Springfield Falcons

Springfield Falcons
Springfield Falcons
Founded	1994
Home ice	MassMutual Center
Based in	Springfield
Colors	Blue, black, yellow, and grey
League	American Hockey League
Head coach	Steve Stirling
General manager	Bruce Landon
Owner	Springfield Pro Hockey, LLC

The Springfield Falcons are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, at the MassMutual Center.

Founded: 1994-1995

Arena: MassMutual Center (capacity 6,679)

Uniform colors: Blue, black, yellow, and grey

Logo design: A blue falcon holding a hockey stick in its talons.

Affiliate: Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL), Johnstown Chiefs (ECHL)

Division titles won: 2 (1995-96, 1997-98)

Regular season titles won: None

League championships won: None

Local Media: The Springfield Republican, www.masslive.com, WSHM-LP, WWLP, WGGB-TV

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. 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 1994-1995 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, currently the team captain of the Buffalo Sabres; Manny Legace, the franchise's all-time leading goaltender and Detroit Red Wings starter; and Rob Murray, the franchise's long-time captain and inspirational leader, and current assistant coach for the Providence Bruins. During the 2003-2004 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.

File:Sprfal95.gif

Original Falcons logo used from 1995-2003

Individual honors won by Falcons players have included the Baz Bastien Memorial Award given to the league's best goaltender (to Legace in 1996 and Scott Langkow in 1998), Briere winning the Red Garrett Memorial 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 defenseman 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 twelve seasons. It has subsequently been affiliated with the Phoenix Coyotes, and starting in the 2004-2005 season, exclusively with the Lightning.

On April 17, 2006, after posting a combined record of 52-90-6-12 over two seasons, the Falcons fired head coach Dirk Graham. [1] Former New York Islanders head coach Steve Stirling was named to replace him on May 22.

The market was previously home to: Springfield Indians (1926-1994)

Year-by-year record

Year	GP	W	L	T	OTL	SOL	GF	GA	PTS	Finish	Playoffs
2005-06	80	28	43	--	3	6	220	312	65	6th, Atlantic	Out of Playoffs
2004-05	80	24	47	3	6	--	161	255	57	Last, Atlantic	Out of Playoffs
2003-04	80	26	43	9	2	--	179	234	63	Last, Atlantic	Out of Playoffs
2002-03	80	34	38	7	1	--	202	243	76	4th, East	Lost in round 1
2001-02	80	35	41	2	2	--	213	237	74	4th, East	Out of Playoffs
2000-01	80	29	37	8	6	--	253	280	72	Last, New England	Out of Playoffs
1999-00	80	33	35	11	1	--	272	252	78	4th, New England	Lost in round 1
1998-99	80	35	35	9	1	--	245	232	80	3rd, New England	Lost in round 1
1997-98	80	45	26	7	2	--	278	248	99	1st, New England	Lost in round 1
1996-97	80	41	25	12	2	--	268	229	96	2nd, New England	Lost in round 3
1995-96	80	42	22	11	5	--	272	215	100	1st, Northern	Lost in round 2
1994-95	80	31	37	12	--	--	269	289	74	5th, Northern	Out of Playoffs