SPRINGFIELD – While the Falcons’ move out of town became official May 10, Springfield will have to wait a little longer to learn if it will get a new team.

Meeting in Chicago for its Spring Meeting, the Board of Governors for the American Hockey League conditionally approved the sale of the team from Charlie Pompea to the Arizona Coyotes, the Falcons’ NHL parent club, the league announced in a press release.

The Coyotes bought the team in order to move it to Tucson, where it will begin play in the 2016-17 season.

While the Falcons are gone, it doesn’t mean AHL hockey is for good.

Attorney Frank Fitzgerald, legal representation for a group of local investors, confirmed last week that a letter of intent to purchase the Portland Pirates has been signed with the intention of moving that franchise from Maine to the City of Homes.

“We are currently working on a definitive agreement that would bring the team to Springfield,” he said.

The sale would be subject to league approval. That approval would clear the way for AHL hockey at the MassMutual Center for the 2016-17 season. The AHL also stated in their release that it was reviewing that application for the transfer of ownership and relocation and would reconvene to vote on that proposed transaction within two weeks.

Springfield Chief of Economic Development Kevin Kennedy said the news of the potential new franchise was one the city was looking at with cautious optimism because of the positive impacts the downtown area would continue receiving.

“The big part about that for the downtown is you have a guaranteed 40 nights and afternoons of activity and that’s really important from the point of view of restaurants and bars and that kind of activity,” he said. “More people downtown, the more secure they feel and the better everybody feels about their city.”

He said the city would not have an active role in the process, but would do whatever was asked of them to help. He added the city and hockey fans aren’t the only ones hopeful for a new franchise.

“We’ll be cooperative with all of the different agencies,” he said. “I spoke with the Massachusetts Convention Authority, the landlord at the MassMutual Center and they are very happy about that because they were looking at 40 dark days and nights without this kind of activity. We’ll play a cooperative and promotional type of a role and just try to make this work in general.”

The new ownership would also need to sign an agreement with the Florida Panthers, the Pirates’ NHL affiliate. Per AHL regulations, every team must have an NHL affiliate.

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