The best season in more than a decade has opened a window of opportunity.
4/28/13 Springfield - Staff photo by Michael Beswick - Jack Mannix, a member of Cub Scout Troop 192 Den 1 in Springfield, was a happy fan with a puck during the Falcons' Calder Cup playoff series against Manchester. The club averaged 3,906 during the season and 3,218 in the playoffs, and hopes a strong season leads to an increase for 2013-14. SPRINGFIELD - The Calder Cup finals will not include the Springfield Falcons, but the American League Club still enters an offseason with its sunniest forecast in years.
Much work on rebuilding the fan base remains to be done, and the future outlook could be dire if the results fall short. But owner Charles Pompea is expressing optimisim that one of the best seasons in franchise history will provide the momentum to do it.
“Following an exciting and successful 2012-13 season, I believe it is important that we capitalize on the momentum that the team and our fans have generated,'' Pompea said in a statement that serves as a precursor to the offseason ticket drive.
"With our 20th anniversary season looming in the fall, we anticipate the boost from our recent success will lead to an increase in support from the Greater Springfield community, and propel our attendance numbers even higher.''
Translation: the Falcons are looking for ways to put the issue of potential relocation to rest, once and for all. For the first time in a decade or more, they are not straggling into the offseason but surging toward it.
A 45-win season, Northeast Division title and first-round playoff victory provided the impetus. Now they are looking for commensurate support from the fans.
The Falcons claimed the Northeast Division lead on Oct. 26 and never gave it up, yet it took months to reawaken hockey interest in a city that had been numbed by defeat. Even the playoff crowds were modest.
Those who attended, however, infused an atmosphere of electricity and hockey passion that had been missing for years. The club sees the rediscovered enthusiasm creating a window of opportunity for 2013-14 ticket sales, especially early in the season and with season ticket package sales.
Falcons president and general manager Bruce Landon said the club was gratified to receive thank-you notes and emails from fans who enjoyed the team's resurgence. The on-ice success and the excitement it generated might have come just in time.
The Falcons' lease agreement with the MassMutual Center expires after the 2013-14 season. So does its working agreement with the
The Falcons averaged 3,906 fans this season. That represented a 6 percent increase from the 2011-12 season, but still ranked 26th among 30 AHL teams.
The numbers did improve toward the end. Moving forward, the Falcons will be targeting not only individual hockey fans, but corporate support in the form of ticket purchases.
They also hope for a boost from the city government in practical ways, ensuring the health of a downtown enterprise considered vital to Springfield's economic health.
The Falcons' playoff average of 3,218 fans for four games was 14th among 16 Calder Cup qualifiers. Selling playoff tickets, though, is a challenge in many AHL cities
The league-wide average for the 2013 postseason was 4,023 after 64 games. That's better than the Springfield numbers, yet more modest than one might expect for playoff hockey.
The overall AHL figure includes complimentary tickets distributed in many cities. Springfield does not beef up its crowds with freebies.
Pompea has targeted a bottom-line regular season average of 4,000 fans per game - very modest by AHL standards - for viability in Springfield. Realistically, the club would like to approach 4,500.
The 2012-13 season recaptured the attention of the local fan base. The club now hopes those fans will have a taste for more of the same.
"I cannot wait to see more fans than ever dancing to ‘Bird is the Word’ at the MassMutual Center when the puck drops in October,” Pompea said.