Sports
Two-Goal Night For Mitchell Stephens Gives Firebirds a 5-1 Win
The Coachella Valley Firebirds returned to the win column on Friday night, defeating the Henderson Silver Knights 5-1 at Acrisure Arena on Dia de los Muertos Night, presented by Verizon. Mitchell Stephens scored twice in his return from injury as the Firebirds improved to 4-4-2-1 on the season.
Coachella Valley welcomed Stephens, Julius Miettinen, and Caden Price back to the lineup following injuries, with all three contributing offensively. Miettinen recorded two assists, while Price added a helper in the victory. The Firebirds scored twice in the opening period and three more times in the second to snap a three-game losing streak.
Jagger Firkus opened the scoring at 11:11 of the first period, netting his fourth goal of the season off assists from Logan Morrison and Price. Ian McKinnon doubled the Firebirds' lead just over two minutes later, scoring his second of the year from Nathan Villeneuve and Carson Rehkopf to make it 2-0 after 20 minutes.
Stephens extended Coachella Valley's advantage to 3-0 at 5:08 of the second period, finishing a play set up by Miettinen and Gustav Olofsson. Henderson's Lukas Cormier responded at 10:11 to cut the deficit to two, but the Firebirds quickly regained control.
Stephens struck again at 13:15, scoring his second goal of the night off another assist from Miettinen. Just 21 seconds later, captain John Hayden added his second goal of the season, assisted by Lleyton Roed and Ryden Evers, giving Coachella Valley a 5-1 lead.
(Photo: Brandon Magpantay / Coachella Valley Firebirds)
Nikke Kokko made 25 saves to earn the victory as the Firebirds outshot the Silver Knights 29-26. Coachella Valley finished 0-for-1 on the powerplay and a perfect 5-for-5 on the penalty kill, holding the Silver Knights scoreless on the man advantage.
By: NBC Palm Springs
October 30, 2026
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🚨 FINAL SCORE: FIREBIRDS WIN! 🔥🏒 A big night for the Coachella Valley Firebirds! The Birds take care of business with a convincing 5-1 victory! Five goals, a strong performance, and two points in the standings! That’s how you get it done! 🐦🔥 #CVFirebirds #FirebirdsWin #CoachellaValley #AHL #HockeyNigh
🥊 THE ONLY FIGHT OF THE NIGHT… SO FAR! 🔥 With just over four minutes remaining in the third period, the gloves finally came off! The Firebirds are leading 5-1, but there’s still time for more fireworks before the final horn! 🏒💥 #CVFirebirds #AHL #HockeyFights #CoachellaValley #HockeyNight
💀🏒 ¡Feliz Día de los Muertos! Adding a little sabor to tonight’s Firebirds vs. Henderson matchup! Our own Pablo Alsina is here bringing some Spanish flair to this special Día de los Muertos night in the desert. Hockey, culture, and a whole lot of celebration! 🔥🐦 #FirebirdsHockey #DiaDeLosMuertos #CoachellaValley #CVFirebirds #HockeyNight DíaDeLosMuertos
🏒 GAME NIGHT IN THE DESERT! 🔥 Tim O’Brien gets us ready for tonight’s matchup as your Coachella Valley Firebirds take on the Henderson Silver Knights! The energy is building, the puck is about to drop, and we’re ready for another night of Firebirds hockey! Let’s go, Firebirds! 🐦🔥 #FirebirdsHockey #CVFirebirds #CoachellaValley #HockeyNight #AHL LetsGoFirebirds
Your In-Arena hosts tonight!!! Tim O’Brien and Pablo Alsina!!
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