WOW. @Firebirds' Kaden Hammell and @AHLWranglers' Alex Gallant interrupted Grant Fuhr's Keys To The Game with maybe the fight of the season in the AHL. #ahl #letsfly
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Recap: Wranglers take down Firebirds in back and forth battle
Photo credit: David Moll/Calgary Wranglers
Nov 24, 2025, 12:00 ESTUpdated: Nov 24, 2025, 02:16 EST
After beating the same opponent in their last games, the Calgary Wranglers and Coachella Valley Firebirds went head to head for a late afternoon game on Sunday. This is an ongoing rivalry for Calgary, and this game had a lot of action to report on. They were split on the season series going in, but the Wranglers managed to pull ahead with a 5-4 overtime win on the road.
Wranglers lines
Martin Frk – Rory Kerins – Matvei Gridin
Lucas Ciona – Justin Kirkland – Clark Bishop
Parker Bell – David Silye – Aydar Suniev
Alex Gallant – Carter King – Andrew Basha
Nick Cicek – Hunter Brzustewicz
Artem Grushnikov – Daniil Miromanov
Jeremie Poirier – Turner Ottenbreit
Owen Say
Game at a glance
The Wranglers switched up their netminder for this game, going with Owen Say for the start. On the Firebirds’ side, they started Nikke Kokko. Kokko just played in their win against the San Diego Gulls on Friday. There was still no William Stromgren for this game and all the same players that skated on Saturday also played in this Sunday game.
For the second game in a row, the Wranglers’ opponent scored on their first shot. Ty Nelson struck just 40 seconds into the game with a shot from the point. They got a few shifts in after this goal, then Kaden Hammell was called for interference at 1:59. At the same time this call was made, Alex Gallant and Hammell went toe to toe in a fight that Gallant got taken down in.
After this fight, the lines went in the blender. Alex Gallant went off to be evaluated and did not return to this game. Lucas Ciona, Ayar Suniev, Parker Bell, and Andrew Basha were all used interchangeably. It was really only the defensive pairings that remained consistent.
At 10:58, the Wranglers got on the board with a goal from Rory Kerins. His shot went in and out so quickly, his opponents didn’t process that he scored. The puck came off the back bar and straight out. Matvei Gridin picked up the lone assist.
Rory is too slick with it 🙂↕️
1:13 later, Nick Cicek gave Calgary the lead with his second goal of the season. He and Justin Kirkland came up on the rush and Kirkland got the puck up to Cicek for a tap-in at 12:11. Andrew Basha picked up the secondary assist.
The Winnipeg boys get it done!!!
Calgary looked like they were going into the first intermission with the lead, but the Firebirds managed to sneak another in at 19:24. J.R. Avon got one past Say off a rebound he snuck between his pads. At the end of the first, the Wranglers and Firebirds were tied 2-2. Shots were 12-10 for Calgary in the opening frame.
The second period continued the energy of the first, and at 6:43, David Silye took a slashing call, putting the Wranglers on the penalty kill. Just before this kill could succeed, the Firebirds scored with a goal from Eduard Sale at 8:22. This was another rebound that Say got burned on in deep.
A few minutes later, the Wranglers took it the other way when they were on the power play and Martin Frk scored off a rocket slap shot at 15:13. Matvei Gridin and Rory Kerins picked up the assists.
Frk's iconic shot 🎯
The rest of the period was mostly efforts coming from the Firebirds but they weren’t able to take back the lead. Towards the end of the period, the hatred between these teams showed itself after the whistles. At the end of two complete periods, these teams were tied 3-3. Shots in the second were 13-11 for the Firebirds.
In the third, the Wranglers wasted no time trying to get some control when Matvei Gridin took a low shot off the far post. Nick Cicek and Martin Frk assisted on this go-ahead marker.
a sneaky wrist shot from Gridin 💥
Calgary was on a power play shortly after but completely held off in shots during this man advantage. The Firebirds took some momentum back and managed to tie the game again at 10:33 with a deflection goal from Ben Meyers.
The Wranglers tried to solve this game in the remaining time in regulation but they could not break the tie by the end of 60 minutes. Shots in the third period were 11-8 and this game would need overtime to decide it.
Coachella Valley got the first shot on goal in the first 30 seconds of the extra frame. Calgary took it back and Martin Frk took a shot at 1:05 that Rory Kerins managed to push past the pads of Kokko and pick up the win. This fifth and final goal was also assisted by Daniil Miromanov.
RORY KERINS DELIVERS 🔥
The final score was 5-4 Wranglers and shots finished 35-33 for the Firebirds. Rory Kerins was named first star for his two goal, three point night and Matvei Gridin was named second star for his one goal, three point night.
Scoring stat summary
Rory Kerins – 2G, 1A
Matvei Gridin – 1G, 2A
Justin Kirkland – 1A
Daniil Miromanov – 1A
Martin Frk – 1G, 2A
Nick Cicek – 1G, 1A
Andrew Basha – 1A
Next up
The Wranglers are still on the road this next week with their next stop being in San Jose. They’ll play the Barracuda on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. MT.
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