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43-631: 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. The new owners were a consortium of local business interests seeking to keep hockey in Springfield, and included Paul Picknelly, owner of

86-554: A team record for wins (47) and points (100). They suffered a first round defeat in the playoffs at the hands of the Providence Bruins in five games. On February 4, 2014, the Springfield Falcons announced that Bruce Landon would be retiring. Landon had served as president, general manager and co-owner since 1994. He remained with the team as director of hockey operations. Sarah Pompea, the daughter of owner Charlie Pompea,

129-753: A three-year affiliation agreement. This was part of change of affiliations for the 2015–16 season where Columbus would have their AHL team in Cleveland , the Colorado Avalanche in San Antonio and the Florida Panthers would be tied to the Portland Pirates . The Coyotes hired Ron Rolston as the team's head coach, with Doug Janik and Mike Bavis as his assistants for the 2015–16 season . Dustin Jeffrey

172-644: The Baz Bastien Award given to the league's best goaltender (to Legace in 1996 and Scott Langkow in 1998), Briere winning the Red Garrett Award emblematic of rookie of the year and a nod as First Team All-Star center in 1998, Tiley winning the Eddie Shore Award for the league's outstanding defenseman in 2000 and Trudel winning a Second Team All-Star award in 1999–00. After the Whalers relocated to become

215-749: The Carolina Hurricanes , the Falcons were subsequently affiliated exclusively with the Jets, an affiliation that continued when that team became the Phoenix Coyotes in 1996. The team was then affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning between 2004 and 2007 . The team had finished in first place in its division twice and made the playoffs six times in its first nine seasons. However, after three seasons affiliated with Tampa Bay and nine straight losing seasons,

258-654: The Manchester Monarchs in the first round three games to one, with all of their wins coming in overtime. The Falcons playoff run came to an end at the hands of the Syracuse Crunch , as the Crunch swept the Falcons out of the playoffs in their second round matchup. Winger Jonathan Marchessault was named to the First All-Star team, while goaltender Curtis McElhinney was named a Second Team All-Star. The 2013–14 Falcons set

301-593: The National Hockey League : List of Springfield Falcons alumni later inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame . In addition, team owner Bruce Landon was also inducted into the AHOF. These are the top ten scorers in Falcons' history. Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points Jack Butterfield (ice hockey) John Arlington Butterfield (August 1, 1919 – October 16, 2010)

344-737: The Providence Bruins . To honor the 75th anniversary of the AHL, each team wore throwback jerseys from 1936. The Bruins wore the jerseys of the Providence Reds while the Falcons wore the jerseys of the Springfield Indians . The Falcons won the first game in Providence 5–1, while the Bruins took the following game in Springfield 6–5. On December 21, 2010, it was announced that the Falcons had been sold to Charlie Pompea, while Bruce Landon remained

387-759: The Springfield area, where they remain to this day. Butterfield guided the AHL through the 1970s, helping the league survive several rounds of NHL expansion and the appearance and disappearance of the WHA. Elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1980 in the Builders' category, Butterfield twice won the James C. Hendy Memorial Award as the AHL's outstanding executive (1971, 1984) and the NHL's Lester Patrick Trophy in 1985 for service to hockey in

430-545: The United States . He was further honored by having the award for the most valuable player in the AHL playoffs named after him in 1984 and being named as one of the inaugural members of the AHL's Hall of Fame in 2006. Butterfield was also the first recipient of the Thomas Ebright Memorial Award in 1998 for outstanding contributions to the AHL. "The American Hockey League would not exist today were it not for

473-677: The United States Air Force presence in the region, such as the Barnes and Westover Air Reserve Bases . 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

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516-524: The United States Hockey League before returning to the Indians, serving as a rink manager and trainer before rising to become the team's general manager. He was the general manager when the Indians won three consecutive Calder Cup championships in 1960, 1961 and 1962, a feat as yet unmatched in the AHL. Upon becoming AHL President in 1966, Butterfield was instrumental in establishing the AHL as

559-662: The University of Alberta and being wounded in action while serving as a Wellington bomber pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force in World War II , and before serving as a league official, Butterfield worked for his uncle Eddie Shore 's New Haven Eagles and Springfield Indians teams as a public relations executive and trainer. He subsequently held management positions in the Pacific Coast Hockey League and

602-410: The 2009–10 season. From November 25 to January 1, the Falcons went on a franchise record 17-game losing streak, recording only five points in that span. The Falcons finished the 2009–10 season as the worst team in the AHL once again, and was the only team that did not win at least 30 games. The lone bright spot from the season was Charles Linglet being named a Second Team All-Star. On February 9, 2010,

645-543: The 2014–15 season, the team set a franchise record with 11 consecutive wins. The streak lasted from November 14 through December 6, and propelled the Falcons back into first place in the Northeast Division. However, a poor March cost the team as they missed the playoffs, finishing in ninth place in the Eastern Conference. On April 17, 2015, the Springfield Falcons and Arizona Coyotes announced that they had reached

688-545: 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. 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,

731-518: The 2030–2031 season. The market was previously home to: Updated November 22, 2024. Note: Shore's number was retired by the Springfield Indians, and Murray's by the Springfield Falcons; the Thunderbirds continue to honor both numbers. Former AHL president Jack Butterfield and vice president Gordie Anziano, longtime Springfield residents, as well as former Indians' general manager and Falcons founder Bruce Landon , and Willie O'Ree ,

774-603: 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 . In the 2021-22 AHL season, with COVID restrictions lifted and the Thunderbirds having by far their best season, they led the Atlantic Division with a 43-26-4-3 record, with a team record average attendance of 5,375. They made

817-520: The Edmonton Oilers announced that they were severing ties with the Springfield Falcons to move their affiliation to Oklahoma City , a decision that had been expected for months. On March 25, 2010, the Columbus Blue Jackets announced a one-year affiliation agreement with a one-year option. Also introduced was a new jersey and logo. The new logo still had a falcon holding a hockey stick, but

860-494: The Falcons continued to stay at the top of the standings. All-Star play from goaltender Curtis McElhinney and forward Jonathan Marchessault , as well as veteran leadership from team captain Ryan Craig , helped guide the team to a first-place finish in the Northeast Division. On April 6, 2013, the Falcons qualified for the 2013 Calder Cup playoffs , ending a nine-year playoff drought, the longest in AHL history. The Falcons defeated

903-533: The Falcons' franchise was purchased by the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Arizona Coyotes and relocated to Tucson, Arizona , before the start of the 2016–17 AHL season . In 1994, the longtime AHL Springfield Indians team was sold to interests that moved the franchise to Worcester, Massachusetts , to become the Worcester IceCats (now the Abbotsford Canucks ). Ex-Indian players Bruce Landon , then

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946-523: The Oilers staff. On June 17, 2008, assistant coach Jeff Truitt was named the team's tenth head coach. He was fired in February 2009, after 50 games, and replaced by former Houston Aeros coach Rob Daum. The Falcons finished the 2008–09 season with the worst record in the AHL. On June 23, 2009, Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini announced that Daum would remain the head coach of the Springfield Falcons through

989-591: The Springfield Sheraton and member of the family-owning Peter Pan Bus Lines , as well as several local hotel owners. 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

1032-471: The Springfield Thunderbirds announced a five-year affiliation deal with the St. Louis Blues of the NHL starting from the 2020–21 season. 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

1075-530: The background was changed to grey, the word Falcons to red, and the word Springfield to navy blue. The new ECHL affiliation was with the Evansville IceMen . Rob Riley , the former head coach at the United States Military Academy , was named the new head coach of the Falcons on August 3, 2010, replacing Daum. The Falcons opened the 2010–11 AHL season with a home-and-home matchup against

1118-531: The first African American to play in the AHL, have been honored with banners raised with the retired numbers. Players playing at least 100 games in Springfield and 100 games in major leagues. Springfield Falcons The Springfield Falcons were a former ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) and played in Springfield, Massachusetts , at the MassMutual Center . In 2016,

1161-407: 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

1204-590: The franchise's all-time leading goaltender and former St. Louis Blues starter; Nikolai Khabibulin , former Stanley Cup winning goalie; and Rob Murray , the franchise's long-time captain and inspirational leader. During the 2004 season , Springfield fans voted on the Web for the club's 10th Anniversary Team, and selected Briere at center, Trudel at left wing, Tavis Hansen at right wing, Brad Tiley and Dan Focht on defense and Legace in goal. Individual honors won by Falcons players during their first thirteen seasons included

1247-492: The general manager of the Indians, and Wayne LaChance, a local rink owner and former member of the Springfield Kings , secured an expansion franchise for Springfield for the 1994–95 season . The Indians name was still under trademark, so the new owners named the team after Andy and Amelia, a pair of nesting peregrine falcons that was a popular local civic symbol. The AHL, which was headquartered in nearby West Springfield ,

1290-472: The minority owner, and continued to be the president/general manager. During the 2011–12 season , the Falcons honored the Springfield hockey teams that had won the Calder Cup, wearing commemorative jerseys for those games, and honoring former coaches and players in pre-game festivities. Following the season, Rob Riley was fired as head coach after two seasons of missing the playoffs. Assistant coach Brad Larsen

1333-424: The new head coach. 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. 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

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1376-626: The pending sale and relocation of the Falcons franchise. The AHL Board of Governors conditionally approved of the sale and relocation of the Falcons on May 10, pending approval of a deal through Tucson's city council. On May 17, the Coyotes and the Tucson city council came to terms on a lease agreement for the 2016–17 season to meet the conditions of the AHL approval. The team became the Tucson Roadrunners . The Pirates' sale and relocation to Springfield

1419-472: The players who had played for the Indians the previous season. Veteran defenseman John Stevens (the last captain of the Indians, who shared the co-captaincy that first year with Rob Murray ) scored the franchise's first goal. Among the Falcons' early notable players were Jean-Guy Trudel , the franchise's leading career goal and point scorer; Daniel Briere of the Colorado Avalanche ; Manny Legace ,

1462-712: The playoffs for the first time, sweeping the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and the Charlotte Checkers in the first two rounds before winning the third against the Laval Rocket in seven games. In the Thunderbirds' first Calder Cup Finals appearance, they were defeated by the Chicago Wolves in five games. On October 4, 2024, the Thunderbirds renewed their affiliation agreement with the St. Louis Blues through

1505-529: The primary minor league for the National Hockey League through restructuring of the basic affiliation agreement with the NHL. This agreement would help the league survive when expansion and the World Hockey Association came into being, and Butterfield's acumen became respected enough so that his views were sought by the NHL Rules Committee. He was responsible for moving the league offices to

1548-552: The team announced that it was exercising its option to sever relations with the Lightning. On March 19, 2007, they announced an affiliation with the Edmonton Oilers beginning in the 2007–08 season until the conclusion of the 2009–10 season . On August 3, 2007, the team hired former Edmonton Oilers player Kelly Buchberger to be the head coach. After posting a .500 record, the Oilers promoted Buchberger to be an assistant coach on

1591-502: The team. The Coyotes had been in negotiations to relocate the franchise to Tucson, Arizona , for the 2016–17 season and join the other AHL Pacific Division teams created in the previous season. On May 4, 2016, the Portland Pirates announced that it had signed a letter of intent with an outside buyer to sell and relocate the franchise for the 2016–17 season . It was reported that the team would be relocated to Springfield following

1634-480: Was a Canadian professional ice hockey administrator and the president of the American Hockey League , serving the longest tenure of any AHL executive (28 years, from 1966 to 1994). After his retirement as president, he served as the AHL's chairman of the board until his death and continued to oversee the creation of the annual regular-season schedules for the league. He was born in Regina , Saskatchewan . After leaving

1677-547: Was approved on May 23, to subsequently become the Springfield Thunderbirds . This market was previously home to: Note: Former AHL President Jack Butterfield and Vice-President Gordie Anziano, longtime Springfield residents, were honored with banners raised with the retired numbers. At the end of each season, the team awarded individual players with: List of Springfield Falcons alumni who played at least 100 games in Springfield and played 100 or more games in

1720-535: Was keen to maintain a presence in a city that had hosted a team in the AHL or its predecessors for all but nine years since 1926, and readily granted an expansion franchise to Landon and LaChance. The Falcons secured affiliation with both the Hartford Whalers and the Winnipeg Jets of the NHL. Since the Indians had been the Whalers' top affiliate in their last few years, this allowed the Falcons to secure most of

1763-501: Was named a Second Team All-Star, although he finished the season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins after being traded at the trade deadline. The season was one of the worst in franchise history and marked the 11th time in 13 seasons that the club missed the playoffs, finishing with the second lowest points percentage in the AHL and the most regulation losses. On April 19, 2016, the Arizona Coyotes signed an agreement to purchase

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1806-456: Was named head coach for the 2012–13 season. The 2012–13 season , beginning with the 2012–13 NHL lockout , saw the Falcons make the playoffs for the first time since 2003. With help of NHL players Matt Calvert , Cam Atkinson , Ryan Johansen , John Moore and Tim Erixon , the Falcons were able to take an early lead in both the Northeast Division and the Eastern Conference. When the NHL lockout ended and these players were called up to Columbus,

1849-476: Was named the new team president. While it was initially announced that the entire coaching staff would return to Springfield for the 2014–15 season , head coach Brad Larsen was promoted to an assistant coach in Columbus. On June 16, 2014, Columbus announced that Jared Bednar would become head coach and he continued to be joined by assistant coach Nolan Pratt , in addition to first year assistant Toby Petersen . In

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