Springfield Falcons

Pro hockey team
text_color = #FCC200
bg_color = black
team = Springfield Falcons

logosize = 200px
city = Springfield, Massachusetts
league = American Hockey League
conference = Eastern Conference
division = Atlantic Division
founded = 1994
arena = MassMutual Center
colors = Black, Blue, White, Gold
owner = Springfield Pro Hockey, LLC
GM = Bruce Landon
coach = Jeff Truitt
media = The Springfield Republican
WSHM-LP, WWLP
WGGB-TV
affiliates = Edmonton Oilers (NHL)
Stockton Thunder (ECHL)
name1 = Springfield Falcons
dates1 = 1994 to present
reg_season_titles =
division_titles = 2 (1995–96, 1997–98)
conf_titles =
calder_cups = The Springfield Falcons are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, at the MassMutual Center.

History

In 1994, the longtime AHL Springfield Indians team was sold to interests that moved the franchise to Worcester, Massachusetts, to become the Worcester IceCats (now the Peoria Rivermen). Ex-Indian players Bruce Landon, then the general manager of the Indians, and Wayne LaChance, a local rink owner, secured an expansion franchise for Springfield for the 1995 season. The Indians name was still under trademark, so the new owners named the team after Andy and Amelia, a pair of nesting peregrine falcons that was a popular local civic symbol. The Falcons secured affiliation with both the Hartford Whalers and the Winnipeg Jets of the NHL, keeping continuity with the Whalers' affiliation of the previous few years. Veteran defenseman John Stevens (who shared the co-captaincy that first year with Rob Murray) scored the franchise's first goal.

Among the Falcons' notable players have included Jean-Guy Trudel, the franchise's leading career goal and point scorer; Daniel Briere; Manny Legace, the franchise's all-time leading goaltender and St. Louis Blues starter; Nikolai Khabibulin, the Chicago Blackhawks star goaltender; and Rob Murray, the franchise's long-time captain and inspirational leader, and current assistant coach for the Providence Bruins. During the 2004 season, Springfield fans voted on the Web for the team's 10th Anniversary Team, and selected Briere at center, Trudel at left wing, Tavis Hansen at right wing, Brad Tiley and Dan Focht on defense, and Legace in goal.

Individual honors won by Falcons players have included the Baz Bastien Award given to the league's best goaltender (to Legace in 1996 and Scott Langkow in 1998), Briere winning the Red Garrett Award emblematic of rookie of the year and a nod as First Team All-Star center in 1998, Tiley winning the Eddie Shore Award for the league's outstanding defenceman in 2000, and Trudel winning a Second Team All-Star award in 2000.

The team has finished in first place in its division twice and made the playoffs six times in its thirteen seasons. After the Whalers relocated to become the Carolina Hurricanes, the Falcons were subsequently affiliated exclusively with the Jets, and with their relocated successors, the Phoenix Coyotes. The team was affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning between 2005 and 2007.

On March 19, 2007, the team announced that given its ninth straight losing season, it was exercising its option to sever relations with the Tampa Bay Lightning to become an affiliate to the Edmonton Oilers, starting in the 2007–08 AHL season.

On June 17, 2008, assistant coach Jeff Truitt was named the team's tenth head coach.

This market was previously home to:
*Springfield Indians (1926–1994)

eason-by-season results

* Springfield Falcons 1994-Present

Regular Season

Playoffs

Team records

ingle Season

:Goals: 39 flagicon|CAN John LeBlanc (1994–95):Assists: 65 flagicon|CAN Jean-Guy Trudel (2000–01):Points: 99 Jean-Guy Trudel (2000–01):Penalty Minutes: 373 flagicon|CAN Rob Murray (1994–95):GAA: 2.27 flagicon|CAN Manny Legace (1995–96):SV%: .922 flagicon|USA Jean-Marc Pelletier (2003–04)

Career

:Career Goals: 90 Jean-Guy Trudel:Career Assists: 157 Rob Murray:Career Points: 242 Jean-Guy Trudel:Career Penalty Minutes: 1529 Rob Murray:Career Goaltending Wins: 63 flagicon|CAN Scott Langkow:Career Shutouts: 8 Manny Legace:Career Games: 501 Rob Murray

Notable players

Retired numbers

*#2: Eddie Shore
*#23: Rob Murray

"Note: Former AHL President Jack Butterfield and Vice-President Gordie Anziano, longtime Springfield residents, have been honored with banners raised with the retired numbers."

Notable NHL alumni

List of Springfield Falcons alumni that played more than 100 games in Springfield, and also played 100 or more games in the National Hockey League.

* Daniel Briere * Martin Cibak * Ryan Craig * Jeff Daniels * Manny Legace * Trevor Letowski * Scott Levins * Marek Malik

* Steve Martins * Rob Murray * Nolan Pratt * John Stevens * Radoslav Suchy * Brent Thompson * Shane Willis

External links

* [http://www.falconsahl.com Springfield Falcons Official Website]
* [http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/teamseasons.php?tid=304 The Internet Hockey Database - Springfield Falcons]