Calgary Wranglers eliminated by Coachella Valley Firebirds in AHL Pacific Division Final

The Calgary Wranglers’ inaugural season is over.

The Wranglers fell 6-5 in overtime on Friday to drop their Pacific Division Final series against the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the maximum five games. The Firebirds will take on either the Texas Stars or the Milwaukee Admirals in the best-of-seven AHL Western Conference Final.

After going blow-for-blow with the Coachella Valley Firebirds through 60 minutes in regulation, the Wranglers surrendered the series-winning overtime goal to Andrew Poturalski at the 7:00 mark of the first overtime period of Game 5 of their series at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, California.

Despite finishing the 2022-23 regular season as Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy champions with the American Hockey League’s top record, the Wranglers ultimately bowed out in the Final Eight after their predecessors, the Stockton Heat, advanced all the way to the Western Conference Final in 2022.

Kristians Rubins, Clark Bishop, Nick DeSimone, Jeremie Poirier, and Schwindt scored for the Wranglers in the Game 5 loss. League MVP Dustin Wolf allowed six goals on 41 shots in the season-ending defeat.

The Wranglers playoff run ends with Jakob Pelletier leading the club with 10 points through eight games and Wolf holding a 2.67 GAA and a .912 save percentage with one shutout through his nine appearances.