The St. Louis Blues and Springfield Thunderbirds announced the extension of their affiliation agreement through the end of the 2030-31 season.
The deal further solidifies the long-term future of the American Hockey League in Springfield, one of the league’s charter cities.
And Blues coach Drew Bannister, who has been coach with the Thunderbirds (2021-24) before taking over the Blues on Dec. 12, 2023, feels the relationship has been positive since the Blues had their partnership with the San Antonio Rampage end when the Rampage were sold to the Vegas Golden Knights and relocated to Henderson, Nev.
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“Going from Texas from Springfield really fast-tracked some of our players, not only in the amount of time we were able to spend on the ice with our players because our trips, we had Hartford 30 minutes away, Bridgeport’s an hour and a half, Providence is an hour,” Bannister said. “You always had more time to practice, more skills days, more time off in the same sense. Guys spent the majority of their nights in their own bed where when we were in Texas, we were constantly in an airplane, in the air. Our days off were travel days. It was tough and that’s where I thought Springfield, the organization, the ownership there was outstanding and it was a real positive step for the development of our players.”
Springfield has greatly benefitted from the marriage.
“We are thrilled to continue our richly rewarding long-term partnership with the St. Louis Blues,” Thunderbirds president Nathan Costa said in a statement. “The Blues and Thunderbirds share similar core values regarding player and staff development and maintaining a deep commitment to their communities. Our collaboration has enabled us to grow our franchise both on the ice and throughout the region. We cannot wait to see the next generation of Blues stars hone their talents in Springfield in front of the best fans in the AHL.”
In the first three seasons as the Blues’ AHL affiliate, the Thunderbirds have experienced tremendous success on and off the ice. In 2022, the team captured the Richard F. Canning Trophy as Eastern Conference Champions, reaching the Calder Cup Final for the first time in club history. The T-Birds received the AHL President’s Award as Team of the Year that same year.
“On behalf of our local ownership group, we are proud to announce an extension of our affiliation agreement with the St. Louis Blues. I want to thank Blues chairman Tom Stillman, general manager Doug Armstrong and the Blues staff, as well as our president Nate Costa and his team, for building a culture of cooperation and success that is unparalleled within the AHL. This agreement will ensure that AHL hockey has a home in Springfield for many years to come,” Thunderbirds managing owner Paul Picknelly said in a statement.
The club built upon their success last season, posting a franchise-record 20 sellout games, including a 14-game sellout streak to end the campaign. 2023-2024 also marked the T-Bird’s eighth consecutive season of attendance growth (6,321 fans per game).
Since the start of the partnership, the Blues have also promoted several Springfield staff members to the parent club in St. Louis. Bannister became the first T-Birds coach to earn a promotion to an NHL bench
“Springfield provides a first-class environment for players in the Blues organization to develop on and off the ice and continue their progress toward the NHL in a well-established, supportive market with strong, experienced leadership,” Blues assistant GM Ryan Miller said in a statement.
In addition to Bannister’s rise to the NHL, 26 players have skated in games for both the Thunderbirds and the Blues, including Jake Neighbours, Zack Bolduc, Matthew Kessel, Joel Hofer, Scott Perunovich, and Zach Dean.
“This is an exciting day for both the St. Louis Blues and the Springfield Thunderbirds organizations,” Thunderbirds GM Kevin Maxwell said in a statement. “This agreement provides stability for our players and staff, and it will continue to offer our fans the chance to identify with our prospects and follow their careers as they graduate onto the Blues.”
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