SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Springfield Thunderbirds, the proud American Hockey League affiliate of the St. Louis Blues, will open their 10th year as an AHL member club on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 6:05 p.m. against the defending Eastern Conference champion Charlotte Checkers at the MassMutual Center.

The game will pit the T-Birds against former Springfield head coach Geordie Kinnear and the Checkers, who are coming off an Eastern Conference championship a season ago. Steve Konowalchuk returns behind the T-Birds bench for his second season with a host of returning players at his disposal, including third-year captain Matthew Peca, goaltender Colten Ellis, and veteran standouts Matt Luff and Corey Schueneman. A full report on returning players can be found here.

The full 2025-26 AHL regular season schedule is expected to be unveiled on Thursday, July 10. 

Springfield Thunderbirds fans are encouraged to visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com to learn more about 2025-26 Ticket Memberships, which feature the best benefits, including a special 10th anniversary season ticket holder jersey. For more information or to order now, call (413) 739-GOAL (4625) or visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com. 

Single-game tickets and the full 2025-26 regular season promotional schedule will be available later this summer.