For the first time since 1997, an NHL hockey team will take the ice Sunday wearing the colors, uniforms and logo of the Hartford Whalers.
Of course, to the chagrin of Hartford fans, that team won’t be the Whalers themselves but rather the Carolina Hurricanes, who left Connecticut more than 20 years ago and now seek to reconnect with the franchise’s history — and maybe sell some replica merchandise along the way.
Whalers Night at PNC Arena in Raleigh will feature a full array of Hartford-inspired accouterments, including green-and-blue sweaters, the “Brass Bonanza” theme song and the Pucky the Whale mascot. Former Whalers captain Mike Rogers will sign autographs for fans and participate in a ceremonial puck-drop before the Hurricanes face the Boston Bruins, a former Whalers rival. Afterward, game-worn sweaters and other Whalers items will be auctioned off to benefit the Learn to Play Program at the Champions Skating Center in Cromwell, which is owned by former Whaler Bob Crawford.
Fans at the arena will be able to buy Whalers jerseys at multiple team store locations. The Hurricanes’ website currently sells a wide range of Whalers memorabilia, including shirts, hats, iPhone cases and Gordie Howe signed photos.
Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon first indicated in January that Carolina might play a game in Whalers jerseys, prompting Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy to suggest hosting that contest in Hartford.
The Hurricanes then announced in September that they planned to hold Whalers Night on Dec. 23 in Raleigh and wear the iconic jerseys again for a game in Boston on March 5.
“We’re proud of the history and traditions that we’ve built in 21 years in North Carolina,” Hurricanes president and general manager Don Waddell said in a statement. “But we’ve never thrown away the records established during this franchise’s 18 NHL seasons in Connecticut. This is a chance to celebrate our team’s heritage.”
The idea of another team donning Whalers logos has inspired mixed feelings from Hartford hockey fans, some of whom are glad to see the team represented on ice and others of whom (the more vocal portion, by far) feel betrayed all over again by what they interpret as a ploy to sell jerseys.
Mark Anderson, membership chairperson of the still-thriving Hartford Whalers Booster Club, says at first he was frustrated and disappointed when he heard the Hurricanes planned to wear Whalers jerseys. Eventually, though, he found some silver linings. Whereas other relocated teams have faded away, Anderson said, the Whalers remain relevant.
“The logo and the jersey still packs a lot of punch, to where not only did the team want to do it but the league signed off on it,” Anderson said, pointing out that few other relocated teams have honored their predecessors in this way. “It’s big that they’re wearing them from a nostalgia standpoint, but it’s [also] big that they’re wearing them because we can claim something that other relocated teams can’t claim.”
The Whalers famously left Hartford following the 1997-98 season, with owner Peter Karmanos citing weak attendance and poor corporate support. More than two decades later, the Whalers continue to enjoy strong support in Connecticut, with the team’s famous whale-tail logo (which is jointly owned by the Hurricanes and the NHL) still popping up on memorabilia across the state. Hartford has hosted both men’s and women’s hockey teams named the Connecticut Whale, in homage to the Whalers, and the Hartford Yard Goats baseball team has hosted an annual Whalers Alumni Weekend, complete with Whalers-inspired uniforms.
Beyond Connecticut, Whalers imagery remain a cultural touchstone, seen over the years on celebrities from Snoop Dogg to Adam Sandler to Megan Fox.
But despite efforts from Malloy and Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin to court another NHL team, a Whalers return remains unlikely. That means Sunday’s Hurricanes-Bruins game (as well as the rematch in March) will be the closest Hartford fans come to seeing their beloved team in action anytime soon.
“It’s only two nights, but that logo is going to be on the ice again. That logo is going to show up on every sports show,” said Anderson, who will watch Sunday with other Booster Club members at a local Buffalo Wild Wings. “That’s big for us because it reminds not just people around here, but it reminds everybody else that watches the sport, ‘Hey we’re still here.’ “
