Owners of Springfield’s new American Hockey League Team team have picked a former AHL marketing executive to lead the franchise. Nathan Costa, who grew up in Springfield, says he knows that filling seats for hockey games at the downtown Mass Mutual Center is a challenge, one that the former Springfield Falcons couldn’t overcome.
Costa says first and foremost he wants the team to connect with the local community, “to show creative programming with our players, to integrate into the schools, to make sure they’re putting our logo on to their shirts, their hats.”
The team will be the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Florida Panthers. As for the team’s name. That’s still under wraps for now. Investors – including Mass Mutual, hotel owner Paul Picknelly, and Red Rose Pizza — also announced Bruce Landon as a consultant to the new franchise. Landon previously served as president of the Springfield Falcons.