A professional hockey team based in Springfield, Massachusetts . The Springfield Falcons are in the Northeast Division of the AHL (American Hockey League). The AHL is generally considered to be above the ECHL (East Coast Hockey League) and the CHL (Central Hockey League) but below the NHL (National Hockey League). The Springfield Falcons were founded in 1994. The head coach of the team (as of 2011) is Rob Riley. The team plays out of ¬¬the MassMutual centre in Springfield . Their NHL affiliates are the Columbus Blue Jackets. Their ECHL affiliates are the Chicago Express.