It’s not surprising that the plot of the classic hockey movie “Slapshot” (yes, it does actually have a plot, not just Paul Newman one-liners and the Hanson brothers) concerns the future and viability of a minor-league team. Those of us who follow minor-league hockey are well aware that this is a recurring theme.

Even one of the original American Hockey League franchises – Springfield, Massachusetts – was and is not immune to the spectre of losing its team. In fact, it’s already happened relatively recently, when the Springfield Indians were sold and moved to Worcester in the fall of 1994, only three years after winning their last Calder Cup.

Fortunately for Springfield, General Manager Bruce Landon was able to secure a new AHL franchise, and with help from a group of local investors, ice the Springfield Falcons that fall.

Unfortunately, instability at the NHL level with the Falcons’ parent franchises has filtered down to the AHL level for more than a decade. Originally a farm club of the neighboring Hartford Whalers and Winnipeg Jets (an odd situation, caused by their being one more NHL team than possible AHL affiliates), the Falcons lost the Whalers when they moved to North Carolina and became the Hurricanes. The Jets carried on their affiliation through their move to Phoenix, but then the Falcons moved on to connections with Tampa Bay for two years, and then Edmonton until this year. None of them were particularly happy marriages, mostly because struggling NHL franchises don’t usually sustain successful AHL franchises. And the bottom line, of course, is always winning.

Accustomed to a successful hockey franchise (the Indians won back-to-back AHL championships in
’91 and ’92), soured by bad and way too distant relationships with their parent franchises, and put off by horrible teams, fans lost interest and attendance dwindled. The worsening economy of recent years didn’t help either, nor did a perception of downtown Springfield as an unsafe place.

Constant appeals for season-ticket purchases accompanied by dire warnings that Springfield could lose its hockey franchises appeared in the local news every summer and fall in recent years, but many hockey fans shrugged them aside until last month, when news broke suddenly that the franchise had indeed been sold.

However, the purchaser — Charles Pompea (“Who?” everyone said) a retired steel executive who lives in Florida – announced immediately that he purchased the team with the express purpose of keeping it in Springfield. Turns out he’s originally from Connecticut, and plans to be in Springfield this weekend to see his team in person for the first time.

After the announced sale, news came out that the team had been closer to disaster than anyone had imagined. Landon reportedly spoke to more than two dozen other possible ownership groups, and all but two (and those two were not serious candidates) would have moved the franchise away from Springfield.

On the heels of the announced sale, the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Falcons’ latest parent team, announced that they will pick up their option for next year and remain in Springfield for the foreseeable future.

Unfortunately the Blue Jackets are struggling, and those struggles have had ramifications for the Falcons in the form of call-ups and a shorthanded team. Springfield has a very good chance of missing the playoffs, which are the lifeblood of a minor-league franchise.

However, they’re giving a good effort every night, fans seem interested, and Pompea has said he wants his team to be involved in the community. The marriage is back on solid ground, which is great news for one of the storied franchises of the AHL, and for minor-league hockey.

Zach Hamill dons an "A" this year.

There’s something of a given when you grow up a hockey fan in New England — you’re going to be a Boston Bruins fan. The Bruins are not just Boston’s team, or Massachusetts’ team. They belong to the entire six-state region — from the northern reaches of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, west to the New York border, south to the outskirts of The Big Apple. And even beyond, into the Canadian Maritimes (I was pleasantly reminded of the Bruins’ Canadian fan base during a visit to Nova Scotia not long ago)

There are also several American Hockey League teams in New England, which leaves the dyed-in-the-wool Bruins fan with an interesting dilemma: Who do you root for when the Providence (R.I.) Bruins play against your team?

For the record, New England-based AHL teams include the Portland Pirates (Sabres) in Maine, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (Islanders) and Hartford Wolf Pack (Rangers) in Connecticut, the Manchester Monarchs (Kings) in New Hampshire, and the Worcester Sharks (Sharks) and Springfield Falcons (Blue Jackets) in Massachusetts.

So, do you root for the parent Bruins and hate on the Baby B’s? (As I saw one Worcester Sharks fan post on a Bruins forum?) Do you follow the Baby B’s, going to see them when they play your “hometown” team, and root for (or ignore) the local AHL squad at other times? Or do you believe, in the words of a man sitting behind me at a recent Springfield-Providence game, that when your hometown team plays the affliliate of your NHL team, it’s a “win-win” situation?

I have to admit I’m torn.

I actually used to be a fan of my hometown team, the Springfield Falcons, way back in the days when they were the Indians and fighting for (and winning) the Calder Cup. But that was when I was working days, had friends who were fellow fans, and could manage to make a lot of their games.

Now I work nights and weekends (and AHL teams play most of their games on weekends), and I won’t deny the fact that the recent years’ revolving door of parent clubs for Springfield (Tampa, Edmonton, now Columbus) has made for a less than enticing on-ice product. Also, for a variety of reasons (mostly job-releated), since the lockout I’ve been able to focus more attention on Boston and can now actually afford to attend a few games every season. Consequently, I’ve concentrated more on my Bruins fandom and let my Indians/Falcons interest fall by the wayside.

So last week, the Providence Bruins were in town for the Falcons’ home opener, and I requested the night off so I could go see my guys (the Baby Bruins, of course).

I had requested seats behind the visitors’ bench, but the ticket-seller got confused, I think, because I ended up behind the Springfield bench. Prime seats to witness the frustration as the Bruins leaped out to a 4-1 first-period lead, and there was plenty of door-slamming and glass-punching going on in front of me. And I actually started feeling a little sorry for the poor guys. (C’mon, number 21 — whatever your name is, hang in there… HEY, Max Sauve just scored again WOOOO!)

So it was funny. I’ve been watching the Baby Bruins, attending development camps, going to a rookie game this fall, checking their progress on line, but I could not stop myself from wanting the Falcons to do well. (For the record, Providence won 6-5. It was a very exciting game.)

I guess it all comes down to the fact that it’s hockey. And though I’m a passionate Bruins fan, I love hockey. The MassMutual Center was almost full, the place was rollicking, and people were excited. It was FUN. The Baby Blue Jackets made it fun. And I found myself wishing I didn’t work nights so I could go see them as much as possible. And maybe expand my fandom?

I think so. There’s always room in your heart for more love, right?

Photo: From providencebruins.com