The Firebirds’ enforcer is coming back.
One of the few remaining Firebirds from their inaugural season in 2022-23, Ian McKinnon has signed a two-year AHL contract to stay with the team throughout the 2026-27 season.
McKinnon, the 27-year-old forward, is known for racking up penalty minutes and energizing the team with his penchant for dropping the gloves and duking it out with an opponent.
The Ontario native has racked up 417 penalty minutes over the course of 130 career AHL games. He appeared in 53 games for the Firebirds last year and had 11 points (six goals and five assists). Both the number of games played and points scored were the most of any of his three seasons as a Firebird. He had 141 penalty minutes during the 2024-25 season, the next closest Firebird had 48.
“We are excited to bring Ian back into the fold in our organization,” said Troy Bodie, Vice President of Hockey Operations for the Firebirds. “Ian has been a role player for this team dating back to our inaugural season and has been an important part of our culture. He is a known member of our community, both on and off the ice, and we are looking forward to having him in our corner over the next two seasons.”
Free agency: The free agent period begins Tuesday for all NHL teams and the Firebirds have five free agents that are in play to be plucked by another franchise or re-signed by the Kraken. Those five are forwards Luke Henman and Brandon Biro as well as defensemen Gustav Olofsson, Max Lajoie and Nikolas Brouillard.
The Kraken have already re-signed Firebirds John Hayden, Cale Fleury and Ben Meyers this offseason, keeping them out of free agency.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Coachella Valley Firebirds re-sign Ian McKinnon, a member of the team since its inception
Reporting by Shad Powers, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
