and Terness are auditioning for depth roles, while Kokko could still arrive from Seattle.
5. The KC wild cards. Moore is the most likely to steal an AHL spot, while Lindmark and Heaslip could make themselves useful enough to stay in the conversation.
6. Ian McKinnon. There is no nuanced scouting question here. I simply want to know how long it takes someone from Ontario to make a poor life decision.
7. Jagger Firkus’s mustache. It survived the summer. So much for organizational accountability.

Sunday’s game begins at 5 p.m. at Acrisure Arena. Tickets are just $10, parking is $10 and ticket proceeds benefit the One Valley Foundation. If you haven't gotten them yet, what are you thinking? It really doesn't get any better than this. Ontario is hosting San Diego on Friday, so the Reign arrive for their second exhibition in roughly 48 hours. Game and ticket information.

The roster remains unfinished, but the early message is clear: this organization is deep enough that several genuinely good players will end up in Kansas City or watching from the press box.

That is an excellent problem to have.

The Birds are back. Fuel the Fire.

The preseason game comes five days before the Firebirds officially open Season Five at Acrisure Arena against the Reign on Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m.

Captain's gonna coach!

Ford, 46, brings more than a decade of professional coaching experience to the Firebirds after spending the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the National Hockey League's Columbus Blue Jackets.

Prior to joining Columbus, Ford spent nine seasons coaching in the American Hockey League, including eight with the Milwaukee Admirals and one with the Chicago Wolves. During Ford's tenure in Milwaukee, the Admirals captured three Central Division titles, qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs six times, and appeared in back-to-back Western Conference Finals.

As we gear up for another season, I know the burning question you're asking yourself: how on earth am I going to be able to keep track of all 72 games? Well, the AHL website has you covered, it's just not easy to find unless you're looking for it.

Go to this link: https://theahl.com/stats/schedule/445/94/10/homeaway?league=4

Go to the highlighted calendar icon:

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Click or tap it to download the .ics file, and use your favorite calendar app to import all the games.

It's fast, easy, and a sure-fire way to keep up to date with the latest and greatest.

Let's Go Firebirds!

This will be my last post of the season, and that stings a bit. It's been a great joy to bring you the stats, the stories, and the scoop before each game of the playoffs. I have had the privilege of engaging with you, cheering with you, and commiserating with you three times a week for the past month both here and on the Firebirds Discord. For that, I thank you.

It's always hard to find the words to say after the season ends, but here we go:

The Firebirds had a 2-0 lead last night. For a while, it looked like we were going to do what this team has done all postseason: make everyone’s blood pressure spike and somehow drag the series out one more game. Instead, Colorado scored three times in 5:08, held on for a 3-2 win, and ended our season in Game 4. Jagger Firkus and Ville Ottavainen scored for Coachella Valley, Nikke Kokko made 23 saves, and Trent Miner stopped 23 for Colorado as the Eagles advanced to their first Western Conference Finals.

So, yeah. It stings.

But once the frustration settles, the gratitude takes over.

This was not an easy year. The Firebirds started slow. There were stretches where making the playoffs was not a guarantee, let alone making another deep run. This team had to find itself in real time. It had to work through injuries, roster changes, youth, inconsistency, and the pressure that comes with being a franchise that has made the concept of winning just a part of its culture.

And then, when the season could have slipped away, they fought their way in.

They beat Bakersfield after getting hammered in Game 1. They faced elimination twice in that series and survived. Then they took on Ontario, the No. 1 team in the Pacific Division, and somehow turned that series into one more fever dream. On the road for Game 5. Double overtime. J.R. Avon sends everyone into orbit. That goal encapsulated what it means to be a Firebirds fan. It was one of those moments that reminds you why you put yourself through this stupid, beautiful sport in the first place.

Taking a step back: The boys made the Pacific Division Finals for the third time in four years. That is absurd. For a new hockey fan such as myself, it is easy to forget that this is not normal. Expansion teams are supposed to spend years figuring out who they are. The Firebirds showed up and immediately started making deep dives into the playoffs. We are truly spoiled, and I forget that sometimes.

And this year’s team had so many reasons to be proud.

Oscar Fisker Mølgaard gave us a breakout playoff run. J.R. Avon became a certified postseason menace. Jani Nyman, Jagger Firkus, Logan Morrison, Lleyton Roed, Eduard Šalé, Carson Rehkopf, Jake O’Brien — the young talent kept showing flashes of what the future can look like. John Hayden, Mitchell Stephens, Jacob Melanson, Gustav Olofsson, Ty Nelson, Ville Ottavainen, Tyson Jugnauth, Kaden Hammell, Lukas Dragicevic, Charlie Wright, and everyone else who pulled on the jersey gave this team its edge. Nikke Kokko is young, but that kid is going places. He gave us huge saves, big nights, and every reason to believe the crease is in good hands. When Joey was called up, it left a hole in our collective heart. Kokko filled that hole with youthful enthusiasm and some truly clutch saves.

And to Max McCormick: we felt your absence all year. One does not replace that kind of leadership and bite easily. This team still battled, but there were definitely nights where you could feel how badly we needed the captain in the trenches.

One of the things that made last night so painful was that this team made us believe right up until the end. That is the cruel part, but it is also the compliment. They made us think Game 5 was coming. They made Colorado earn every inch. They have my gratitude for that.

So thank you, Firebirds.

Thank you for the double-overtime heart attacks, the energy of a packed barn, the blocked shots, the fights, the "oh shit" moments, and the feeling that no game was ever completely dead.

Thank you for turning a slow start into a third straight Pacific Division Finals appearance.

Thank you for beating the No. 1 team in the division and ensuring that we continue to hold the upper hand in the rivalry.

Thank you for giving this fanbase another season worth caring about.

This ending hurts, but, in the end, it means we cared.

Rest up. Heal up. Come back with the drive to do it all over again next season.

Let's Go Firebirds.

Hey Firebirds fans! Welcome to r/CVFirebirds, the new home for everything Coachella Valley Firebirds.

Whether you’ve been following the team since day one, just went to your first game at Acrisure Arena, or are checking out the Firebirds because of the Kraken connection, we’re glad you’re here.

This subreddit is a place for fans to talk hockey, share game-day experiences, follow the team, and build a community around Firebirds hockey in the Coachella Valley and beyond.

What to Post

Post anything Firebirds-related that other fans would enjoy, including:

• Treactions, highlights, and postgame discussion
• Photos and videos from games
• Questions from new fans
• Lineup, roster, prospect, and call-up discussion
• Ticket tips, parking advice, merch finds, and arena info
• News about the team, players, coaches, and Seattle Kraken prospects

Memes, fan art, chants, traditions, and anything that adds to the fun

Basically: if it’s about the Firebirds, the AHL, Acrisure Arena, or being a fan in the desert, it belongs here.

Community

We want this to be a welcoming, fun, and useful place for Firebirds fans.

Cheer hard. Debate hockey. Celebrate wins. Vent after tough losses. Just keep it respectful. Personal attacks, trolling, bigotry, spam, and needless drama don’t belong here.

New fans are especially welcome. If someone asks a basic question, help them out. Every fan starts somewhere.

How to Get Started

Introduce yourself in the comments. How did you become a Firebirds fan?

• Tell us your favorite Firebirds memory, player, game, or arena tradition.
• Post a question, photo, discussion topic, or game-day thought.
• Invite other Firebirds fans who would enjoy the community.

Thanks for being part of the first wave of r/CVFirebirds. Let’s make this the best place online to follow, discuss, and celebrate Coachella Valley Firebirds hockey.

Go Firebirds!

The 2026 Calder Cup playoffs have already given us one of the best parts of postseason hockey: the regular season stats just don’t seem to matter. It all comes down to grit, determination, and the desire to bring home the cup.

This year in particular has been brutal for division favorites. Providence, Laval, and Ontario all won their divisions. All three are now out before the division finals. Syracuse and Bridgeport also had home-ice advantage and are gone. Yes, Coachella Valley knocking out Ontario was a huge moment. But to understand the scale of this year’s madness, you have to start with Springfield.

The Springfield Upset

Springfield beating Providence is the upset that puts the whole postseason into perspective.

Providence was the best regular-season team in the AHL: 54-16-2-0, 110 points, 239 goals for, 162 against, +77 goal differential. Springfield was a sixth seed that finished 32-32-6-2, 72 points, 207 goals for, 240 against, with a minus-33 differential. In other words, they had a 38-point gap in the standings and a 110-goal swing in goal differential.

How can I put this in perspective? For Coachella fans, imagine this: If Springfield had played in the Pacific, it would have finished behind both San Diego and Tucson, both of whom had 78 points. San Diego was a minus-4. Tucson was a minus-9. Remember, Springfield was a minus-33. If Springfield was in the Pacific Division, they would not even have been close to making playoffs. Providence had 11 more points than Ontario. With that in mind, let’s check out how.

The series was tight, tense, and deeply annoying if you were Providence. Springfield won 3-2, lost 2-1, then won 3-2 in overtime and 1-0 in overtime. Providence scored six goals in four games. The league’s best regular-season team got dragged into a series of grueling low-scoring games and lost three of them.

The biggest reason was Georgi Romanov. After Springfield got blasted 8-1 by Charlotte in its playoff opener, Romanov took over and went 5-1 with a 1.42 goals-against average and a .954 save percentage, stopping 186 of 195 shots. Again, let’s put that in perspective. The best goalie in the regular season league, Michael DiPietro (of the Providence Bruins) only posted a 1.91 GAA this season. He had a .930 save percentage. Erik Portillo, who gave us so much trouble, was ranked 11^(th). We didn’t even crack the top 20 in goals against average. Right now, he’s ranked third in the playoffs, behind Trent Miner of Colorado (BOOO) and Michal Postava of Grand Rapids (also boo).

But it wasn’t all goalie magic. Steve Ott took over as head coach on January 23, when the Thunderbirds were last in the Atlantic. From there, they went 19-13-2-0. Their full-season record still looked less than compelling, but the team entering the playoffs was tougher, tighter, and far more dangerous than the standings suggested. If anyone tells you coaching doesn’t matter as much as playoff talent, let this be a lesson.

Coachella Valley: Playing like its 2024

Coachella Valley’s win over Ontario was a major upset, but in a very different way from Springfield’s. Ontario finished first in the Pacific at 47-20-3-2, 99 points, 237 goals for, 187 against, plus-50. Coachella finished fourth at 41-25-6-0, 88 points, 235 goals for, 218 against, plus-17. That is a substantial gap: 11 points and 33 goals in goal differential. There is no doubt that Ontario earned the top seed. But Coachella was not some barely-hanging-on playoff team. The Firebirds had 88 points, plenty of scoring, and enough playoff experience to make the series dangerous from the start.

The series had everything:

• Game 1: Coachella 3, Ontario 0
• Game 2: Ontario 5, Coachella 1
• Game 3: Ontario 2, Coachella 1
• Game 4: Coachella 6, Ontario 2
• Game 5: Coachella 3, Ontario 2 in double overtime

That is a proper series, and the high scoring games weren’t nearly as definitive as the scores make them look.

The most impressive part is mental fortitude.  The Firebirds were 4-0 in elimination games this postseason after knocking out Ontario. That is an excellent stat that bodes well against a tough team like Colorado. Some teams get nervous when the season is on the line. Coachella looked more comfortable there.

The standout this post season was J.R. Avon, scoring the double-overtime winner in Game 5. His regular season was not overly impressive: he ranked 12^(th) in goals on the Firebirds team, pulling in only 10 goals in 45 games. In playoffs, he’s a different beast. He has five goals in only eight games. OFM (the AHL top scorer in the playoffs has just six goals). That is a fantastic coming out story, and we expect great things moving forward.

Toronto over Laval: the seed line exaggerated the gap

Toronto beating Laval looks dramatic on paper: No. 4 seed over No. 1 seed. Similar to CV vs. Ontario, but needs context.

 The North Division was tightly packed. Laval finished first with 90 points. Syracuse had 89. Cleveland had 83. Toronto had 82. That means only eight points separated first from fourth.

So yes, Toronto was the fourth seed. But this was not a case of a weak team ambushing a dominant one, and was not on the same level as Firebirds vs. Reign upset. Toronto was close enough to Laval that the seed line probably made the matchup look more lopsided than it really was.

The series still had plenty of drama. Laval won Game 1, 3-1. Toronto responded by winning back-to-back games 6-2. Laval answered with a 4-0 win in Game 4, setting up a deciding Game 5. That should have favored the Rocket. Home ice, top seed, momentum back after a shutout. Instead, Toronto won 3-2.

It was already a close matchup, but the Marlies managed to make it look easy. Toronto over Laval was an upset, but not a shocking one. The North was too compressed for that.

Cleveland over Syracuse: the quiet upset

Cleveland beating Syracuse was not the flashiest upset by seed, but it might have been the most exhausting. Syracuse finished second in the North Division with 89 points. Cleveland finished third with 83. That’s a pretty good gap, but not enormous. Same as the Reign and Eagles (99-93).

The bigger difference was goal differential. Syracuse was plus-48. Cleveland was minus-10. That makes the result more interesting. Syracuse had the profile of a team that should be able to put big numbers on the scoreboard. Instead, Cleveland won the series 3-1. The clincher was a 2-1 triple-overtime game that lasted 107:53, the longest game in Syracuse Crunch history. The goaltending numbers were absurd. Cleveland’s Zach Sawchenko stopped 46 of 47 shots. Syracuse’s Brandon Halverson stopped 56 of 58. Both goalies gave their teams more than enough to win. Cleveland simply found the final goal.

As an aside, I have a huge amount of respect for the Monsters after their playoff runs the last few seasons. I hope to see more of them this post-season.

Honorable Mention: Hershey over Bridgeport

Hershey over Bridgeport was technically an upset, but probably the least surprising one. Bridgeport was the No. 4 seed in the Atlantic with 76 points. Hershey was the No. 5 seed with 73. That is a minescule three-point gap.

The Bears swept the best-of-three:

• Game 1: Hershey 2, Bridgeport 0
• Game 2: Hershey 5, Bridgeport 2

Clay Stevenson set the tone in Game 1 with a shutout. In a best-of-three series, that is massive. You lose Game 1, and suddenly the entire season is standing on a trap door (Bakersfield notwithstanding). Game 2 was more balanced early, but Hershey pulled away. Sam Bitten broke a 1-1 tie in the second period, Andrew Cristall scored twice, and the Bears closed the series without needing a third game.

The reason this one feels less surprising is simple: Hershey knows how to win playoff games. We know that very, very well. On the bright side, the numbers fixed themselves, and Hershey got booted off the island by the No. 2 ranked Penguins. Gotta love it.

Why so many upsets are happening

Short series make everything volatile

The AHL playoff format does not give favorites much room to breathe. The first round is best-of-three. The division semifinals are best-of-five. That means one bad night can flip a series. One goalie heater can take over. One road win can put the favorite under immediate pressure. In a best-of-seven, talent usually gets more time to show itself. In a best-of-three or best-of-five, the series can be halfway gone before the better regular-season team finds its footing.

Goaltending has tilted the bracket

Romanov for Springfield is the obvious example, but he is not the only one. Stevenson gave Hershey a Game 1 shutout. Sawchenko helped Cleveland survive a triple-overtime marathon. Coachella got the saves it needed in elimination spots. In short series, goaltending can become the whole story.

Some teams were better than their seeds

Toronto is the best example. A No. 4 seed sounds like a clear underdog, but the Marlies were only eight points behind Laval. That was not a huge gap. Coachella also fits here. The Firebirds were the fourth seed, but they had 88 points and a plus-17 goal differential. That is not a weak team. Springfield is different. Springfield’s seed was not misleading in the same way. Their overall numbers were genuinely mediocre. But their late-season form under Steve Ott and Romanov’s goaltending made them much more dangerous than their full-season record showed.

Favorites failed to close the door

This is the simplest thread connecting all of it. Providence could not turn its regular-season dominance into offensive separation. Ontario had a 2-1 series lead and lost the final two games. Laval had a Game 5 at home and led twice. Syracuse had home ice, chances, and a great goalie performance, but still could not find the final goal. The lower seeds did not need to be better for six months. They needed to be better in the biggest moments. And they were.