On the heels of their remarkable run to within one game of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Springfield Thunderbirds have reason to believe the carryover effect from their postseason success is very real heading into the 2026-27 campaign.

Here are five things I will be more excited to see as we sit four weeks out from Opening Night inside the Thunderdome.

1: The Effect of Steve Ott for a Full Season

It is undeniable the impact that Steve Ott had on his team when he arrived in mid-January. A brand new leading voice in a dressing room does not always guarantee a turnaround in a team’s fortunes, but it was clear that Ott’s confidence in the group rubbed off on the T-Birds and their play in the back half of the regular season and into the postseason. 

From the time Ott took over on Jan. 19, Springfield’s statistical metrics improved in just about every category, highlighted by more than half a goal per-game improvement both offensively (2.63 goals for per game in 38 games before Ott took over vs. 3.15 goals per game after) and defensively (3.66 goals allowed per game before Ott vs. 2.97 after). 

After signing his two-year contract extension in the offseason, Ott now has the opportunity to run his own training camp and install his systems and structures from the onset of an AHL season. After already proving himself as a motivator for young players and veterans alike, the continuity that will come from Ott having an extended period to implement his style – the “X’s and O’s” – on a new roster should provide the T-Birds a terrific opportunity to come out of the gates firing. 

2: Confidence Carrying Over in Net

There may be no better case study in Ott’s belief and confidence in his group than the boost he received from his masked men between the pipes. After being thrust into a win-or-go-home Game 2 in Charlotte in the playoffs’ opening round, Georgii Romanov quickly showcased what made him an NHL netminder in his earlier days with the Sharks organization. 

Romanov’s regular season was unpredictable, as the T-Birds backstop won just nine of his 24 decisions and posting a 3.29 goals-against average and .896 save percentage. He, in essence, was the T-Birds’ third goaltender on the depth chart heading into the postseason. But after an 8-1 loss that saw both Vadim Zherenko and Will Cranley put to pasture in Game 1 against the Checkers, Ott installed Romanov in Game 2, and the 26-year-old made good on his coach’s belief, stopping 29 of 31 shots to force a Game 3, where Romanov held Charlotte off the board for nearly 70 minutes after allowing an early goal en route to a 2-1 overtime triumph.

By the time the postseason dust settled, Romanov’s 11-game sample size was exemplary – nine starts of two goals allowed or fewer, a pair of shutouts, and a .939 save percentage to go along with a 7-4 record. 

Romanov’s game elevated at the biggest moment, and the Blues rewarded the netminder’s work with a two-year contract extension, presumably penciling him in as the T-Birds’ top dog in the crease and insurance for St. Louis in the event of injury to Jordan Binnington or Joel Hofer. 

Romanov was not the only goaltender to exhibit a boost in confidence under Ott’s guidance. Cranley also earned an extension from the Blues after he posted a 6-3-0 record after Ott’s appointment to head coach. Cranley led all T-Birds goalies in the second half of the season with a 2.67 goals-against average and .903 save percentage. With Romanov and Cranley, the T-Birds return a confident pair in the net who can share the load during the most concentrated portions of the schedule. 

3: How High Can the Prospects Fly?

The Blues & Thunderbirds enter the 2026-27 season boasting perhaps the most highly-anticipated prospect class in the T-Birds’ 10-year AHL run. A pair of Blues’ first-round picks – forward Justin Carbonneau and defenseman Adam Jiricek – are entering their first full seasons of professional hockey, and the possibility exists that both players will begin the season in Springfield.

While neither 19-year-old posted points in their combined nine postseason games with Springfield, Ott went out of his way to compliment both players’ poise in their first taste of meaningful pro hockey. It may be unreasonable to expect stat sheets quite like their junior totals a season ago (51 goals for Carbonneau w/ QMJHL Blainville, 59 points in 55 games for Jiricek w/ OHL Brantford), but given the insulation of veteran talent and leadership on both ends of the ice, it’s not far-fetched to think they can be impact players either. 

Jiricek and Carbonneau may be the future Blues at the top of fans’ watch lists, but there is no lack of talent to go around. Up front, Otto Stenberg and Alek Kaskimaki will both get extended looks in St. Louis training camp after strong showings a season ago at both the NHL and AHL levels. Theo Lindstein is a strong candidate to land a roster spot on the St. Louis blue line, but Quinton Burns, Marc-Andre Gaudet, Colin Ralph, and Michael Buchinger all figure to be on St. Louis’s scouting radar as well. In total, 15 St. Louis draft picks from Springfield’s postseason roster will be jockeying for spots in training camp, so a healthy competition will already be firmly in place. 

Given the unpredictable nature of injuries, roster moves, and call-ups, Ott and the Thunderbirds should have a healthy rolodex of depth options as the season evolves. 

4: Leadership Group Growing & Contributing 

One look at recent Calder Cup championship rosters proves that a healthy balance of youthful exuberance and veteran experience is the recipe AHL teams covet in pursuit of a title. 

The Blues & Thunderbirds’ prospect pool is as deep as it has ever been, but Co-General Managers Ryan Miller and Tim Taylor – in collaboration with Blues General Manager Alexander Steen – also bolstered the depth of veterans when they signed T.J. Tynan to an AHL contract on July 2. Tynan is a two-time AHL MVP who has logged a staggering 579 career assists across 760 AHL games. He is a bonafide power play distributor who should offer a great table-setting option for Carbonneau, Kaskimaki, and others. 

Tynan joins an already experienced leadership group that returns captain Chris Wagner and alternate captain Calle Rosen, who will anchor the forward and defense units respectively. Between the trio, they combined for 131 points last season, so their leadership is not limited to the intangibles. Wagner is coming off his most prolific offensive season of his 14-year-career, as he posted personal bests in goals (24), assists (26), and points (50). 

5: The Thunderdome Advantage

You didn’t think I’d put a list of things I look forward to without including the fanbase, did you? Ott’s impact on the team was sizable, but the home-ice boost would not have been possible without T-Birds fans at their noisy best.

Before Ott took over, the T-Birds were just 6-7-2-1 in their first 16 home games of the season. Down the stretch, Springfield earned points in 14 of their final 20 home games (12-6-2-0) and added a 3-1 record across four home playoff games to reaffirm what Ott and his players already knew – the Thunderdome is truly one of the best home-ice advantages in the American Hockey League.

That advantage could be pivotal in 2026-27, as the T-Birds’ schedule boasts 17 of their 36 home games before New Year’s Day. Calder Cups are not won or lost in the opening weeks of the season, but a strong start on familiar soil could prove the difference between a first-round bye and a play-in series. Keep in mind, with the Hamilton Hammers joining the league’s North Division in place of the departing Bridgeport Islanders, the Atlantic Division will now be a 7-team division, meaning that 3 of the 5 qualifying playoff teams will get an automatic bye into the best-of-5 Division Semifinals. 

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The T-Birds’ regular season gets underway on Saturday, Oct. 3 when they visit the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a rematch of the Atlantic Division Finals. The home slate opens up the following Saturday, Oct. 10 against the Laval Rocket, as the 100th Anniversary of pro hockey in Springfield begins with a bang.