Springfield Falcons facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Springfield Falcons
City	Springfield, Massachusetts
League	American Hockey League
Founded	1994
Folded	2016 (now the Tucson Roadrunners)
Operated	1994–2016
Home arena	MassMutual Center
Colors	Blue, black, red, gray, white
General manager	Bruce Landon
Media	The Springfield Republican WHYN NewsRadio 560 WSHM-LD, WWLP WGGB-TV
Franchise history
1994–2016	Springfield Falcons
2016–present	Tucson Roadrunners
Championships
Division Championships	4 (1995–96, 1997–98, 2012–13, 2013–14)

The Springfield Falcons were a professional ice hockey team. They played in the American Hockey League (AHL). Their home city was Springfield, Massachusetts. They played their games at the MassMutual Center.

In 2016, the Falcons team was bought by the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Arizona Coyotes. The team then moved to Tucson, Arizona. They became the Tucson Roadrunners before the 2016–17 AHL season began.

The Falcons' Story

How the Falcons Started

The first Springfield Falcons logo, used from 1994 to 2003.

In 1994, the older AHL team, the Springfield Indians, was sold. It moved to Worcester, Massachusetts. There, it became the Worcester IceCats. Two former Indians players, Bruce Landon and Wayne LaChance, wanted a new team for Springfield. They got a new team for the 1994–95 AHL season.

The old "Indians" name was still protected. So, the new owners named the team the "Falcons." This name honored two local peregrine falcons, Andy and Amelia. The AHL wanted to keep a team in Springfield. The city had hosted a team almost every year since 1926. So, the new team was quickly approved.

The Falcons teamed up with two NHL teams. These were the Hartford Whalers and the Winnipeg Jets. This helped the Falcons get many players from the old Indians team. John Stevens scored the first goal for the Falcons. He was also a co-captain with Rob Murray.

Tavis Hansen and Daniel Briere playing against the Saint John Flames.

Some famous early Falcons players included Jean-Guy Trudel. He scored the most goals and points for the team. Daniel Briere later played for the Colorado Avalanche. Manny Legace was the team's best goalie. He later played for the St. Louis Blues. Nikolai Khabibulin was another goalie who won the Stanley Cup. Rob Murray was a long-time captain and a team leader.

In 2004, fans voted for the team's 10th Anniversary Team. They chose Briere, Trudel, Tavis Hansen, Brad Tiley, Dan Focht, and Legace.

Falcons players won many awards. Manny Legace and Scott Langkow won the Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award for best goalie. Daniel Briere won the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as rookie of the year. He was also a First Team All-Star. Brad Tiley won the Eddie Shore Award for best defenseman. Jean-Guy Trudel was a Second Team All-Star.

When the Whalers moved, the Falcons worked only with the Jets. This continued when the Jets became the Phoenix Coyotes in 1996. From 2004 to 2007, the Falcons worked with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The team finished first in its division twice. They made the playoffs six times in their first nine years. But after three seasons with Tampa Bay, they had nine losing seasons. So, they ended their partnership with the Lightning. On March 19, 2007, they announced a new partnership. They would work with the Edmonton Oilers from 2007 to 2010.

Working with the Edmonton Oilers

On August 3, 2007, the team hired Kelly Buchberger as head coach. He was a former Edmonton Oilers player. After one season, he was promoted to the Oilers' staff. On June 17, 2008, Jeff Truitt became the new head coach. He was fired in February 2009. Rob Daum took over. The Falcons had the worst record in the AHL that season.

On June 23, 2009, the Oilers said Daum would stay as coach for the 2009–10 season. From November 25 to January 1, the Falcons lost 17 games in a row. This was a team record. They ended the 2009–10 season as the worst team in the AHL again. Only Charles Linglet was a bright spot, named a Second Team All-Star.

On February 9, 2010, the Edmonton Oilers announced they would leave the Falcons. They moved their team to Oklahoma City.

Working with the Columbus Blue Jackets

On March 25, 2010, the Columbus Blue Jackets became the Falcons' new partner. They signed a one-year deal with an option for another year. The team also got a new jersey and logo. The new logo still had a falcon with a hockey stick. But the colors changed to grey, red, and navy blue. The Falcons also partnered with the ECHL team, the Evansville IceMen.

Rob Riley became the new head coach on August 3, 2010. He had coached at the United States Military Academy. The Falcons started the 2010–11 AHL season against the Providence Bruins. For the AHL's 75th anniversary, both teams wore old jerseys. The Falcons wore Springfield Indians jerseys. They won the first game 5–1.

On December 21, 2010, Charlie Pompea bought the Falcons. Bruce Landon remained a part-owner and general manager.

During the 2011–12 AHL season, the Falcons honored past Springfield teams. They wore special jerseys and celebrated old coaches and players. After the season, Rob Riley was fired. He had missed the playoffs for two seasons. Assistant coach Brad Larsen became the head coach for the 2012–13 season.

The 2012–13 AHL season was great for the Falcons. They made the playoffs for the first time since 2003. NHL players like Matt Calvert and Ryan Johansen helped them. Even after these players went back to the NHL, the Falcons stayed strong. Goalie Curtis McElhinney and forward Jonathan Marchessault played very well. Captain Ryan Craig also showed great leadership.

On April 6, 2013, the Falcons made the 2013 Calder Cup playoffs. This ended a nine-year playoff drought. They beat the Manchester Monarchs in the first round. All their wins were in overtime. But the Syracuse Crunch swept them in the second round. Jonathan Marchessault was named to the First All-Star team. Curtis McElhinney was a Second Team All-Star.

The 2013–14 Falcons set new team records. They won 47 games and earned 100 points. However, they lost in the first round of the playoffs. The Providence Bruins beat them in five games.

On February 4, 2014, Bruce Landon announced his retirement. He had been president, general manager, and co-owner since 1994. His daughter, Sarah Pompea, became the new team president.

Coach Brad Larsen was promoted to the Columbus team. On June 16, 2014, Jared Bednar became the Falcons' new head coach. He was joined by assistant coaches Nolan Pratt and Toby Petersen. In the 2014–15 season, the team won 11 games in a row. This was a new record. It helped them get back to first place in their division. But they missed the playoffs after a tough March.

Working with the Arizona Coyotes

On April 17, 2015, the Falcons and Arizona Coyotes announced a new three-year partnership. This was part of many team changes for the 2015–16 AHL season.

The Coyotes hired Ron Rolston as the head coach. Doug Janik and Mike Bavis were his assistants. Dustin Jeffrey was named a Second Team All-Star. The season was one of the worst for the team. They missed the playoffs for the 11th time in 13 seasons.

On April 19, 2016, the Arizona Coyotes bought the team. The Coyotes wanted to move the team to Tucson, Arizona. This would happen for the 2016–17 AHL season.

On May 4, 2016, the Portland Pirates announced they would sell their team. It was reported the Pirates would move to Springfield. This would happen after the Falcons moved.

The AHL approved the Falcons' sale and move on May 10. This depended on a deal with Tucson's city council. On May 17, the Coyotes and Tucson agreed on a lease. The team then became the Tucson Roadrunners. The Pirates' move to Springfield was approved on May 23. They became the Springfield Thunderbirds.

This city was previously home to:

• Springfield Indians (1926–1994)

Team Performance Highlights

The Springfield Falcons played for 22 seasons in the AHL. They won their division four times: in 1996, 1998, 2013, and 2014. They made it to the playoffs seven times. Their best playoff run was in 1997, reaching the third round. In 2013, they ended a nine-year playoff drought. They won a team record 47 games in the 2013–14 season.

Players and Honors

Retired Numbers

The Falcons honored special players by retiring their jersey numbers. This means no other player can wear that number for the team.

• No. 2: Eddie Shore
• No. 23: Rob Murray

Note: Former AHL President Jack Butterfield and Vice-President Gordie Anziano were also honored. They were long-time Springfield residents.

Team Awards

Each season, the team gave out special awards to players:

• The Jim Denver "Good Guy" Award
• The Al Lawrence Best Defensive Player Award
• The Florence Kurdziel "Unsung Hero" Award
• The Muriel Strauss Good Sportsmanship Award
• The Dick Casey True Grit Award
• The Ross Lowe Award as team MVP (Most Valuable Player)

Team Captains

• John Stevens, Rob Murray (co-captains) 1994–1996
• Rob Murray 1996–99
• Tavis Hansen 1999–01
• Jean-Guy Trudel 2001–02
• Rob Murray 2002-03
• Shane Willis 2004-05
• Ryan Craig 2005–06
• Norm Milley 2006–07
• Rick Berry 2007–08
• Tim Sestito 2008–09
• Dean Arsene 2009–10
• Ben Guite 2010–11
• Dane Byers 2011–12
• Ryan Craig 2012–15
• Craig Cunningham 2015–2016

Notable NHL Players Who Played for the Falcons

Many players who played for the Springfield Falcons later played in the National Hockey League (NHL). Here are some who played at least 100 games for the Falcons and 100 or more games in the NHL:

• Ramzi Abid
• Nikita Alexeev
• Frank Banham
• Goran Bezina
• Daniel Briere
• Matt Calvert
• Michael Chaput
• Taylor Chorney
• Martin Cibak
• Sean Collins
• Ryan Craig
• Jeff Daniels
• Devan Dubnyk
• Robert Esche
• Cody Goloubef
• Martin Grenier
• Ravil Gusmanov
• Nick Holden
• Jean-Francois Jacques
• Tomas Kubalik
• Scott Langkow
• Manny Legace
• Francois Leroux
• Trevor Letowski
• Scott Levins
• Marek Malik
• Jonathan Marchessault
• Steve Martins
• Maxim Mayorov
• Colin McDonald
• John Moore
• Rob Murray
• Theo Peckham
• Nolan Pratt
• Dalton Prout
• Liam Reddox
• Jay Rosehill
• Kirill Safronov
• David Savard
• Lukas Sedlak
• Robert Schnabel
• Rob Schremp
• Tim Sestito
• Wyatt Smith
• John Stevens
• Radoslav Suchy
• Nick Tarnasky
• Brent Thompson
• Shane Willis

AHL Hall of Fame Members

Some Springfield Falcons players were later inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame. This is a special honor for great players.

• Bryan Helmer
• Rob Murray
• Brad Smyth
• John Stevens

The team owner, Bruce Landon, was also inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame.

Team Records

Best Single Season Records

These are the best individual player records in one season:

• Goals: John LeBlanc, 39 goals (1994–95)
• Goals by a rookie: Daniel Briere, 36 goals (1997–98)
• Assists: Jean-Guy Trudel, 65 assists (2000–01)
• Points: Jean-Guy Trudel, 99 points (2000–01)
• Penalty minutes: Rob Murray, 373 minutes (1994–95)
• Goaltender appearances: Devan Dubnyk, 62 games (2008–09)
• Goals Against Average (GAA): Manny Legace, 2.27 (1995–96)
• Save Percentage (SV%): Curtis McElhinney, .923 (2012–13)
• Shutouts: Curtis McElhinney, 9 (2012–13)

All-Time Career Records

These are the top ten players with the most points in Falcons' history:

Other career records:

• Most penalty minutes: 1529 by Rob Murray
• Most goaltending wins: 64 by Manny Legace
• Most shutouts: 9 by Curtis McElhinney
• Most games played: 501 by Rob Murray
• Most goals: 94 by Ryan Craig
• Most shorthanded goals: 5 by Andrew Joudrey

Best Single Game Records

• Goals: 4 goals by Jean-Guy Trudel, Daniel Briere, Grant Potulny, Chad Wiseman, Jack Skille
• Points: 6 points by Chad Wiseman

NHL Teams the Falcons Worked With

The Springfield Falcons had partnerships with several NHL teams over the years:

• Hartford Whalers (1994–1997)
• Winnipeg Jets / Phoenix Coyotes / Arizona Coyotes (1994–2004, 2015–2016)
• Tampa Bay Lightning (2001–2003, 2004–2007)
• Edmonton Oilers (2007–2010)
• Columbus Blue Jackets (2010–2015)

Images for kids

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  The Original Springfield Falcons logo used from 1994 to 2003

• 

  Tavis Hansen and Daniel Briere score against the Saint John Flames

See also

In Spanish: Springfield Falcons para niños