The only captain in the history of the Seattle Kraken’s AHL affiliate is hanging up his skates. Max McCormick retained his Coachella Valley Firebirds captaincy in 2025-26, despite missing the entire season after undergoing hip surgery.
“To be able to live there and play hockey was awesome,” McCormick said in a Friday media availability. “Brand new facilities, amazing fans, all the cool things we were able to do in the community, and going on deep playoff runs. So many great memories.”
In a 12-season, 540-game AHL career, McCormick scored 159 goals and 178 assists. He was twice an AHL All-Star, both for Coachella Valley, in 2023 and 2024. He holds the franchise record for single-season goals (32) and all-time goals (67). But his impact was felt as much off the ice as on it.
“He set the standard with his professionalism, leadership, and the way he competed every single day,” said Firebirds general manager Troy Bodie. “His impact in our locker room and throughout the community is what made him a pillar of this organization.”
Kraken Shared Facilities At Firebirds’ Birth
McCormick and the Firebirds actually began their expansion 2022-23 season at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. The finishing touches were still being put on Acrisure Arena. I asked the captain about that.
“It was this unique circumstance that we were all in together. Playing out of Seattle, we were doing everything together. It helped our team become close so quickly. We always were pushing each other in the gym and in practice, wanting to have an edge on each other.
“You didn’t want to lose anything. And if you did, the other guys were going to let you know. Such a competitive environment, and at the same time, so much fun. A close group of guys, such a good culture. We’ve been able to maintain and build upon that every year thereafter.”
I also asked McCormick about the Firebirds transitioning from a veteran-laden team in seasons one and two, to a prospect-heavy group in seasons three and four.
“The older group, you had a lot of leaders. Guys that could lead by example, pulling things in the right direction, pushing younger guys. It just happened naturally when you have an older team.
“When you have more than half the team in their first or second year, so many guys trying to learn how to be pros, there were more individual conversations. There had to be more accountability. Each older guy had to contribute more, to teach those young guys how to be a pro on a consistent basis.”
Here are other highlights from McCormick’s availability. Quotes have been edited for clarity & length.
Hockey Blooming In The Desert
“When you think about hockey in the desert, it’s a pretty unusual market. I didn’t expect many fans. But it took off almost from the get-go. You had people from the Midwest and Northwest and Canada coming down to spend their winter. That was a big piece of it.
“There weren’t other professional sports teams in town. There wasn’t even really a venue where they were hosting major concerts and things like that. On top of that, we had a really good team and we were out in the community right away. It just kind of took off.”
Kraken Training Camps & 11 Career Games For Kraken
“The first thing I noticed was the facilities. How state-of-the-art they are and how well they did everything. The staff top to bottom were great. The way management has treated me and my family, and the things that they’ve done for me over my career, it’s a first class organization. They truly care about their people and players.”
What McCormick Will Miss – And What He Won’t
“The thing I’m most excited about is being able to plant roots down with my family in our hometown. Not having to move so much, so much uncertainty and all the travel. My plan is to be an assistant coach for my old high school hockey team.
“But I’m going to miss the competition, the camaraderie, the ups and downs, the pressure and everything that goes with it. There’s a lot I’m going to miss.
“I feel like I was part of a team that helped solidify hockey in the desert. I would like to think I helped build a culture there that will stick around for a long time. Hopefully they can continue to win and eventually bring a championship to the Valley.”
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