Thunderbirds Sell Out with Lucic Debut, Another Off-Ice Win for Springfield Hockey

The Springfield Thunderbirds once again proved that hockey in Springfield is thriving, both on and off the ice, as the team sold out the MassMutual Center for Milan Lucic’s debut last night. 

The excitement surrounding Lucic’s return to professional hockey created quite the buzz in Downtown Springfield, with a packed arena and a noticeable buzz surrounding Springfield hockey both in-person and online. Springfield lost to the Bridgeport Islanders 6-2 last night, in front of yet another sold out crowd of 6,793 at the MassMutual Center.

Springfield continues to establish themselves as one of the premier business operations in the American Hockey League. From creative marketing campaigns to strong community engagement, the franchise has consistently used big moments to build momentum. The addition of Lucic, even temporarily, was a perfect example of the team’s ability to continue to draw large crowds inside the MassMutual Center.

For the Thunderbirds, the night was about more than ticket sales, it was about brand building. Every sold-out crowd strengthens Springfield as a noticeable minor league market, drawing fans downtown and driving economic activity for nearby restaurants, bars, and hotels. The organization’s ability to connect with the community and  create on-ice success is another example of their consistent growth since returning to the AHL in 2016.

The Thunderbirds continue to show how strong management and smart marketing can make professional hockey a powerful economic driver for Western Massachusetts.

Packing the MassMutual Center: Springfield ranks 12th out of 32 AHL teams in attendance

By Zachary Baru

In a league of growing markets, and in a time when the AHL is no longer an NHL side show, the Springfield Thunderbirds are entering the end of the season on a high note at the box office.

Out of 32 American Hockey League franchises, the Springfield Thunderbirds rank 12th in attendance, averaging 6,272 fans per game, according to hockeydb.com, a website that collects attendance figures for all teams in the AHL.  For a relatively small AHL market, at a time when the league has expanded to larger cities in major arenas, the Thunderbirds are doing extremely well at the gate.

This is no surprise to Thunderbirds fans, as since the new franchise began in 2016-17, the team has seen a great deal of support in the stands.  Stemming from excellent marketing behind the scenes, an ownership group committed to the franchise, and experienced leadership, the Thunderbirds began their history with great momentum and never looked back.

This continued into last season, when the Thunderbirds played to 93.1 percent capacity during the 2023-24 season.  Ending that season, Springfield sold out 14 consecutive games at the 6,793-seat MassMutual Center.  This continued into the 2024-25 season, when the Thunderbirds sold out opening night as well, extending their sellout streak to 15 games across two seasons.  

This once again caused the team to add their live stream to linear TV, with opening night airing on Cozi TV in the Western Massachusetts television market.  The Thunderbirds have done this on a number of occasions throughout this current and previous seasons, making sold out games available on both streaming and linear TV.  This has been an effective strategy to make the games viewable to fans when tickets are no longer available, increasing fan engagement while also creating new ones.

The days of the AHL being mainly for medium-sized northeastern cities are long gone, but it is great to see Springfield keeping up with some of the larger markets in the league.  As the league continues to grow, the Thunderbirds have proved they aren't going anywhere, and they are alive and well continuing the rich tradition of hockey in Springfield.

Source: HockeyDB.com, American Hockey League

Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.  Zach also writes SportsBusinessBoston.com and SportsBizAmerica.com.