Seattle's new AHL affiliate hires Stanley Cup champion as head coach

The Coachella Valley Firebirds, Seattle's new AHL affiliate, announced on Tuesday that they've hired 2009 Stanley Cup champion head coach Dan Bylsma as their first bench boss in franchise history.

Bylsma, 51, has spent parts of eight seasons as a head coach in the National Hockey League with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres, winning the Stanley Cup in 2009 and Jack Adams Award in 2011.

Last season, Bylsma was hired by the Seattle Kraken to be an assistant coach with the Charlotte Checkers. The Checkers are the American Hockey League affiliate for the Florida Panthers, but had an agreement with the Kraken for the 2021-22 season.

Drum role please...🥁... The Coachella Valley Firebirds welcome to the team our very first head coach, Dan Bylsma!https://t.co/N1Ra8MtBHI#IgniteTheSeason #BuildingAnOasis #OneValley #Firebirds #CoachellaValley #AHL #Hockey #HeadCoach #BuildingATeam #HockeyTeam pic.twitter.com/gJT69v3Grk— Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) June 21, 2022

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