Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 10/9/2015
SPRINGFIELD – In many ways, the 2015-16 season is one of change for the Springfield Falcons organization.
From new players to new promotions to new features at the arena, fans can expect a much-improved product this season, President Sarah Pompea promised.
“We’re really focusing on enhancing the fan experience at the MassMutual Center this year,” she said. “We’ve made some changes that I think people are going to be really happy about.”
Among the new features this year will be a block party celebrating the start of the season on Oct. 10. Before the season opener against the Hershey Bears, the Falcons will shut down a portion of Falcons Way from 4 to 6 p.m. for the event, which will feature live music, giveaways, kids’ activities, a beer garden and food specials.
“It’s just a way to help get people excited and to bring fans together to kickstart the season,” Pompea said.
The Falcons also recently released a preliminary promotional schedule, which Pompea said features many more events in the first half of the season than in years past when the promotions were backloaded.
Returning successful events include the Youth Baseball Night with Wally the Green Monster on Oct. 16 and an appearance by Rene Rancourt, who will perform the National Anthem on Dec. 19. The Falcons will also host a Boy Scout sleepover on Nov. 21, at which Scouts will stay for a postgame skate, movie on the giant video board and camp out on the ice.
Other promotions include Military Appreciation Night, a Halloween Party, Youth Football Night, Star Wars night, Girls and Women in Sports Day, the Greater Springfield Hockey League Jamboree and Superhero Night.
A schedule of events can be found at www.falconsahl.com.
“It should be noted that this is just our early schedule and more promotions will be announced as the season goes on,” she said. “There are a couple big things in the works right now, but we can’t say what they are just yet.”
In the arena itself, fans will be impressed by recent improvements, including a brand new video board – “The quality compared to the old one is night and day,” Pompea said – and new LED lighting fixtures.
The team also has a new public address announcer in Steve Forni of iHeartRadio after longtime voice Jon Peloquin retired after last season. Kevin Johnson returns for another season as the team’s in-game host.
On the concourse, additional food items are available through Center Plate, such as pulled pork sandwiches, and macaroni and cheese dishes, including buffalo chicken mac and cheese.
“We have a great partner in Center Plate and these new menu options put us at the forefront of what’s popular,” Pompea said, adding the Falcons staff was treated to a menu tasting recently and strongly approved of the new items.
In putting the on-ice product together, Director of Hockey Operations Bruce Landon said the transition to a new affiliate has been “seamless.”
The Falcons became the Arizona Coyote’s AHL affiliate after agreeing with former partner Columbus to end their agreement a year early in order to allow the Blue Jackets to move its AHL players Lake Erie, a much closer franchise in Cleveland, OH.
Arizona was previously affiliated with the Portland Pirates, who beat the Falcons out for the final playoff spot by one point. That agreement expired at the end of the 2014-15 season.
Making adjustments to personnel and effectively bringing an entirely new cast to Springfield was made easier by the Coyotes naming Darcy Regier senior vice president and assistant general manager. Regier, Landon and Springfield have a long history, dating back to Regier’s days as assistant GM of the New York Islanders and helped create the Springfield Indians team that won the Calder Cup in 1990.
“It really has been great working with the Arizona organization, starting with Darcy, because we have such a good history together,” Landon said. “There has been great communication between the two organizations.”
Arizona finished last in the NHL’s Pacific Division with a 24-50-8, but at the April 17 press conference announcing the new affiliation, Regier said the team had a long-range strategy for player development in order to pull itself out of the cellar.
National outlets have taken notice of the team’s apparent depth in its prospect pool. Hockeysfuture.com and ESPN recently ranked the organization high among the NHL’s top farm systems.
While Landon said it was too soon to tell exactly what the identity of the team would be, he said the players he has seen who could end up on the ice in Springfield come the start of the season include a stable of fast, young forwards complimented by strong puck-moving defensemen.
“I think you’re going to see a team that plays a high-tempo game,” he said. “There are some very quick guys up front and the defensemen have the ability to help them in transition.”
Top Arizona prospects anticipated to make an impact in Springfield include brothers Henrik Samuelsson, Tyler Gaudet, Lucas Lessio. Philip Samuelsson, brother of Henrik, is also in Springfield on defense, representing the Coyote’s top scoring defensive prospect from a year ago.
Craig Cunningham, who split the 2014-15 season between the Boston Bruins and Providence, and recently signed defenseman Corey Potter are veterans expected to make an impact.
“We have some veterans who have proven to be good players in the American Hockey League and some good prospects,” he said.
In net, the organization had “four guys essentially fighting for two spots here,” Landon said.
Louis Domingue was in camp with Arizona, but was recently sent down. He posted an 11-6-2 record, 2.68 goals against average and .908 save percentage last year in Portland. Niklas Teutle has been part of Springfield’s training camp after coming over from the German League, where he was 20-10-0 with a .923 save percentage and 2.06 goals-against average for Munich. Marek Langhamer, who was in the Arizona system last year, is looking to make his mark in professional hockey after three years in the major junior Western Hockey League. Tyler Beskorowany makes his return to North America after spending last year in Germany.
“We’ve got some depth at that position, which obviously is a benefit to the organization,” Landon said.