SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The Springfield Thunderbirds were recognized for their business excellence in a variety of departments at last month's AHL Team Business Meetings. More than 220 representatives from the league and its 32 member clubs gathered in Allentown, Pa. to discuss best practices and innovative ideas in several areas, including ticket sales, corporate sales, and marketing.

In addition, the American Hockey League also presented nine different Team Business Awards, which recognized superlatives in a number of different areas of the business as part of the Team Business Meetings.

For their season-long #WeAre413 campaign, the Thunderbirds organization took home the league award for Marketing Campaign of the Year. The Thunderbirds returned to the ice in 2021 after opting out of the 2020-21 shortened season. This campaign messaging’s goal was to speak to the pride felt by each and every resident of the greater Western Mass region, as well as the longstanding hockey history of the city.

This marks the second time the Thunderbirds have been recognized for having the Marketing Campaign of the Year. The club also received the award following the 2018-19 season for its #RiseUp campaign.

#WeAre413 got underway with the team’s return to the ice on October 16, with legendary NHL broadcast voice Mike “Doc” Emrick narrating the journey the Thunderbirds and the Springfield community experienced to get back on the ice. The full video can be viewed here.

"We wanted to establish a campaign that would speak to the rallying of our community for our triumphant return to play in 2021-22," said Thunderbirds President Nathan Costa. "#WeAre413 showcased our fans' passion for hockey and our players' shared goal of bringing the Calder Cup back to Springfield. By the time the Calder Cup Finals arrived, Springfield was the center of the AHL world thanks to the unwavering support of this community. This award further validates our belief that Springfield is one of the best hockey cities in this league."

In addition to the Marketing Campaign of the Year, the Thunderbirds achieved a pair of milestones in both the ticket sales and corporate sales departments. As part of the award recognition at the Team Business Meetings, AHL member clubs that hit benchmarks pertaining to tickets sold and corporate sponsorship revenue were honored.

The ticket sales team received honors for reaching 600 new Full Season Equivalents (FSEs) during the 2021-22 season, where one FSE equates to one full season ticket sold. The corporate sales department also reached a milestone in reaching greater than 83 percent in Corporate Cash Renewal. The Thunderbirds also set a new team record in total corporate revenue during the 2021-22 season. These two thresholds were all the more impressive considering the Thunderbirds' business shut down for the shortened 2020-21 season as the team opted out of play amidst the uncertainty of the pandemic.

"We are so proud of all that our sales teams have been able to accomplish this season," said Costa. "To come back from a lost year and still set new records for tickets and corporate sponsorship revenue is a task for which we are immensely proud. It was a truly historic season for the Thunderbirds both on and off the ice, and we cannot wait to see what's in store for 2022-23."

Fans can reserve their seats for the 2022-23 season by calling (413) 739-GOAL (4625) or visiting www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com.