Page 4 - BusinessWest August 8, 2022

4 AUGUST 8, 2022 FEATURE BusinessWest
High Flight
Thunderbirds Seek to Build off Momentum from a Memorable Season
The Springfield Thunderbirds soared to new heights during the 2021-22 season, making
the playoffs for the first time
in their existence and taking Springfield to the championship round of the playoffs for the first time in three decades. As the franchise enters what will be an abbreviated offseason, it does so with momentum and
a championship-caliber team
to sell to a more engaged fan base, and management is laser- focused on taking full advantage of this opportunity.
WBy George O’Brien
ithin the pantheon of ‘good problems to have,’ specifically in the world of professional sports, it doesn’t get much better than this. Although, yes,
it does get a little better.
Indeed, after a lengthy playoff run that took
the team to within a few wins of a Calder Cup, the Springfield Thunderbirds are looking at a short offseason — as in two full months shorter than the norm.
That’s a problem, said team President Nate Costa, because there’s a lot to do before the 2022-23 season starts, from season-ticket sales to scheduling promotions to lining up special guests and programs. But it’s a good problem, obviously, because of everything that happened during those aforementioned two months and what they mean to this franchise, and this brand, moving forward.
What happened, said Costa, is that the Thun- derbirds, the franchise that brought pro hockey back to Springfield in 2016 after a brief time with-
Nate Costa with the AHL’s Eastern Conference Championship trophy and his AHL Finals jersey.