Game 5 Marks Final Home Game For Firebirds Head Coach Dan Bylsma

Saturday's pivotal Game 5 will be the final home game of the 2024 Calder Cup Finals for the Coachella Valley Firebirds before the series heads back to Hershey, Pennsylvania for Monday's Game 6 and, if necessary, Wednesday's Game 7.

But for Firebirds head coach Dan Bylsma, Game 5 will be game at Acrisure Arena as the team's head coach as he was promoted to head coach of the Seattle Kraken beginning with the 2024-25 season.

In two seasons with the Firebirds, Bylsma has led the team to back-to-back Western Conference championships as well as back-to-back Calder Cup Finals appearances - with a combined regular season record of 94-32-18 to go along with a 27-15 postseason record the past two years with Coachella Valley.

"There have been a few moments that I know will be my last, but that makes it that much more enjoyable to play well and get a win," Bylsma said of the team's upcoming final home game Saturday in Game 5 also being his last one behind the bench for the Firebirds before he heads to Seattle.

Throughout the series, including when speaking with him prior to the beginning of the Calder Cup Finals series, Bylsma has been sure to mention that he's fully expecting this one to go to the distance.

"Two teams trying to race four wins and we expect it to go all 420 minutes so, give and take, there's punches thrown each way and [Game 4] was no different," Bylsma said after Thursday's loss.

"We didn't win this one. Now it's 2-2. In order to get to four wins, someone is going to have to get the third one and that's coming on Saturday night so there's a huge opportunity for either team to do that."