Springfield Thunderbirds

In May 2016, following the relocation of the Springfield Falcons to Tucson, Arizona, after the team was sold to the Arizona Coyotes, the AHL's Portland Pirates were sold to a Springfield-based group who relocated the franchise to Springfield for the 2016–17 season.[1][2]

The new owners were a consortium of local business interests seeking to keep hockey in Springfield, and included Paul Picknelly, owner of the Springfield Marriott and member of the family-owning Peter Pan Bus Lines, as well as several local hotel owners.[3] A team from Springfield has taken the ice in the AHL and its predecessors for all but seven years since 1926, and in every season since 1954.

The Thunderbirds inherited the Florida Panthers' affiliation with the Pirates. The Panthers assigned their assistant general manager, Eric Joyce, to be Springfield's general manager and named Geordie Kinnear as the new head coach.[4] The Thunderbirds also named Bruce Landon, the Falcons' and Indians' longtime president and general manager, as a consultant, while hiring AHL executive Nathan Costa as their executive vice-president in charge of business operations.[5] The team's new name was announced at a press conference on June 15, 2016. Team management explained that Thunderbirds invokes both the mythological Thunderbird and the United States Air Force presence in the region, such as the Barnes and Westover Air Reserve Bases.[6]

The Thunderbirds played their first game on October 15, 2016, a 4–2 loss to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Anthony Greco scored the first goal in team history. On October 22, 2016, the Thunderbirds played their home opener, a 5–4 win, against the St. John's IceCaps. Dryden Hunt scored the first goal on home ice, and MacKenzie Weegar scored the game-winning goal in overtime in front of a sellout crowd of 6,793. While the inaugural season did not result in a playoff berth, average attendance rose from 3,108 in the Falcons' last season to 4,618 and including three sellouts.

On February 17, 2018, it was announced that the Springfield Thunderbirds and the MassMutual Center would host the 2019 AHL All-Star Classic and Skills contest, to take place on January 27–28, 2019. This marked the first AHL All-Star Game in Springfield since 1959. MGM Springfield served as the host of the event.[7] The Western Conference was victorious in the skills competition, while the Central Division defeated the Atlantic Division in the championship game of the round-robin event. Both events were sold out.

On March 6, 2020, the Springfield Thunderbirds announced a five-year affiliation deal with the St. Louis Blues of the NHL starting from the 2020–21 season.[8] The affiliation with Florida did not yield any playoff appearances, but saw a number of players recalled to the NHL. The team had seen attendance rise in each of its four seasons. Drew Bannister was announced as the second head coach in team history coming from the Blues' previous affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage. However, due to the ongoing restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Thunderbirds were one of three teams that opted out of the 2020–21 AHL season.[9]

The market was previously home to:

• Springfield Indians (1926–1994)
• Springfield Falcons (1994–2016)

As of 2019–20 season.[11]

Single season

Goals: Anthony Greco, 30 (2018–19)

Goals by a Rookie: Owen Tippett, 19 (2019-20)

Power Play Goals: Paul Thompson, 9 (2018–19)

Short Handed Goals: Anthony Greco, 6 (2017–18)

Assists: Curtis Valk, 42 (2017–18)

Points: Curtis Valk, 62 (2017–18)

Penalty Minutes: Sena Acolatse, 147 (2016–17)

Appearances by a Goalie: Samuel Montembeault, 41 (2017–18)

GAA: Adam Wilcox 2.02 (2016–17)

SV%: Adam Wilcox (2016–17), Chris Driedger 2019-20, .932

Shutouts: Harri Sateri, 4 (2017–18)

Career

Games: 261, Anthony Greco

Penalty Minutes: 238, Paul Thompson

Goaltending Wins: 31, Samuel Montembeault

Shutouts: 4 Harri Sateri & Sam Montembeault

Goals: 85, Anthony Greco

Assists: 78, Dryden Hunt

Points: 157, Anthony Greco

Power Play Goals: 20, Dryden Hunt

Short Handed Goals: 16, Anthony Greco

• Springfield Thunderbirds Official Website