The extension provides significant stability for the T-Birds, Blues | TheAHL.com
Patrick WilliamsTheAHL.com Features Writer
President of the Springfield Thunderbirds Nathan Costa had a goal in October – to give his fans welcome news and start the season well.
On Friday, the Thunderbirds and the St.
“It’s nice to do it right before we start our season,” said Costa. “That was a goal for both sides. We managed to get there.”
Costa admits there was some concern from his fans. The city of Springfield has a history in the American Hockey League since its founding in 1936, but the market has been tested many times. Recently, too. The Thunderbirds themselves were born when the Springfield Falcons were sold and became the Tucson Roadrunners in 2016.
Being an independently owned franchise – in a league with 20 teams whose parents are the NHL – is another challenge.
“Obviously we’re getting questions about what the future looks like and what the current relationship looks like,” Costa said. “We were always optimistic, but without a strong extension, without certainty, there are many questions. We wanted to get rid of that a lot because of the things that have happened in this city over the years, not only with changing partners but also changing ownership groups.”
The partnership, which will go through at least 2030-31, ensures stability from the perspective of St. The Blues’ partnership with the Thunderbirds begins in 2020; their previous partnership with the San Antonio Rampage ended when that business was sold and relocated to Henderson. Springfield has offered an established fan base and one of the easiest travel plans in the AHL. Trips to Bridgeport, Hartford and Providence are all less than two hours. That means more practice and less time spent in hotels and airports.
“We all wanted it to work,” Costa said. “It was smart on both sides to lock something down for a long time so there’s certainty here for our fans and our city, but also for St. Louis.”
The Thunderbirds sat out the Covid-shortened 2020-21 season, then went to the Calder Cup final in 2021-22. It was the city’s first finals appearance since 1991, and the Blues’ first AHL appearance. Off the ice, the Thunderbirds won the President’s Award for team excellence in 2022. They have increased attendance every year, rising from 30th in the league in 2015-16 to 13th in 2023-24, where they have a club record. 20 for sale.
There are clear lines in the relationship between the Thunderbirds and the Blues. Along with his staff, Costa, a Springfield native who previously led the team’s Team Business Services office department, manages the Thunderbirds’ business operations, led by managing directors. Paul Picknelly. The Blues, with the general manager of the Thunderbirds Kevin Maxwell down in Springfield, carry a hockey product.
The mission of both sides is to build and grow a strong environment of St. Louis, with a competitive team on the ice and fan support built on a strong existing community. With the team’s future on solid ground, both sides can only focus on those goals. Instead of jumping to a fast start like the franchise in 2016 and then retreating, Costa has emphasized slow, steady growth.
“On the business side, as long as the team can compete and put a fun product on the ice and develop players and win games,” he said, “that’s all I can ask for.”
In the American Hockey League for two decades, TheAHL.com features writer Patrick Williams and currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor to SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for the league’s top scorer in 2016.
