Hockeyday 2023 Returning To Young Building At Big E

WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA — Whether the local team is known as the Indians, Kings, Falcons or Thunderbirds, professional hockey has been a fixture in the Springfield area nearly every year since the Roaring Twenties. Currently the American Hockey League affiliate of the St. Louis Blues, the team has brought considerable excitement - not to mention seven Calder Cup championships - to fans from throughout western Massachusetts and northern Connecticut for nearly a century.

The original pro hockey franchise in Springfield was founded in 1926. Thirteen years later, Boston Bruins star defenseman Eddie Shore bought the team and owned it until 1976. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the second class in 1947, and his uniform number 2 was retired by the Bruins. He died in 1985 at age 82, and is buried in Hillcrest Park Cemetery in the Sixteen Acres section of Springfield.

Shore's son Ted was likely the youngest executive in pro hockey history, being named a team vice president at age 9. He is now 93, and plans to be in attendance Aug. 5 at the 11th annual Hockeyday celebration in the Young Building at the Big E.

Organized by the Springfield Hockey Heritage Society, more than two dozen former Springfield players, executives and special guests from various eras will gather to meet fans, sign autographs and tell stories about their days playing in the old Big E Coliseum and the Springfield Civic Center.

"Each year, this event has grown, including more former pros coming back to reminisce about their playing days in Springfield," former NHL star Mike Corrigan said. "The Springfield Hockey Heritage Society really cares about preserving the history of hockey in Springfield, and it shows. This gathering is first-class all the way."

Early commitments to attend include Corrigan, Joe Augustine, Bill Bennett, Mark Bousquet, Bruce Cline, Dave Debol, Pete Harasym, Tim Jacobs, Bruce Landon, Mario Lessard, Dan McCarthy, Howie Menard, Hartland Monahan, Bob Mormina, Paul Shakes, Gord Smith, Vern Smith, Ross Webley, Chris Winnes, Jim Witherspoon and Taras Zytynsky. More announcements of attendees are expected in the next few days.

There will be auctions of hockey items, merchandise for sale and exhibits such as the Thunderbirds team bus and old memorabilia. A cash bar and concessions will be available for purchase.

Doors open at 11:30 a.m., and the celebration runs until 4 p.m. Tickets are $14 for Society members and $17 for non-members, and may be obtained at hockeyday2023.eventbrite.com or at Steve's Sports, 94 Front Street, West Springfield. Children 12 and under are free of charge.

More information about the Society may be obtained at office@hockeyspringfield.org, or by calling Steve Bordeaux at 413-746-1696.