LGBTQ+ athletes are adding inclusivity and advocacy to the desert’s hockey explosion.
The Coachella Valley Firebirds debuted at Acrisure Arena in late 2022, becoming the first full-time professional sports team in the 760—turning many locals into diehard hockey fans in the process. The Firebirds, plus the new ice rink and arena, led to the creation of leagues and teams, including the new LGBTQ+ Coachella Valley Pride Hockey Association.
Since co-founders Bob Tranchida and Paul O’Kane formed the organization, it has hosted an annual Palm Springs International Pride Hockey Tournament. In October, the organization kicked off the inaugural season of the Coachella Valley Pride Hockey League, featuring 60 players, four teams and games on most Friday nights through April. Catch the four teams battle it out at 9 p.m., Friday, Oct. 30, and Nov. 13 and 20, at the Berger Foundation Iceplex in Palm Desert.
“Bob and I actually met in 1998 at a gay hockey tournament in Toronto,” O’Kane said during a recent phone interview. “We met, fell in love, got married and even had a kid. Fast-forward 20-some-odd years, and we’ve been involved with gay hockey our whole lives, and we know a lot of people around North America who are involved in those leagues.”
When the new American Hockey League team arrived in the Coachella Valley, Tranchida and O’Kane were inspired to bring LGBTQ+ hockey to the desert.
“We got a hold of maybe five or six people who were interested in playing hockey, and we worked toward holding this Palm Springs International Pride Hockey Tournament that took place in 2023,” O’Kane said. “That was a really successful tournament. The Firebirds were a presenting sponsor, and we had an amazing time.”
After winning a division title in the Berger Foundation Iceplex’s adult rec league with a team of gay players and allies, the duo decided to recruit new players to the sport.
“We had this idea for a learn-to-play program, and we started going out, getting used equipment, and trying to teach players how to play,” O’Kane shared. “The One Valley Foundation (the Firebirds’ charitable arm) said, ‘Hey, let us help you with this, and let us hold a learn-to-play program,’ and they covered a lot of the cost. We had 25 players; (the new players) paid $99, got all their equipment, and four lessons from the Iceplex staff. From that, we grew.”
After two learn-to-play programs sponsored by the Firebirds, and a third funded by community members and local businesses, the number of Coachella Valley Pride Hockey athletes grew to 60. Three teams played in the mainstream Coachella Valley Adult Hockey League in 2025-2026, but with the addition of a fourth team for the 2026-2027 season, the Coachella Valley Pride Hockey League was born. The Pride Hockey League eliminates the homophobia and unsafe playing conditions often found in sports leagues.
“It provides a real, safe place for people to play hockey without fear of all the usual stuff you get with locker rooms and with sports in general, and it really builds a great sense of community for all of us,” O’Kane said.
Added Tranchida: “We know the whole locker room dynamic. … It was a very intimidating environment to try to start. Part of our mission was to promote hockey, promote it within a safe space, and give people who have always wanted to play an opportunity. We see all these people, especially trans people, who now feel comfortable enough to play in a safe space. Many of them have said it’s changed their lives or even saved their lives.”
Local LGBTQ+ players have even encountered negativity during local adult rec games.
“The Berger Foundation Iceplex has our backs, and they’re incredibly supportive, but they can’t control every single person on the ice,” O’Kane said. “While a majority of players in the local hockey leagues are vastly supportive of us, we still did have some negative experiences, and people did feel some sense of homophobia.”
In a league entirely for LGBTQ+ athletes and allies, Tranchida and O’Kane can set the tone.
“We can hire the refs, and we can dictate the control of the games, and more importantly, we control punishment or any kind of suspension, so we can make sure that if people are experiencing a negative experience, we can stop it,” O’Kane said.
Tranchida gave a special shoutout to Tod Leiweke, president and CEO of the Seattle Kraken, the National Hockey League team under which the Firebirds operate.
“He’s been very supportive, and the Firebirds have been very supportive,” he said. “They have been the annual sponsor of our tournament for four years. They donated money; they’ve donated materials and assets to help us with funding and fundraising and raffles like jerseys. They’ve had pride nights where they had us participate and do fundraisers. They’ve done in-house marketing during games for us to support our tournament. They have been a partner with us all along the way.”
O’Kane said Coachella Valley Pride Hockey has not been immune to economic struggles—and an increase in anti-DEI sentiment.
“With the popularity of hockey, everyone is sharing this one sheet of ice, and we just can’t get enough ice time to grow.”
Paul O’Kane, on the valley’s only ice rink, berger foundation iceplex
“Over the last year, we have seen a reduction in all corporate sponsorship, and that’s in line with the LGBT community in general across the board,” he said. “Large organizations have pulled back a little bit, maybe because of the economy.”
The league is facing another challenge: The Berger Foundation Iceplex is the only rink in the valley.
“With the popularity of hockey, everyone is sharing this one sheet of ice, and we just can’t get enough ice time to grow,” O’Kane said. “If we could only get our city governments to start thinking about ice rinks as part of the infrastructure of our community, it would be great. I guess our next move is going to be a marketing campaign to try to get another ice rink built in the Coachella Valley, because there’s a need for it.”
O’Kane said that, without another rink, hosting another learn-to-play program becomes questionable.
“We brought 28 amazing individuals into hockey, and they’re so motivated, and they’re working really hard … so the question is, do we fundraise?” he said. “(About) $28,000 is what it costs to do this (learn-to-play) program, and if we bring them through, do we have a place for them to play? The Iceplex has been very supportive of getting us ice time for those four teams, but if we grow to six teams, is there ice time for us? I think we’ll probably do it, and we’ll push through and we’ll try to find the ice time, but that is becoming our biggest challenge for growth.”
Another challenge is the aforementioned anti-DEI sentiment. In April, USA Hockey enacted a participant eligibility policy for its leagues which states that “in all programs where participation is restricted by sex, athletes are only permitted to participate in such programs based on their sex assigned at birth”
Said O’Kane: “It’s another reason why we’re forming our own league, so that we can (avoid) that USA Hockey requirement, and make sure that trans players aren’t discriminated against.”
Tranchida mentioned that when the Los Angeles Kings hockey team last season decided against having a dedicated pride night, CV Pride Hockey took action.
“We had to have conversations with the Los Angeles Kings about why the cancellation of their pride night was so impactful and was such a negative message to the LGBTQ+ community,” Tranchida said. “They did not understand that. We spent a couple hours on the phone with them, and through those conversations as representatives of CV Pride Hockey, we got them to change their policy, and now they’re going to have a pride night this year. Little things like that are important, and we are constantly educating even our allies and our advocates around key points and key things that are important to our community.
“All you’ve got to do is go out on Instagram or social media whenever the Firebirds post anything related to pride nights, and read the comments, and look at all the hatred. That’ll tell you everything you might need to know about why organizations like this exist.”
Coachella Valley Pride Hockey league games take place at 9 p.m., most Fridays through April 9, 2027, at the Berger Foundation Iceplex, at 75702 Varner Road, in Palm Desert. Parking and admission are free. For more information, visit www.palmspringsgayhockey.org.
