Thunderbirds Ready to Continue Rich Hockey Tradition in Springfield

The city of Springfield, Mass., has long been recognized as the City of Firsts.

It’s a city built on the foundations of innovation and resurgence, a place where countless ideas have been built, torn down and put back together in search for perfection. It’s where a gym teacher named James Naismith first introduced the world to a game he called “basket ball” and where Merriam Webster diligently penned the first American-English dictionary.

It is also within the fabric of this long, rich history that some of hockey’s earliest and strongest roots can be found. Long before they were the Thunderbirds, Springfield’s hockey team was known as the Indians, who first called Western Massachusetts home in 1926 when they were a part of the Canadian-American Hockey League.

“The hockey in this community is important for so many different reasons,” said Bruce Landon, who has worked with Springfield in nearly every facet, from player to co-owner, since 1977. “You can’t even imagine not having hockey in Springfield after having been here for so long… This team is going to be here for the long haul. We have smart hockey fans. They’ve been here a really long time and they understand the game.”

As Springfield’s latest American Hockey League franchise, and affiliate of the Florida Panthers, the Thunderbirds will look to build upon a storied history that includes seven Calder cup titles – from 1960-62, and again in 1971, 1975, 1990 and 1991.

“It’s what every body plays for,” said Landon, who won two championships as Springfield’s general manager in 1990 and 1991. “I don’t care what level you’re at; you compete to win; you compete to be the best. If we can ever bring another Calder Cup to this city and end this drought, it would be phenomenal, not just for our organization and the Panthers organization, but for the city as well.”

After the Falcons …

continue reading in source panthers.nhl.com