This is a winning team that is fun to watch.
Cam Atkinson and the Springfield Falcons are the hottest team in the American Hockey League.
I am writing this blog on Tuesday, Nov. 13. I am telling everyone the date because, as of this writing, the Springfield Falcons are in first place in the American Hockey League with the best winning percentage of all 30 teams.
Pure and simple, this team is fun to watch. It has an explosive offense, a group of good puck-moving defensemen, outstanding goal-tending and a coaching staff that has the team prepared to play every night. If necessary, this team can also be very physical. Head coach Brad Larsen has held each and every player accountable and demands attention to detail. Our special teams have been very special. Our penalty killing at key times in games has been remarkable - a result of hard work and playing a sound system. Our power play, when it is clicking, can be lethal.
My game night routine consists of walking the concourse several times and engaging in conversation with fans. It is nice to hear the positive buzz about the team, but as always there are always those who simply can't enjoy the moment and instead get wrapped up in the "what if" game:
• What if the National Hockey League starts up again? Does that mean the Falcons are going to lose all of our good players?
• What if the team starts getting injuries to our best players?
First of all, if the NHL does start playing, all teams are going to lose some players, and there is nothing we can do about it.
Second, we are always dealing with injuries. Greg Amadio, Allen York, Cody Bass, Cody Goloubef and Ryan Russell are on the sidelines. It is part of the game and every team goes through it. Again, it is not something we can control. We have to remember that we have several players, who because of the success of the team so far, had trouble cracking the line-up. Because of injuries, these players are now going to get an opportunity to step in and show they can fill the void.
What we can control and constantly try to improve upon is the fan experience at the games. Recently we had our "Hometown Heroes Night" and it was a fantastic success. However, despite the great job by our staff in pulling this off, we still had a few things slip through the cracks and these will be addressed at our staff meeting. We want to make sure that we are as buttoned down as we can be with all of our promotions, our music, our video board presentation and all the other things that we can control.
It is a long season and being in first place and hearing all of the positive feedback from our fans is very encouraging. We will continue to tell our story and work as hard as we can to bring the crowd support to where it needs to be. The team on the ice is doing their part and now it is up to people to respond.
Bruce Landon is president and general manager of the Springfield Falcons. He can be reached by commenting on this blog or sending him an e-mail at blandon@falconsahl.com. For more information visit the team website.