Blues & Thunderbirds Announce Affiliation Extension

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The St. Louis Blues and Springfield Thunderbirds have announced an affiliation extension through the 2030-31 season. In their three seasons as the Blues’ AHL affiliates, the Thunderbirds have captured the Richard F. Canning Trophy as Eastern Conference Champions in 2022, reaching the Calder Cup Finals for the first time in club history. They lost to the Chicago Wolves, the Carolina Hurricanes’ AHL affiliate in five games. Springfield also won the AHL President’s Award as Team of the Year that same season.

Thunderbirds’ President Nathan Costa stated “The Blues and Thunderbirds share similar core values regarding player and staff development and maintaining a deep commitment to their communities. Our collaboration has enabled us to grow our franchise both on the ice and throughout the region. We cannot wait to see the next generation of Blues stars hone their talents in Springfield in front of the best fans in the AHL.”

Last season, the Thunderbirds had a franchise-record 20 sellout games, including a 14-game sellout streak to finish the season. They struggled on the ice, going 30-37-3-2, but were led by veterans Adam Gaudette, Matthew Peca, and Jakub Vrana, who helped develop the younger prospects in Zack Bolduc and Zach Dean.

The Blues are expecting a plethora of prospects to turn professional in the coming seasons, so solidifying their relationship with the Thunderbirds was key. Prospects such as Dean, Dalibor Dvorsky, Ondrej Kos, Adam Jecho, and David Jiricek are expected to see time in Springfield, with Otto Stenberg, Theo Lindstein, and Jimmy Snuggerud also candidates, depending on their development.

The Blues begin their NHL season on Oct. 8 against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena. From there, they will hold their home opener on Oct. 15 at Enterprise Center when they host the Minnesota Wild.

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