In dramatic fashion, the St. Louis Blues American League Affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, made the Calder Cup Playoffs. What is so dramatic about it is that this team was really buried at the bottom of the league for most of the year.
But one big thing happened on January 19 that turned this whole season around. Blues assistant coach Steve Ott was promoted to the AHL club as their head coach. Since then, the Thunderbirds went on a tear with a 14-10-2-0 record over that stretch.
On April 15, the Thunderbirds clinched a spot in the playoffs.
GOT THE JOB DONE 💼
— Springfield Thunderbirds (@ThunderbirdsAHL) April 16, 2026
YOUR SPRINGFIELD THUNDERBIRDS HAVE CLINCHED A SPOT IN THE 2026 CALDER CUP PLAYOFFS pic.twitter.com/RG1aA1lbfe
Looking at this from a Blues angle, this is great news for the upcoming offseason. Now, the younger players that are on the fringe of the NHL-level are going to get more reps than they would if they were finishing the season tonight against the Utah Mammoth.
Hugh McGing, Otto Stenberg, Theo Lindstein, Colin Ralph, and many others are going to get their taste of some playoff hockey. We should expect to see those names in particular next season with the Blues on opening night, of course, depending on what happens with the upcoming NHL Draft and free agency.
The Thunderbirds had a rocky season, but it was not all for nothing as they were rewarded in the end with a playoff berth. For Ott, this is a really good resume-padder, as his destiny of becoming the next in line following Jim Montgomery's far-away departure is slowly coming to fruition. How far he pushes this team in the Calder Cup playoffs will dictate his future.
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