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Date: 7/13/2022
SPRINGFIELD – Following four seasons without playoff appearances, the Springfield Thunderbirds experienced a prosperous journey to their first Calder Cup Finals appearance during the 2021-2022 American Hockey League (AHL) season. The Thunderbirds’ success comes after the team opted out of the 2020-2021 season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Before their playoff run, the Thunderbirds posted their best regular season record yet with 43 wins and 24 losses. It was also a Springfield AHL team’s best record since 2013, which was previously achieved by the Springfield Falcons before the team relocated to Arizona in 2016. The Thunderbirds formed shortly after the Falcons’ departure and eventually became the AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues.
The 2021-2022 Thunderbirds clinched the second-place spot in the Atlantic Division and a bye week for the first round of the playoffs. The Thunderbirds then swept the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and the Charlotte Checkers in two 3-0 series before clashing with the Laval Rocket in the Eastern Conference Final.
The Thunderbirds ultimately overcame Laval in a tense 4-3 series before losing to the Chicago Wolves in the Calder Cup Finals. Despite falling short in the championship round, President of the Thunderbirds Nathan Costa said the experience was “amazing” for the organization and players.
“Obviously we would’ve loved to brought home the cup, but the year was a massive success on and off the ice. We are really grateful for the experience,” said Costa in an interview with Reminder Publishing.
Costa said the organization worked to lay out a strong foundation before the playoff run, which include planning local pre-game events and selling affordable ticket packages. Costa also acknowledged the efforts of the Spirit of Springfield and the Springfield Business Improvement District for creating additional buzz during the playoff run. The playoffs drew a variety of dedicated fans and newcomers alike.
“We were seeing people out at the rink that we haven’t seen in a long time. We were seeing a lot of new faces, a lot of young kids. It’s kind of a validation of all the work we’ve put in over the last five years…It just took everything we were doing on the business to another level,” said Costa.
The playoff run also strengthened the players’ connection to Thunderbirds and the city.
“Our players really embraced the playoff run and really embraced representing the city…Obviously, the main goal of these guys is to get to the next level and become a St. Louis Blue, but while they were here, [they] were really invested in who we are and being representative of Springfield and the greater area,” said Costa.
The Thunderbirds’ success stretched past their performance on the ice. President of The Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau Mary Kay Wydra shared that the teams’ run led to increased economic activity in Springfield.
“We were delighted to see our local Thunderbirds in the championship vying for the Calder Cup last month. Extending their normal season play meant additional room nights for our local hotels for the traveling team and their fans. The downtown businesses, bars and restaurants also saw increased activity on game nights,” said Wydra in a statement to Reminder Publishing.
Costa expressed pride in the team’s ability to serve as an “economic driver” for the city in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. The team’s lengthy playoff run provided two additional months of hockey games and events in Springfield.
“We take a lot of pride in that…Our ownership group, led by Paul Picknelly, had a vision of continuing hockey here in downtown Springfield. We always had a vision that this could be successful and we could be that economic driver,” said Costa.
Costa continued, “We’ve taken that [role] head-on since we took over in 2016. It wasn’t a real easy environment, obviously going through the [coronavirus]pandemic was a real challenge, but the support has continued to come back and grow since we’ve came back…As the year went on, there was more and more people coming out.”
Looking forward to next season, Costa said there’s one goal in mind.
“It’s going to be difficult to top [this season]. The only way to top it is to bring home that cup,” said Costa.