Allentown, PA – Exactly four months after the team's formal introduction into the AHL, the Springfield Thunderbirds will begin their inaugural season, presented by MGM Springfield, on the road as they step into Allentown, Pa. to take on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Saturday at the PPL Center.

 

Springfield begins its 2016-17 season with a youthful group on its opening night roster.

 

Led by first-year AHL head coach and longtime AHL player and assistant coach Geordie Kinnear, the Thunderbirds will field a young lineup for the season's opening weekend, with 18 players under the age of 25. While the Thunderbirds are a young team at the skater positions, the squad will have no shortage of experience at the goaltending position, led by a trio of netminders that includes a pair of NHL and AHL veterans.

 

Mike McKenna begins his second stint in Springfield coming off of a 33-win season last season for the Portland Pirates, earning himself an AHL All-Star distinction. McKenna has won 82 AHL games in his last three seasons. Reto Berra joins the Thunderbirds with 53 NHL starts on his resume between the pipes, while 24-year-old Sam Brittain is fresh off a 30-save victory in an Oct. 7 preseason win over Providence.

 

The Thunderbirds were perfect in their two-game preseason set last weekend in Springfield, picking up a 2-1 overtime win over the Bruins and a 3-0 victory over the Hartford Wolf Pack on Oct. 8.

 

Coverage of Springfield's first game in the new AHL season can be heard in its entirety on NewsRadio 560 WHYN, as well as via web stream on AHL Live, with the "Voice of the Thunderbirds" Ryan Smith providing the play-by-play action. Mobile and tablet users can also access the game's radio broadcast via the iHeartRadio app. 

 

It will be a quick turnaround for Springfield following the debut on Saturday, as the Thunderbirds will travel to Bridgeport for a tangle with the Sound Tigers on Sunday at 3:00 p.m.

 

The Thunderbirds will open their home ice schedule at the MassMutual Center on Saturday, Oct. 22 for Opening Night presented by MGM Springfield against the St. John's Ice Caps. Preceding the game is the T-Birds Tailgate from 4-6 p.m. at Court Square, adjacent to the MassMutual Center. 

Opening Night packs are available, courtesy of Dunkin’ Donuts, for the first regular season home game in Thunderbirds history. Packages start at $75 and feature two Opening Night tickets, four ticket vouchers, a commemorative puck, and a $5 Dunkin’ Donuts gift card.

Interested in being part of the next era of AHL hockey in Springfield? Springfield Thunderbirds Season Ticket Memberships start as low as $12 per game and feature the most exclusive benefits, including a commemorative jersey. For more information, fans may call the Thunderbirds ticket office at (413) 739-GOAL (4625).