FALCONS SIGN BANWELL TO CONTRACT

Springfield, Mass. - The Springfield Falcons, AHL affiliate of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, announced on Tuesday that they have released defenseman Mike Banwell from his professional try-out (PTO) and have signed him to an AHL standard player's contract (SPC) for the remainder of the 2012-2013 season.

Banwell joined Springfield on Feb. 7 and has one assist in eight contests with the Falcons. He played in 19 games under a PTO with Worcester earlier this season, netting his first professional goal while adding two assists for three points. The Scarborough, Ontario native also made 10 appearances with the ECHL's Trenton Titans at the start of 2012-2013, notching one assist.

In his rookie campaign of 2011-2012, Banwell garnered three assists in 24 games with the Albany Devils while registering one helper in 11 contests with the Titans. Banwell, 25, began his professional career over four games with Albany in the spring of 2011 after completing his four-year career at the University of Maine.

The Falcons took eight points over three days this past weekend at the MassMutual Center to move into a tie for first place in the AHL standings. Springfield embarks on a four-game road swing this Friday in Adirondack before returning home to host Providence on Saturday, Mar. 16 at 7:00 p.m.

Single-game tickets to see the Falcons in 2012-2013 can be purchased at the MassMutual Center Box Office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. through game time on Saturday home dates, and starting four hours prior to Sunday home contests. Fans can also purchase tickets by logging onto Ticketmaster.com. For information about discounted group packages to Falcons home games, call (413) 739-GOAL (4625).