SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Springfield Thunderbirds (14-3-2-0) return to home ice for matchups with the Toronto Marlies (9-6-1-1) on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. and against the Providence Bruins (8-5-3-1) on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. inside the MassMutual Center. Games this weekend will go on as scheduled.

Springfield completes a busy three-game weekend with a trip to face the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Sunday at 3:05 p.m. at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.

The Thunderbirds last played on Nov. 27 and picked up a 4-2 win over their division rival Hartford Wolf Pack to keep a hold of first place in the Atlantic Division standings. The club's .789 points percentage is second behind only the Utica Comets (.895) in the Eastern Conference through the first quarter of the regular season schedule.

Matthew Peca leads all active T-Birds skaters with 17 points on the season. Three Thunderbirds' top scorers have been recalled to the St. Louis Blues and contributed at the NHL level, including Nathan Walker, who picked up a hat trick in his first NHL game of the season on Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings. Walker had tallied 17 points (6g+11a) in 19 games with Springfield before his recall. 

Friday's matchup with the Toronto Marlies marks the T-Birds' first matchup against a North Division opponent in 2021-22. This comes after Springfield had played an exclusively Atlantic Division schedule through the first 19 games of the season. 

Toronto features an ex-Thunderbird between the pipes, as veteran Michael Hutchinson has split his time between the Maple Leafs and Marlies this season. He has posted a 2-2-2 record in the AHL this season with a 3.60 goals-against average and .894 save percentage.

Saturday marks the return of the annual Teddy Bear Toss presented by Teddy Bear Pools & Spas. The night doubles as the first home-ice matchup this season between the Thunderbirds and Providence Bruins. Springfield has won each of the first two contests against Providence, a pair of 4-1 victories at the Dunkin' Donuts Center on Oct. 24 and Nov. 10. 

Fans interested in participating in the Teddy Bear Toss are encouraged to bring new stuffed animals into the arena on Saturday night. When the T-Birds score their first goal, fans are instructed to throw the teddy bears onto the ice for collection and donation to local charities supporting underprivileged youth this holiday season.

For more information on the Springfield Thunderbirds and to order tickets, please visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com. To learn more about becoming a Thunderbirds ticket member, call (413) 739-GOAL (4625) to speak to a Thunderbirds representative