SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Springfield Thunderbirds will kick off their 2018-19 regular season slate when they take to the road and face the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. In advance of their season debut, the T-Birds unveiled their team makeup heading into the weekend.

 

Fans will be able to catch the season-opening game for free on the AHL's new streaming service, AHLTV. The game is viewable on any supported device or OTT platform, including:

 

The Thunderbirds' season-opening roster will feature 15 players who have previously suited up in T-Birds red, blue, and yellow. Among them is Paul Thompson, who earlier this week was named the second captain in franchise history. The former Penguin also captained the Chicago Wolves a season ago, scoring 24 goals and leading them to a playoff berth.

 

The Thunderbirds full roster as of Friday can be seen below:

 

GOALTENDERS:

 

DEFENSE:

 

FORWARDS:

 

The Thunderbirds enter their third AHL season seeking their first playoff berth, and their quest will begin against a Penguins team that has reached the Calder Cup playoffs in each of the past 16 seasons. The Penguins are still seeking their first Calder Cup championship.

 

On top of their experienced core, the Thunderbirds will also have plenty of young prospects looking to make a professional splash. Five players on Springfield's roster (Stillman, Ang, Bajkov, Repo, Borgstrom) have yet to see AHL action in their young careers, and among them, only Borgstrom has made his professional debut in North America, skating for the Florida Panthers in the final weeks of the 2017-18 season. Repo played professionally in his native Finland in 2017-18.

 

Springfield is also looking for its first ever season-opening win since their re-branding to the Thunderbirds in 2016-17. In his two seasons at the helm, head coach Geordie Kinnear has registered a record of 64-70-18, including winning records at the MassMutual Center each of the first two years.

 

After the season's opening game on Saturday, the Thunderbirds have a week to prepare for their first three-game weekend of the campaign. They will visit the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Friday, Oct. 12 for a 7:05 p.m. puck drop. Then the two clubs will return to Springfield for Opening Night, presented by MGM Springfield, on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 7:05 p.m. at the MassMutual Center.

 

The action begins with a pregame Block Party presented by Community Bank at 4 p.m. at MGM Springfield's outdoor plaza, featuring a live music performance by Top Shelf. The Thunderbirds complete the three-game weekend with Kids Opening Day against the Providence Bruins at 3:05 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 14. Tickets for all games are available at www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com.

 

Springfield Thunderbirds fans are encouraged to visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com to learn more about 2018-19 Thunderbirds Season Ticket Memberships. Packages include a wide range of benefits, including the lowest prices for the 2019 Lexus AHL All-Star Classic presented by MGM Springfield. For more information or to order now, call (413) 739-GOAL (4625) or visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com.