WESTERN MASS. – Winter activities took center stage during the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. While elite athletes across the world give their all for coveted medals, many of the same activities continue to be enjoyed across Western Mass.

Reminder Publishing spoke to several key winter Western Mass. fixtures about their 2022 season, which for many represented a return to form after dealing with ramifications from the pandemic.

Springfield Thunderbirds reach new heights

Springfield’s hockey staple – the Thunderbirds – returned to the ice in October 2021 after enduring a year and a half pause due to the pandemic. So far, the Thunderbirds are amidst their most productive season yet, currently ranking as the best team in the Atlantic Division with a 26-14-5-2 record.

President of the Thunderbirds Nathan Costa said he considers the ongoing season a success. Despite dealing with the astronomic COVID-19 case rise caused by the omicron variant, Costa shared that the team did not endure any game cancellations. “Omicron was just a challenge to deal with…Like the team, we’ve been able to persevere,” said Costa in an interview with Reminder Publishing.

The Thunderbirds also endured some challenges on the ice. During the case surge, the National Hockey League (NHL) instituted its “Taxi Squad” procedure, which forces American Hockey League (AHL) affiliates to provide several players for their short-handed NHL counterparts.

“There were about six guys going up from our team that were sitting on the sideline waiting to get a chance to play in case someone went down on the St. Louis Blues [the Thunderbirds’ NHL affiliate] side. That affected the roster, but the guys did a great job powering through that,” said Costa.

Costa remains encouraged by the Thunderbirds’ success on and off the ice. The team posted several sell-outs throughout the season, including the success of event-related games like “Throwback Night” and “Springfield Isotopes Night,” according to Costa.

“The crowd support has been awesome. Even through omicron, we haven’t seen anything really drop off…We have some really good momentum for us with a winning team playing down the stretch,” said Costa. The Thunderbirds’ next event game will be the charitable “Pink in the Rink” game on March 5, which raises funds for the Rays of Hope Foundation.

Readers interested in more updates on the Thunderbirds can visit their website https://www.springfieldthunderbirds.com/.

FMC Ice welcomes ice skating’s return

Facility Management Corporation (FMC) Ice Sports serves an important community role as the host of most high school hockey games and public skating events. William Buck, the arena manager of FMC’s Holyoke location, Fitzgerald Arena, Greenfield location, Collins/Moylan Arena and Springfield’s Smead Arena, shared that the rinks are making a welcomed return after placing gatherings on pause last year.

“Last year we did not have any public skating or public hockey due to COVID-19…This year, we’ve been 100 percent up and running,” said Buck in an interview with Reminder Publishing.

Buck said the arenas continue to enjoy an uptick in participation compared to prior years. The arenas operated throughout the winter season with a mask mandate in place, a decision that most customers respected, according to Buck. “Everybody’s been great during public skates…our numbers have reflected that people want to get out and skate around,” said Buck.

Along with hosting local games and public skating, Buck said the FMC rinks host a gamut of ice-skating clubs, programs for disability participation and birthday parties for visitors to enjoy.

Readers interested in learning more about FMC can visit their website https://fmcicesports.com/.

‘Business as usual’ for Berkshire East

As pioneers of the Pioneer Valley, Berkshire East was the first ski area in the world to produce 100 percent of its electricity from onsite renewable energy, according to their website.

The mountain resort – which is located at 66 Thunder Mountain Rd. in Charlemont – offers a host of winter activities, according to Marketing Manager Nate Marr, including skiing, snowboarding, racing and snow tubing. Lessons and rental equipment are also included within many of these activities.

“We also have several dining options onsite from quick grab-and-go in the lodge cafeteria and the BBQ Box to full restaurant and bar service at the Crazy Horse Bar & Grill,” Marr added.

According to Marr, Berkshire East attracts “thousands” of tourists and employs “hundreds” of people throughout each year. “[The tourists] not only spend money on the resort, but also at gas stations, gift shops, restaurants and many other local businesses,” said Marr.

Despite the ever-changing climate courtesy of COVID-19, Marr told Reminder Publishing that the pandemic has had little impact on the business since most of what they offer already involves keeping people a safe distance from one another.

“Since skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing are all outdoor activities, social distancing is inherent,” said Marr. “People naturally keep some distance from one another while they are participating in these activities.”

The only time people may find themselves in close proximity is when they are inside the lodge, but according to Marr, the town of Charlemont still has an indoor mask mandate in place. “Besides that, it’s business as usual,” Marr added.

Readers interested in what Berkshire East has to offer throughout the year can learn more about them through their website: https://berkshireeast.com/.