The American Hockey League's Calder Cup Final is set with the Coachella Valley Firebirds facing the Hershey Bears, and two players with local ties will figure into the matchup.

Shaunavon's Kole Lind had two assists for the Firebirds as they beat the Milwaukee Admirals 4-3 on Monday to win the Western Conference Final four games to two. Lind, who was originally drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the 2017 NHL Draft, played 72 games with the Seattle Kraken's farm team this season, scoring 30 goals and 62 points and adding seven goals and 23 points to lead the team in playoff scoring. Lind also played 23 games with the Kraken in 2021-22, scoring two goals and eight points.

While the Firebirds will play for the Calder Cup in their inaugural season, the Bears will make their 24th finals appearance after a 4-2 win over the Rochester Americans in the Eastern Conference Final. Former Swift Current Broncos forward Beck Malenstyn is in his fourth season with the Washington Capitals' affiliate scoring six goals and ten points in 40 games with the Bears in the regular season and adding three goals and six points in the playoffs. Malenstyn, who was part of the Broncos' Ed Chynoweth Cup run in 2018, has also played 23 games with the Capitals, scoring two goals and three points.

Game one of the best-of-seven series will be in Palm Desert, California, on Thursday night.