WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) — It was a big day for hockey lovers as people were taken back to when West Springfield was the capital of hockey in western Massachusetts.
Hockey fans filled the Young Building at the Eastern States Exposition for “Hockeyday”, the 12th annual celebration of professional hockey in the Pioneer Valley, which dates back to 1926. Fans, players, alumni, and hockey VIPs gathered to celebrate the game and share stories.
All of this was just a stone’s throw away from the Eastern States Coliseum, which was home to the Springfield Indians, and Kings of the American Hockey League for more than 50 years. 22News spoke with one of the founders of the Springfield Hockey Heritage Society’s founders about the sport.
“It’s really proven because for the longest time people said that Springfield is a hockey town and this kind of gets people back in that mode, getting ready for the American Hockey League season that starts in October,” expressed Lou Bordeaux, A Founder of The Springfield Hockey Heritage Society.
The Springfield Hockey Heritage Society’s mission is to preserve the history of hockey and today fans got a taste of that with vintage hockey gear and memorabilia.
