A look at the economic loss of hockey in Springfield during the pandemic

By Zachary Baru

Just how far does the economic loss of the Springfield Thunderbirds run in Downtown Springfield during the pandemic?  The toll might be much more than one would think.  

The truly measure the loss of Springfield's American Hockey League franchise during COVID-19, you would have to start before the game is played, and before the fans even start making their way to the venue.  The full economic benefit of the Thunderbirds comes from more than just fans.  It's the players, staff from both teams and the league and the media.  Technically, players from the Thunderbirds start contributing to the local economy months weeks before the first game of the season, as all of the players are moved to the area.  But for this look at the economic input, let's keep it to a gameday snapshot.  

If you start with the players, each gameday you have a full team of players coming from out of town and visiting.  This can benefit restaurants, and if the team is staying over night, it can bring extra players along with coaches and staff to hotels.   There are also media members covering not the Thunderbirds, the away team, and the league as well.  Scouts are also frequent in the AHL, just one level below the National Hockey League.  These scouts need restaurants, as well as hotels during their stay in Springfield.

We have not even come to the fans yet.  Fans fill into Downtown restaurants before the game to have a pre-game meal or meet up with friends, and many times after the game will again go out for a post-game meal or drink at a local bar.  

Restaurants and hotels usually get most of the attention around sports events or concerts, but all businesses in the area will see more people coming in and out.  This goes for the large ones such as MGM Springfield, but also businesses and stores people might shop at such as gas stations, drugstores and other retail. 

For all of this economic activity, the locally-owned businesses see more revenue, benefiting business owners and trickling down to the paychecks of employees through wages.  But for the city and the state, the real economic gain is through local and state sales taxes.  This is especially evident when away team fans, players, staff or media stay at local hotels.  Local taxes are added to hotel bills, greatly contributing to the local economy.

While this is just a fairly quick look at how the local economy is affected by one single hockey game in Springfield, a full study would reveal the many ways businesses benefit, as does local and state tax revenue.  The Thunderbirds are an economic driver for Springfield, and the pandemic provides a rare opportunity to see truly, how important this franchise means for our city.

Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.  Zach also writes SportsBusinessBoston.com.

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Springfield feels loss of Thunderbirds, concerts downtown

By Zachary Baru

On a typical game night, the Thunderbirds bring much more to Downtown Springfield then entertainment.  The history that we have come to know of hockey in Springfield has been adding to the city's local economy each month during the fall, winter and spring since 1926.  But in March of 2020, that tradition has been put on hold.  Unfortunately for the businesses of Downtown Springfield, many of their futures have been put on hold along with it.  

During the pandemic, stores, restaurants and hotels in Springfield have taken severe financial hits.  It is a time like this where the importance of events in the city, such as the Thunderbirds and other concerts that come through the MassMutual Center are realized.  

The 6,663-seat (fixed seating) MassMutual Center is typically responsible for various entertainment events throughout the year.  Removing this important part of the city's culture can be detrimental for the city, as we are seeing now during the pandemic.  

It is unquestionably unsafe to hold large events during a pandemic, but the importance of such events to a city's economic health is brought to light during these difficult times.  Arenas such as the MassMutual Center bring residents and visitors alike to a city, and provide the area with economic potential before and after the event.  

This can be seen before and after each Thunderbirds game, when downtown restaurants see a rush of guests build immediately before the game, and once it is over, another rush of patrons comes through the restaurant.  Fans like to meet before the game, and they like to socialize after, all of which is important for the establishments throughout the downtown area.  

The Thunderbirds are more than just entertainment, they are a lifeline for the city.  They are a lifeline for the businesses in the city.  And they are what makes the city and the area's 94-year history of hockey special.  Concerts and sports provide so much to the businesses in and around Downtown Springfield.  This pandemic has forced all of us to stop taking certain things for granted, maybe some of us can add our own entertainment in the city to that list.

Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.  Zach also writes SportsBusinessBoston.com.

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Bernie Sanders brings 2020 race to MassMutual Center

By Zachary Baru

There won't be the typical hockey game on Friday at the MassMutal Center, or even a concert or the occasional basketball game.  Friday night the MassMutual Center will become a full-blown political venue, hosting a rally for Democratic Candidate for President and Vermont Senator, Bernie Sanders.  

The rally will be held just days before the Tuesday, March 3 primary election, as Massachusetts is one of 15 states to be part of "Super Tuesday".  Having a leading candidate like Bernie Sanders in Springfield will be an opportunity for the region to have national media attention, as well as showcasing the the MassMutual Center and the opportunities it provides as a large entertainment venue.

Friday night's crowd will undoubtedly draw thousands of combined spectators and media members, providing the area with economic impact to restaurants, hotels and retail, including MGM Springfield just across Main Street.  It is events like these that make the MassMutual Center an important part of the regional economy in Western Massachusetts, and a reminder of why we need more events to draw in visitors who will continue to boost the local economy.  

With a large nationwide following, and as a Senator from nearby Vermont, the possibility of the rally being sold out is high.  No announcement from officials regarding the seating has been made yet, most likely due to reasons of security.

Having nationally-known and internally-followed figures such as Bernie Sanders holding rallies in Western Mass. is great for the region, and beneficial for the economy.  Single events like this, however, will only have a limited impact, and more events, including concerts and sports, will be crucial to maximizing the economic growth of the region into

Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.  Zach also writes SportsBusinessBoston.com.

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Pioneers bring national television coverage to Ludlow

By Zachary Baru

National media attention will be coming to Ludlow this March, when the Western Mass. Pioneers host Portland (Maine) at Lusitano Stadium.  The match will be part of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, U.S. Soccer's annual national tournament that includes all levels of play in the U.S. Soccer system, both professional and amateur.  The Pioneers are no strangers to the U.S. Open Cup, who have been in the tournament nearly every year of the club's existence since the team was founded in Ludlow in 1997 by the Gremio Lusitano Club, still current operators of the team.

The Pioneers will host a first-round U.S. Open Cup match in Ludlow on March 24 at 7 p.m., a game that will be broadcast nationally and around the globe on ESPN+, ESPN's streaming service.  Soccer fans worldwide will be able to watch the game on the ESPN App on both smartphones and smart TV's, as well as on ESPNPlus.com.  This is a great opportunity for the long-time club and 2019 Northeast Division champions to get national media exposure, not to mention bringing national television coverage to Western Massachusetts.

The Pioneers have played in the United Soccer Leagues (USL) since their inception in 1997, but the league name has changed multiple times over the years.  In 2019, the USL changed the Pioneers' league to USL League 2 (USL2), in what seems to be a better name and organizational structure for the USL.  

The 3,000-seat Lusitano Stadium in Ludlow, Massachusetts,
home of the Western Mass. Pioneers and the 
New England Mutiny.

The Pioneers will face the Portland Phoenix, also of USL2.  The league operates semi-professional, giving teams and players the option to get exemptions from the NCAA to play in the league during the college off-season.  The quality of the Pioneers remains at an elite level, something the club has maintained since the team's founding.  The Pioneers are coming off a historical season, finishing with an undefeated 11-0-3 record.  

The club also finished tied for first in points throughout all of USL2, a league that has 85 teams in 11 divisions throughout every region of the United States.  USL2 provides a feeder-system to USL1, which provides development to USL Championship, just one league below Major League Soccer in the "U.S. Soccer pyramid".  The restructuring of the USL allowed for a more clear system of league levels affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation.

Having the Pioneers in a competitive league like USL2 and in a national tournament like the U.S. Open Cup provides area soccer fans with a tremendous opportunity to see a high level of soccer locally, the ability to bring national television coverage to Ludlow, but also the chance to see players develop before they reach the higher levels in the nation's system of soccer leagues.

Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.

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