@@Whalers860 For sure! If Hartford does get an NHL team back, I hope at the very least they can be named the Whalers and possibly even gain back their franchise history from the Hurricanes. The Winnipeg Jets were able to use their old name, so why not?
I was born in 84 and grew up about 30 minutes outside Hartford. We went to about one game a week for many seasons during my childhood. I loved the game, and I loved the team. I attended many fan appreciation events and had autographs galore. I met so many players in the late 80s and early 90s. I played street hockey with my friends using actual sticks from players like Dineen and Liut. The Hartford Civic Center never felt small to me. It was familiar, and I loved that Dad and I could get a burger and fries at Wendy's before going to a hockey game in the same building. I had the Brass Bonanza on cassette, and I played it all the time, whether skating on a makeshift backyard rink or while swatting around a little ball in my basement family room with my pet cat, using the laundry room doorway as the goal. Even when they weren't playing well (we sometimes called them the Hartford Failures), we still went to games and cheered them on and hoped for a rare victory. I remember how cool I thought the new uniforms looked when they debuted the blue jerseys. I had Whalers posters all over the basement walls, and all kinds of team merchandise, from logo pucks to frisbee, from pennents and coat racks. We even had a poster of Bud Light mascot Spuds MacKenzie in Whalers gear hanging behind our basement bar, with Whalers drinkware on the shelf underneath. We were a Whalers family through and through, and to say "I bleed green," was an understatement. The team was sold when I was in 7th grade. I was 12. I cried, a lot. It was a long grieving period, and I stopped following the sport as a result. I still enjoy the game of hockey to this day, but without a team to root for, it lost its luster. Even if I were to start following a team again, and start going to games again, it would be different. The familiarity and nostalgia would be gone. It would have to be the Whalers, and it would have to be in that venue. I can't even tell you the last time I watched an NHL game in its entirety, but to this day I still have the 1988 Whalers team photo hanging up on the wall of my desk at work.
@@markb4201 or some of em even rooted for Boston when the Bs made the cup in 88 and 90. They had a lot of choices. But as a bruins fan I miss Hartford.
It’s all good took me 35 years to realize the Expos logo was an ‘m’ and that just happened less than a half hour ago when I was watching the what happened to the expos video on this channel.
@@East419forLife All those sunbelt teams but not one there where college hockey is pretty popular and there would be the natural geographic rivalry with the Blackhawks.
I got into hockey when I lived in Raleigh,NC. When I researched the Hurricanes history and noticed Hartford I was surprised. Having been to one of the Whalers Night events I love that Carolina embraces the history.
I'm a 51 year old Canadian, living in Windsor, Ontario, just across the border from Detroit. I've been a lifelong hockey fan of the Montreal Canadiens and I honestly miss the Whalers. Hartford's fans created an incredible atmosphere that in my opinion was easily among the top 5 or 6 in the league. I think 1986 was their best chance to win a Stanley Cup because they were the toughest challenge Montreal faced that year and they had a really good team. To the fans of the Whalers, I take my hat off to you and join you in hoping one day the NHL returns!
in 1986 they were so close to advancing to the finals and I recall, they lost a close game to Montreal in game 7. The Whalers had a really good team in 1985 and 86.
As a hurricanes and north carolinian, i do hate how the whalers left. I love whalers night honoring their legacy. I would love to see them return one day, as long as its not our expense. Hell, i would probably root for them as long as the canes dont play them.
@@torquetrain8963 Florida Panthers have a team that could contend for the Stanley Cup, probably not right now relocating as of today January 29 they're no 1 overall in the Eastern Conference they shouldn't have left downtown Miami where they started in 1993-94
I'm a lifelong Whalers fan but not from Hartford. So I just continued to cheer for the team when they became the Carolina Hurricanes. I cried in 2006 when they won the Cup after so many years of frustration and failure. I still tear up watching those highlights.
The trade by the Whalers to the Penguins of Ron Francis, Ulf Samuelsson, and Grant Jennings propelled the Pens to two Stanley Cups and changed the fortunes of hockey in Pittsburgh forever. Apparently it changed the fortunes of hockey in Hartford forever, too. Always loved the Whalers uniforms.
I was just a boy in the early 80’s, living in New Brunswick, Canada, which is hundreds of kilometres from any NHL team. At night, signal skip meant I could pick up the radio broadcasts from Hartford and listen to the hockey games. My favourite player was Greg Malone and I loved the sound of Brass Bonanza! Thanks for the trip down memory lane
Just wanted to drop a comment to say that I shared this video with my students in Western Connecticut State University's Sports Writing class today and the students learned a lot and enjoyed the presentation.
During the 80s I had season tickets for five years for the Whalers and had too many fond memories. I recall one game the Whalers were losing to the Nordiques by two goals and fans were leaving in the middle of the third period. Hartford managed to come back and win the game 4 - 3 with seconds left. I do not remember the year, but remember the celebration as if they won the Stanley Cup. Yup, had to wait until 2006 for the organization to raise the cup as the Canes and not the Whalers. I hated the day the Whalers left for Carolina, but being a loyal fans continued to follow the team as a Hurricanes fan and still do. I STILL have and wear my Whalers jersey, both Home and Away, from time to time, now that I live in Alaska, and enjoy the smiles from hockey fans here that get a glimpse of the team. Brass Bonanza is my current ringtone on my phone. I am glad and happy to see the new owner of the Canes pays tribute to the organization that started it all. Without the Whalers there would be no hockey in Carolina. I had met Gordie Howe during a charity game for the youth hockey program in New London, CT, that I was a coach at the time for a Pee Wee team, and what an amazing guy he is. He spent time with fans, young and old alike, and talked hockey and life in general. Although Karmanos was an idiot, the organization was a class act and the players were awesome. Yes, bring back the Hartford Whalers and restore some hockey history.
Gordie Howe was one the coolest guys you'll ever meet. I lived on Long Beach Island NJ and Mark Howe kept his boat on the island and has a house. They were members of the Beach Haven Marlin and Tuna club as was I and I used to see them all the time at tournaments. They would bring old players like Bernie Parant Hextall etc. Anyway I used to hang with Marks daughter allot and would go over their shore house and would have dinner and stuff. Anyway he was always willing to chat and tell stories and was just a really nice guy
Absolutely, growing up I played hockey over in Middlesex County NJ and for a few years Mark Howe would run a summer camp at our rink. Being able to learn from Mark was obviously really cool (it’s a pet peeve of mine how little credit Mark gets due to being overshadowed by his dad, something I’m about to do anyway), but every now and then, he’d bring Gordie along and have him sit at the snack bar. All the players would try and sit as close to Mr. Hockey almost like they thought they could absorb a little bit of his talent by being within 10 feet of him. He would let kids wear his rings, sign their hockey equipment, take pictures with us, all of it. My greatest regret in life is that when I was able to get my picture taken with both Mark and Gordie, I had a really REALLY bad hockey mullet to the point where I am almost unrecognizable.
I grew up about 10 minutes north of Hartford and remember playing on the ice during intermission at the civic center and scoring a goal as a kid. I am still a die hard Boston sports fan with the exception of the bruins and have since become a Washington Capitals fan (Refuse to root for the hurricanes, blasphemy they are going to use the whalers jersey in February) after relocating outside of DC.
@@sportsfix6975 as a cold weather city hockey fanatic (Boston), I was so happy to see Winnipeg get that team back. Atlanta didn't know 💩 about hockey. I think Phoenix should move to Quebec City and Miami (Florida Panthers) should move back up to Hartford. But good for you Winnipegians. Happy for you seeing how you had a great dynasty yrs back.
As a Connecticut native for the first 25 of my 27 years, it’ll never happen. Ct simply doesn’t have the market with Boston, 2 ny teams and a nj team all less than 2 hours out of state. Growing up I remember having heard the whispers of their return for YEARS. It took until I was an adult until I realized it simply wasn’t plausible and wasn’t going to happen. It’s nice that people still buy the merch and rep the history of the team. But when it comes down to it most hockey fans especially in the ct/tri state/New England area already have a team they support. To travel to a sort of shit hole city like Hartford Connecticut to see a hockey game? Yea no thanks. I’d rather have my teeth pulled wo anesthetic
@@jimbobogie8204 I am from Quebec city and we now have this amazing new arena waiting but this will never happen . 650 million dollars just to apply for a chance to be selected as a new concession and then what's next ? A bunch of players who start complaining about the Canadian taxes and want to be traded south of the border. Fuck 'Em. Quebec city is the most hockey craze place there is and we don't need a NHL team ever again. We are fine without it.
I had season tickets. The fans would leave their seats to go out to the food court to watch the UCONN women basketball. I can honestly say, not the best fans.
I grew up outside Hartford. We attended many Whalers games. I don’t remember them winning much, but it was fun to watch them. I still have fond memories of their theme blasting through the civic center. And the logo is awesome. I was in college by the time the team moved. It was disappointing but I also feel like Hartford and CT are too small for a major league sports team. Raleigh itself has a population 4x larger than Hartford. Plus Rowland was a terrible Governor imo so it’s no surprise his refusal to help build a stadium contributed to the move.
2 key things here Rowland bid high to host the Lawrence Taylor vs Bam Bam Biggelow event and tried to get the Patriots but if he really wanted to he could have saved the Whalers
I agree, that Governor Rowland was so bad and made some terrible decisions for the state. I also feel that Robert Kraft, the owner of the N.E Patriots played us all in Connecticut like a fiddle. He new all along that he was getting a sweeter deal in Foxboro. I was just praying it would be built in Hartford as a die hard Pats fan.
I’ve always liked the Whalers. As a kid on Long Island and one of the first to get cable, they used to broadcast afternoon Whaler games. Their uniform, and Brass Bonanza made me a fan. Oh, and also that gray haired man out there skating against the young kids. It wasn’t until later that I learned about Gordie Howe. Fond memories indeed.
I remember growing up watching my Bruins beat them regularly. The Whalers definitely got the short end of the stick. There are too many other teams nearby. I was living in Norfolk when they were trying to pitch the team there. Moving to Raleigh was a good idea. Norfolk is too transient.
I feel for the city of Hartford, I lost my Rams in 1994, I was ten and I cried. When they returned home I cried. Stay strong Hartford the Whalers will return someday, keep your hopes alive.
The Whalers are such an iconic team. Had many of the leagues greats play for them. I'm glad to be hanging my signed Howe, Hull, Shanahan, Francis, Pronger and Liut jerseys on my wall
Living in Connecticut, the whalers are still remembered fondly. Their merch is still seen and respected, the Brass Bonanza is played at the hockey games of the University of Connecticut and we all want them back. Theyre convenient for people who don't want to spend an arm and leg on Boston or New York tickets
I’m more surprised that he lived in Glastonbury ( my town) it’s a small town and barely gets recognized. But that’s a very very cool story and your lucky as hell!
I am a die hard oilers fan (as you can probably tell from my icon) through and through. They always have been and always will be my number one. But I also have a love affair with whalers, I just love the history of the team and the uniforms so much and they had some absolutely amazing players. Such a cool piece of hockey history!
My dads family immigrated to Hartford when he was 5, the WHA was his introduction to hockey and he fell in love with the sport and the team. He’s been a fan from ‘72 to now.
I lived in Calgary and Edmonton during the late seventies and early eighties. Got to see a lot of WHA games, including Hartford several times - great memories.
The Adams division was great ! I remember watching the 88 playoffs against the Habs , hearing the Brass Bonanza for the first time and sayong - These are some great fans
As a lifelong Bruin's fan that now lives in Hartford I REALLY wish the Whalers were still a team, I turned old enough to start watching hockey (age 6 or 7) during thire last season, the first Bruin's game I ever went to was against the Whalers during the 96-97 season
I wish I could remember what game it was however Sean Burke stopped an onslaught of shots in a wild fury - Jim Jacobs of the Hartford Courant summed it up fantastically. Saying Sean Burke stopped more shots than Sonny Corleone at a Jersey Toll booth . Best sports line ever !
Great piece. I was born in 1970, started playing hockey at age 6, and used to scream Brass Bonanza in the shower as a kid. Favorite memory is Gordie Howe signing my stick when I was 7. The move was a crushing blow. I had just been able to afford a share of season tickets that last year. Stopped watching hockey for a long time.
It's interesting that out of the 4 WHA team that merged with the NHL, only the Oilers didn't fold. The Whalers had a very cool logo and nice uniforms I think.
Having the greatest hockey player of all times win them 5 Stanley Cups in a single decade probably helped. Had Gretzky not been an Oilers, they would've met the same fate as all the other "small market" teams.
It's also interesting that they even picked to get Hartford over the Houston Aeros in the first place. Texas at the time was an untapped hockey market, and Houston was already a huge market and some of the highest attendance in the WHA. You'd think that they'd want to tap into that untapped market, but hockey didn't embrace the South until Gretzky was traded to LA. Plus, the rivalry between the Bruins and the Hudson River trio must've been salivating.
I grew up in Connecticut and often went to the Hartford Civic Center with many neighborhood friends to watch the Whalers play. It was a lot of fun and I got a lot of Autographs from Gordie Howe and his sons Mark and Marty, Ric Ley, and so on. Around 30 in total and I have them hidden away. I have 6 New England and Hartford Whalers yearbooks still. Great memories from the 70's and 80's. I now live in Raleigh North Carolina and go to a few games with my old shirts and hats. I miss those days a lot.
The Hartford Whalers were the first team I ever saw in person when they were visiting my Florida Panthers. Despite my love of hockey as a child (thanks, The Mighty Ducks and Sega Genesis), it took me at least a decade to discover the H in the negative space of their logo. The Whalers truly had the best logo in sports history. So subtle and magnificent.
Went to Gordie Howes last game in Detroit at the Joe. Crowd flopped and cheered for the Whalers. If any of the Wing so much as gave Jowe a nudge fans were all over him.
I always felt the Whalers and Boston should've been in the same division as the Rangers and Islanders. The video failed to mention how close the Nassau Coliseum is to Hartford. There's also a ferry between LI and Bridgeport, CT.
Yeah they’re pretty close, about the same drive time as from MSG to Hartford but I’m guessing the ferry between LI and CT would be shorter. I think I did mention that Hartford is right in the middle of the NYC-Boston teams geographically, making it hard to have a wider fan base.
In fact the Islanders at one time were looking for a hone when Brooklyn Barclays Center was found to be poor for hockey. Hartford was considered as a site for Islanders “ home” games being so close to Long Island. Thankfully they just built an arena in Elmont, Long Island for the Islanders.
As a Winnipegger, I have a soft spot for all of the WHA teams. Unfortunately I don’t see Hartford or Quebec City getting franchises anytime soon. I hope I am wrong. I thinks it’s just too much money, especially for QC. They would have to pay close to a 600-700 million US dollars which would be close to a billion dollars Canadian, and try to make their money back. Winnipeg got lucky with the Thrashers. True North bought the franchise at $170 million US when the Canadian dollar was at par with the US dollar.
I was in HS in Bloomfield (just NW of Hartford) from 1974 - 1977 - and was a hockey player growing up (was a Big Bruins fan - actually got to watch the Bruins live in Boston Garden with my grandfather - from Boston - when I was a child - when the team was made up of Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito, Derek Sandersen, etc...!!!)... ...so I was all in with the Whalers!
I love all of the Whalers NHL Jerseys, the story of the Howe’s playing together is also very cool but mostly took place in the WHA where they won 2 Championships together.
I go to Hartford for business sometimes via Amtrak and I often walk by the civic center. I always wonder how downtown Hartford would have been popping during a good Whalers season. It's so quaint but walkable (for a NYCer, of course) and I imagine it would be fun with a popular sports team not-so-far away from NYC via train.
I agree Steve. But don't forget to reserve a room for Robert Kraft as well. It was his lies about moving the Patriots here that made losing the Whalers so much easier for leadership, and the state in general, to accept the loss of the Whale. We were going to get an NFL franchise as consolation at least...
Rowland was a train wreck, but no one was going to be able to deal with Karmanos, he was never acting in good faith from the start. I always felt that Shanahan had a heads up, like "just stick around, it'll be better next year wink wink". He made some weird comments on his way out of town, like he knew this bullshit was coming.
What the video neglected to mention was that the Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup not long after moving from Hartford. That may have been ours if the team just stayed here where they belonged!
First NHL game I ever went to was Flyers vs. the Whalers at the old Spectrum. Always loved the Whalers logo. So it's not surprising the merch still sells well.
This video needed the Mallrats reference. Breakfast may come and go. Hartford, the Whale, they only beat Vancouver once or twice in a lifetime. At the very least, it is one of the few pop culture references to the team that still exists.
I was a rink rat and actually hung out at the Whalers very first training camp and was near their bench for their first exhibition game. I was a huge whalers fan and was sad when they packed up and moved to western New England though I understand. Still I was able to go to at least one game a year up until about the 1991-92 season. THe original Logo is still the best but the newer one was very well done and creative. They also played some games at the Boston arena, which was great fun since you sat so close.
Enjoyed watching the 80’s Whale teams when they would visit the Kings in LA…remember some of their players from that era…Mike Liut, Blake Wesley, Babych brothers …
I've seen a couple of videos on the Whalers and all them don't mention a couple of things; the rise of college basketball had a significant impact in eroding the Whalers fan base. To the point where UCONN women's basketball outdrawing 15,000 fans, and the Whalers were only drawing 6,000. This in turn hurt the perception of the not only the team, but the sport in Hartford. I went to a game in the latter days and I had one extra ticket that I tried to sell, and I couldn't even GIVE IT AWAY. It was (at the time) a $37 rink side seat, and I was offering it up for $25. A guy comes up to me and says, very obtusely, "I'll give you six dollars". I said "Six dollars, this is a $37 ticket", and he says "There's only 6,000 people here man", I told him "Don't insult me, pal". The Whalers were becoming a major league team, in a minor league market and were now second class citizens to women's basketball in their own building. Secondly, the Whalers had little to no TV coverage in the lower half of the state. I know my cable system (Comcast) didn't carry Sports Channel New England that carried the Whaler games. The NHL blackout rules also meant that the NY Rangers and Islanders were often blacked out because of the Whaler home games. The Whalers were a major league team in what was rapidly becoming a minor league market. I know some are hoping the Coyotes will relocate to Hartford, but the NHL wouldn't want a team moving from the 11th largest market in the country, to the 32nd largest market. With only Columbus being smaller .
As a Quebec fan during my childhood, every time they played At Hartford, I was hoping for an 8-7 Quebec win. That way I could still hear the Brass Bonanza 7 times. LOL
Been a Rangers fan for 4 decades. But if I could love any other team growing up, it was the Whalers. Visiting my cousins in Hartford was great when the Blueshirts and Whale played. And I loved Brass Bonanza. Bring Back The Whale!!!!
Still rock my Whalers Merch! Went to about 40 games in my childhood. Even remember the blind lady with the cowbell on, and she shook it every-time the Whalers Scored! #Hartford
I still have my Whalers/Nordiques uniforms as they were the first teams that I went for in the mid 80's and I'm an Aussie fan as well. It was extremely hard for me to follow my Whalers/Nordiques and with everything that happened I often questioned if it was worth it?! Because off the event mentioned here, I had to choose new teams via the Pens and the Canucks with a passing interest in Carolina via the Whalers tie in to them. Always deep down for the underdog squad....Took me a near 29 years for me to secure some green 80's and 90's Whalers uniforms here, damn hard to find when your US team is dead at the time. Damn those recent Adidas Whaler jerseys especially the grey variant?! So purdy!
One of my best memories was being in the old Boston Gardens on a trip from Canada to watch my beloved Whaler's play the Bruins. The Bruins fans were merciful to me in my Whaler's jersey in the stands.
@@svart_kors at 8 and 9 years old I was heartbroken in 1990. They went to Hartford and seven they went through Montreal and 7 then swept Washington just to lose to Edmonton in five and Gretzky was already in La so it was Messier period but it was cool to have a New England rivalry. Just south of us
@@michaelleroy9281 still it was nice to have a different new england city pro team. I mean Connecticut is pretty much half New England and half New York fans. When it's in their favor they can choose between 4 NE teams and 10 NY and NJ teams. They already have the NY accent. It's not Boston or NY but close
Very informing video All Sports. Had no clue the Whalers and Patriots almost played in the same city. Also today the NHL unveiled new retro Jerseys for all NHL teams, and the Hurricanes went with the Whalers as their retro throwbacks!
Thank you! Yeah I saw the new retro jerseys that were announced, I’m really liking most of them. I also thought it was interesting that the Avs chose to go with the Nordique throwbacks but in Avs colors while the Canes went with the Whalers but in Whaler colors 🤷♂️
I was disc jockey t from 1979-81.I saw a story about a Whalers player on the teletype which identified said player as "the 11 year old veter1r veteran."I sent it to Real People but it was never aired on the show.I actually had to explain why it was funny to many I showed it to.BTW,good for the Governor for refusing to build a new arena.
Very well done! You may want to make an addition. The Whalers made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the 1979-80 season....their first NHL season. They were swept by Montreal 3 games to none. Should you choose to expand on this....you may want to explore Lowell Weicker's role in the move south. He just happened to land a spot on the board of directors of Compuware at about the same time as the move.. He still resides there.
I remember watching their last ever playoff game in 1992. They were the third-worst team in the league and only got in because Quebec was worse. They were huge underdogs vs. Montreal and yet they pushed the Habs to Game 7 double OT. Yvon Corriveau had the series on his stick but missed on a breakaway. The Whalers would get scored on, minutes later. It was curtains from there, as the Nordiques beefed up from the Eric Lindros trade. That meant that Hartford couldn't beat up on them anymore and thus their playoff backdoor was closed.
Hi from a Quebec Nordiques fan here. Man ! Did Quebec ever sucked in the early 90's or what ? We were number 1! We even beat the Colorado Rockies record for the least point in a season if I remember well.
@@martinberthiaume4971 Yeah, that was the 89-90 season, if I recall. Joe Sakic undoubtedly has a place in the history books for being on a team that terrible but then also on a Cup winner. What a journey!
I had never heard that Hartford stadium story about polluted soil at the site - I'd always heard Kraft had just duped Rowland like a bitch into being leverage over his Foxboro investors.
Yeah, I know that in the contract Kraft signed with Rowland there was a mandated date that the stadium in Hartford had to be completed by (something like before the 2002 season). And if that date wasn't met, or it was clear it wasn't going to be met, Kraft had legal grounds to terminate the deal (which is exactly what happened). SOOO it's possible that the construction site really did have a lot of pollution issues, but I also think Kraft would have found anyway possible to get out of the original deal with Rowland because Foxboro offered a much better deal to Kraft. The pollution situation just happened to be a convenient excuse.
Sandwiched between Boston and New York, this small market team still managed to sell out with regularity. It was a hard ticket to get for years. And then the team was utterly mismanaged, to a degree never before seen in professional sports. With coaches and GM's getting bagged for DWI's on the way home from games. A mutiny from the team, led by their captain against the worst coach to ever have coached a sport, in Pierre McGuire. After nearly 15 years without fielding a competitive team, the New England Patriots owner, Robert Kraft, lied to state leadership and said they were moving to CT. This disincentivised the state from any legitimate attempts to come to an agreement to keep the team in town. They moved. And then the Patriots didn't. The end.
I suppose it wasn't surprising at that point considering what already happened to Winnipeg and Quebec City. The NHL evolved a lot from the business side during the 90's so unfortunatly several of the smaller market teams got swallowed up. If the Oilers didn't already have Northlands Colliseim, they would have been gone too.
@JoeyArmstrong2800 Great memories lol... But I see his side of it too, It might be the dream of many to own an NHL team but you can't do at a loss. Northlands was the first thing that saved the Oilers, the salary cap was the second.
@@Viprz Yup.The Oilers were always relatively competitive during this period and especially the end of the 90's. Those first round series against Dallas were something I always looked forward to because you knew it was coming.
@JoeyArmstrong2800 The Oilers/Stars playoff series in 1997 was one of the best I've ever seen but the whole rivalry proves my point, the Stars were big market and could aquire/retain star players (eventually winning the Cup), the Oilers were small market and could not.
@@Viprz Best series I've ever seen. Marchant's goal is burnt into my memory banks. It's a shame because they had such a great team in 97-98-99. Just no money to really keep it together.
The Whalers had the bad habit of trading their best players away. I heard attendance was so bad in North Carolina that they tried to get people from Connecticut to travel to North Carolina to attend the games. Most of us told them where to go.
You forgot to mention that the nascent Whalers also played at the Boston Arena by Northeastern University in their early days due to the Boston Garden being used by the Bruins,Celtics and AHL Braves.
Thanks, appreciate that! Yeah I used an After Effects template from video hive, and then I just updated it with Whalers stuff. Here’s the site I got it from: videohive.net/category/after-effects-project-files?term=timeline%20history&gclid=CjwKCAjw9vn4BRBaEiwAh0muDAlP_NzMCTMbwJ7jBMQwMwWP_CFDGUKxRZKRu0OzZfVGSJHvpWhOCBoCSG4QAvD_BwE
This was a solid history. One thing that contributed to fans losing interest wasn't just losing seasons. In the 90s when NHL popularity took off, it was obvious that Hartford was low budget. Other teams were doing laser shows and merchandising and all kinds of arena presentation upgrades. Meanwhile a Whalers game would start and there was nothing of the sort. So you're paying the same $55 you'd pay in Boston or Philly and you're getting a boring experience. Which is why the Wolf Pack added all of those enhancements and (if you weren't too butthurt to actually go) it was a mind blowing upgrade to all the stuff you'd seen on TV and been denied. . This might be apocryphal, but in 1997 when they moved, the Whalers were the only NHL franchise that didn't even have a website.
That's a great point, especially about their website...that's hard to believe that didn't have one haha! Nowadays teams have moved beyond just in game entertainment, and are looking to build up the area around the arenas so that they own the real estate all around it (i.e. bars, restaurants, movie theaters, etc). That way the team can attract people to come earlier and stay longer after games, as well as having money coming in all year long even during the off seasons. Not sure how this effects smaller market clubs as of yet, but some owners may not have the cash flow to buy out the area around their arenas which can put them at a further disadvantage.
@@AllSportsHistory It would have been interesting what might have happened - the arena Karmanos was going to be gifted was to be built in the suburbs. Hartford is a city that is scary and intimidating in the minds of too many of the white people within 50 miles that a franchise would require to survive. The suburban arena would have short circuited all of these people's stock excuses about their racist fears of black and brown people, inconvenient traffic, and too far from their TGIFs or Applebys. Lol
The Old Boston Garden closed in 1995, and could never do 1/4th of “extra-curriculars” they do now....the Bruins routinely had good crowds...the Celtics invented pro basketball in that building. Regarding the Whalers not having a website in ‘97, our family didn’t even have a home computer until 2004. Many small businesses still don’t. Internet was for nerds and geeks back then.
@@CatholicTraditional In Boston, they could have filled the Garden without doing anything - if any city needed a gimmick to get butts in seats, it was Hartford. And it's mostly true what you said about computers - but when every OTHER team in the league had one, it's pretty telling that this backwater dump team didn' tbother. Note they started the next year in Carolina with an amazing shiny website.
As a Boston born and bred die hard Bruins fan, the Hartford Whalers were the one team I loved to hate. Their rivalry with the Bruins was on par with the Canadiens, Sabers, and Flyers. A Bruins/Whalers clash always made for a great night of hockey
I loved the Whalers because I could see the Penguins in Boston and Hartford once or twice a season. I still love their logo and team colours. Hartford will never see another HNL team as cities like Houston and Kansas City have a much better shot and already have arenas. Quebec City and Hamilton have a better chance of landing teams than Hartford.
I was in the stands the night Chris Osgood (Goalie) of the Red Wings scored a goal. Then we got home just in time to see it again on Sports Center. I’m a converted Bruins fan now, but I will alway bleed green and blue.
Sucks in the greatest hockey video game ever created, ESPN NHL 2K5, the Whalers are the only throwback/relocated team not be included. In this game you can play as the Nordiques, original Winnipeg Jets, KC Scouts, Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Flames, Minnesota North Stars as well as throwback jerseys like the Kings purple road and yellow home uniforms, the Canucks "Flying V" and blue/green uniforms of the 70's, Oakland/California Seals, Cleveland Barons, as well as other classic teams from the early 20th century. I never found out why the Whalers weren't included in this.
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Hey Sports Historians! What did you think about the Whalers moving from Hartford to North Carolina? And what's one of your favorite Whalers memories?
It was heart breaking hoping we can get them back or atleast the NHL back in Hartford
@@Whalers860 For sure! If Hartford does get an NHL team back, I hope at the very least they can be named the Whalers and possibly even gain back their franchise history from the Hurricanes. The Winnipeg Jets were able to use their old name, so why not?
Hey I hope Hartford gets a team but it's a long shot
I remember going to games at the Hartford civic center circa 88-89 with my uncle and grooving hard to ‘Brass Bonanza’
Seeing gordies son play with his dad in the freaking nhl
I was born in 84 and grew up about 30 minutes outside Hartford. We went to about one game a week for many seasons during my childhood. I loved the game, and I loved the team. I attended many fan appreciation events and had autographs galore. I met so many players in the late 80s and early 90s. I played street hockey with my friends using actual sticks from players like Dineen and Liut. The Hartford Civic Center never felt small to me. It was familiar, and I loved that Dad and I could get a burger and fries at Wendy's before going to a hockey game in the same building. I had the Brass Bonanza on cassette, and I played it all the time, whether skating on a makeshift backyard rink or while swatting around a little ball in my basement family room with my pet cat, using the laundry room doorway as the goal. Even when they weren't playing well (we sometimes called them the Hartford Failures), we still went to games and cheered them on and hoped for a rare victory. I remember how cool I thought the new uniforms looked when they debuted the blue jerseys. I had Whalers posters all over the basement walls, and all kinds of team merchandise, from logo pucks to frisbee, from pennents and coat racks. We even had a poster of Bud Light mascot Spuds MacKenzie in Whalers gear hanging behind our basement bar, with Whalers drinkware on the shelf underneath. We were a Whalers family through and through, and to say "I bleed green," was an understatement. The team was sold when I was in 7th grade. I was 12. I cried, a lot. It was a long grieving period, and I stopped following the sport as a result. I still enjoy the game of hockey to this day, but without a team to root for, it lost its luster. Even if I were to start following a team again, and start going to games again, it would be different. The familiarity and nostalgia would be gone. It would have to be the Whalers, and it would have to be in that venue. I can't even tell you the last time I watched an NHL game in its entirety, but to this day I still have the 1988 Whalers team photo hanging up on the wall of my desk at work.
So when they left did you become a Bs, Rangers or Isle's fan? Or even Devils?
@@williamberry4615 I don’t think he ever picked another team based on the reading.
@@markb4201 no the ny/nj fans. They all say they hate each other til finals time
@@markb4201 or some of em even rooted for Boston when the Bs made the cup in 88 and 90. They had a lot of choices. But as a bruins fan I miss Hartford.
@@williamberry4615 right I know but it seems like he did not become a fan of any other team
Re: NHL Whalers, the greatest logo in the history of sports, bar none. Took me 25 years to notice that hidden H. Thanks for the video.
It’s all good took me 35 years to realize the Expos logo was an ‘m’ and that just happened less than a half hour ago when I was watching the what happened to the expos video on this channel.
@@freeparking301 took me almost 13 year to notice the wheel in Detroit’s logo and the number 11 in the Big Ten’s.
@@East419forLife Those are a couple things of good examples. When I was younger it took me a bit to see the letter “m” on the Brewers glove logo.
@@freeparking301 speaking of Milwaukee I’ll never understand how Wisconsin doesn’t have an NHL team.
@@East419forLife All those sunbelt teams but not one there where college hockey is pretty popular and there would be the natural geographic rivalry with the Blackhawks.
I got into hockey when I lived in Raleigh,NC. When I researched the Hurricanes history and noticed Hartford I was surprised. Having been to one of the Whalers Night events I love that Carolina embraces the history.
I'm a 51 year old Canadian, living in Windsor, Ontario, just across the border from Detroit. I've been a lifelong hockey fan of the Montreal Canadiens and I honestly miss the Whalers. Hartford's fans created an incredible atmosphere that in my opinion was easily among the top 5 or 6 in the league. I think 1986 was their best chance to win a Stanley Cup because they were the toughest challenge Montreal faced that year and they had a really good team. To the fans of the Whalers, I take my hat off to you and join you in hoping one day the NHL returns!
in 1986 they were so close to advancing to the finals and I recall, they lost a close game to Montreal in game 7. The Whalers had a really good team in 1985 and 86.
One of the greatest logos in sports history.
💯💯💯
It's a really smart logo and looks timeless
@@coastaku1954 looks classic yet modern the same time
As a hurricanes and north carolinian, i do hate how the whalers left. I love whalers night honoring their legacy. I would love to see them return one day, as long as its not our expense. Hell, i would probably root for them as long as the canes dont play them.
Yeah I would love to see them come back like the Jets did in Winnipeg. But it’s though with the Hartford market being so close to NYC and Boston 😔
The acknowledgement of the Whalers history only happened when Karmanos was out of the picture - that was his policy.
The league is not expanding, they have enough troubles with Arizona
@@michaelleroy9281 What's your opinion on either Florida or Arizona relocating?
@@torquetrain8963 Florida Panthers have a team that could contend for the Stanley Cup, probably not right now relocating as of today January 29 they're no 1 overall in the Eastern Conference they shouldn't have left downtown Miami where they started in 1993-94
I'm a lifelong Whalers fan but not from Hartford. So I just continued to cheer for the team when they became the Carolina Hurricanes. I cried in 2006 when they won the Cup after so many years of frustration and failure. I still tear up watching those highlights.
The trade by the Whalers to the Penguins of Ron Francis, Ulf Samuelsson, and Grant Jennings propelled the Pens to two Stanley Cups and changed the fortunes of hockey in Pittsburgh forever. Apparently it changed the fortunes of hockey in Hartford forever, too. Always loved the Whalers uniforms.
This what we call the lopsided trade ever.
I was just a boy in the early 80’s, living in New Brunswick, Canada, which is hundreds of kilometres from any NHL team. At night, signal skip meant I could pick up the radio broadcasts from Hartford and listen to the hockey games. My favourite player was Greg Malone and I loved the sound of Brass Bonanza! Thanks for the trip down memory lane
then you must remember when the whalers and malone torched the oilers..... what a game that was!
Just wanted to drop a comment to say that I shared this video with my students in Western Connecticut State University's Sports Writing class today and the students learned a lot and enjoyed the presentation.
That’s awesome! Glad they seemed to enjoy it and learned some things :)
During the 80s I had season tickets for five years for the Whalers and had too many fond memories. I recall one game the Whalers were losing to the Nordiques by two goals and fans were leaving in the middle of the third period. Hartford managed to come back and win the game 4 - 3 with seconds left. I do not remember the year, but remember the celebration as if they won the Stanley Cup. Yup, had to wait until 2006 for the organization to raise the cup as the Canes and not the Whalers. I hated the day the Whalers left for Carolina, but being a loyal fans continued to follow the team as a Hurricanes fan and still do. I STILL have and wear my Whalers jersey, both Home and Away, from time to time, now that I live in Alaska, and enjoy the smiles from hockey fans here that get a glimpse of the team. Brass Bonanza is my current ringtone on my phone. I am glad and happy to see the new owner of the Canes pays tribute to the organization that started it all. Without the Whalers there would be no hockey in Carolina. I had met Gordie Howe during a charity game for the youth hockey program in New London, CT, that I was a coach at the time for a Pee Wee team, and what an amazing guy he is. He spent time with fans, young and old alike, and talked hockey and life in general. Although Karmanos was an idiot, the organization was a class act and the players were awesome. Yes, bring back the Hartford Whalers and restore some hockey history.
Gordie Howe was one the coolest guys you'll ever meet. I lived on Long Beach Island NJ and Mark Howe kept his boat on the island and has a house. They were members of the Beach Haven Marlin and Tuna club as was I and I used to see them all the time at tournaments. They would bring old players like Bernie Parant Hextall etc. Anyway I used to hang with Marks daughter allot and would go over their shore house and would have dinner and stuff. Anyway he was always willing to chat and tell stories and was just a really nice guy
Absolutely, growing up I played hockey over in Middlesex County NJ and for a few years Mark Howe would run a summer camp at our rink. Being able to learn from Mark was obviously really cool (it’s a pet peeve of mine how little credit Mark gets due to being overshadowed by his dad, something I’m about to do anyway), but every now and then, he’d bring Gordie along and have him sit at the snack bar. All the players would try and sit as close to Mr. Hockey almost like they thought they could absorb a little bit of his talent by being within 10 feet of him. He would let kids wear his rings, sign their hockey equipment, take pictures with us, all of it. My greatest regret in life is that when I was able to get my picture taken with both Mark and Gordie, I had a really REALLY bad hockey mullet to the point where I am almost unrecognizable.
Don't forget Ken Griffey Sr and Jr in the Seattle Mariners?
I’m a Bruins fan and I say bring back the whalers! Those games were epic
Carolina already ripped off the Whalers uniforms
The Bruins won most of the games
100%
I grew up about 10 minutes north of Hartford and remember playing on the ice during intermission at the civic center and scoring a goal as a kid. I am still a die hard Boston sports fan with the exception of the bruins and have since become a Washington Capitals fan (Refuse to root for the hurricanes, blasphemy they are going to use the whalers jersey in February) after relocating outside of DC.
This was my NHL team.. I was devastated when they moved.. Bring back The Whalers!!
I loved the rivalry in Bruins land. Did u join us or join the dark side in NY?
We got the Jets back, it was impossible to get a ticket for 2 years, now it's back to normal.
@@sportsfix6975 as a cold weather city hockey fanatic (Boston), I was so happy to see Winnipeg get that team back. Atlanta didn't know 💩 about hockey. I think Phoenix should move to Quebec City and Miami (Florida Panthers) should move back up to Hartford. But good for you Winnipegians. Happy for you seeing how you had a great dynasty yrs back.
@@sportsfix6975 hey Andrew... Why did the Jets leave in the 1st place. Not like there's a shortage of fan support over there.
@@williamberry4615 because the fans were always shouting "GO JETS GO!", so they left...🤧
Bring Back the Whalers!
As a Connecticut native for the first 25 of my 27 years, it’ll never happen. Ct simply doesn’t have the market with Boston, 2 ny teams and a nj team all less than 2 hours out of state. Growing up I remember having heard the whispers of their return for YEARS. It took until I was an adult until I realized it simply wasn’t plausible and wasn’t going to happen. It’s nice that people still buy the merch and rep the history of the team. But when it comes down to it most hockey fans especially in the ct/tri state/New England area already have a team they support. To travel to a sort of shit hole city like Hartford Connecticut to see a hockey game? Yea no thanks. I’d rather have my teeth pulled wo anesthetic
Right after Quebec City.
@@jimbobogie8204 I am from Quebec city and we now have this amazing new arena waiting but this will never happen . 650 million dollars just to apply for a chance to be selected as a new concession and then what's next ? A bunch of players who start complaining about the Canadian taxes and want to be traded south of the border. Fuck 'Em. Quebec city is the most hockey craze place there is and we don't need a NHL team ever again. We are fine without it.
I had season tickets. The fans would leave their seats to go out to the food court to watch the UCONN women basketball. I can honestly say, not the best fans.
@@martinberthiaume4971 Hi Martin-but think of the fights with Montreal!😄
I grew up outside Hartford. We attended many Whalers games. I don’t remember them winning much, but it was fun to watch them. I still have fond memories of their theme blasting through the civic center. And the logo is awesome. I was in college by the time the team moved. It was disappointing but I also feel like Hartford and CT are too small for a major league sports team. Raleigh itself has a population 4x larger than Hartford. Plus Rowland was a terrible Governor imo so it’s no surprise his refusal to help build a stadium contributed to the move.
2 key things here Rowland bid high to host the Lawrence Taylor vs Bam Bam Biggelow event and tried to get the Patriots but if he really wanted to he could have saved the Whalers
I agree, that Governor Rowland was so bad and made some terrible decisions for the state. I also feel that Robert Kraft, the owner of the N.E Patriots played us all in Connecticut like a fiddle. He new all along that he was getting a sweeter deal in Foxboro. I was just praying it would be built in Hartford as a die hard Pats fan.
I miss the Whalers and the Nordiques.
Norris Division
all old time hockey fans do!!
Agreed! I think they had 2 of the best sweaters in the NHL
@@matthewcarey3148 They had the best sweaters, but as you know not the best teams
Me too
If the Whalers were still a team, or became a team again, they would be my new favorite.
I’ve always liked the Whalers. As a kid on Long Island and one of the first to get cable, they used to broadcast afternoon Whaler games. Their uniform, and Brass Bonanza made me a fan. Oh, and also that gray haired man out there skating against the young kids. It wasn’t until later that I learned about Gordie Howe. Fond memories indeed.
I remember growing up watching my Bruins beat them regularly. The Whalers definitely got the short end of the stick. There are too many other teams nearby. I was living in Norfolk when they were trying to pitch the team there. Moving to Raleigh was a good idea. Norfolk is too transient.
I feel for the city of Hartford, I lost my Rams in 1994, I was ten and I cried. When they returned home I cried. Stay strong Hartford the Whalers will return someday, keep your hopes alive.
The Whalers are such an iconic team. Had many of the leagues greats play for them. I'm glad to be hanging my signed Howe, Hull, Shanahan, Francis, Pronger and Liut jerseys on my wall
Living in Connecticut, the whalers are still remembered fondly. Their merch is still seen and respected, the Brass Bonanza is played at the hockey games of the University of Connecticut and we all want them back. Theyre convenient for people who don't want to spend an arm and leg on Boston or New York tickets
Met Gordie Howe as a kid...had lunch at his house in Glastonbury and had a red titan signed...one of the best moments of my life
Damn that’s incredible!
I’m more surprised that he lived in Glastonbury ( my town) it’s a small town and barely gets recognized. But that’s a very very cool story and your lucky as hell!
I am a die hard oilers fan (as you can probably tell from my icon) through and through. They always have been and always will be my number one. But I also have a love affair with whalers, I just love the history of the team and the uniforms so much and they had some absolutely amazing players. Such a cool piece of hockey history!
They moved to Carolina, made two cup finals, won one, and now have a storm surge. Please go to their games!!!!
For tickets as low as $15! Thats like a meal at Red Lobster.
Thank Marc Andre Bergeron for that ring.
No.
@@VCGGBPS2 damn are their prices really that good?
Why arnt you coming to our games?
I told the new owners you would be coming.
DONT MAKE ME A LIARRRRR!
Canes fan through and through, but love the Whalers unis from top to bottom, still prolly one of the greatest logos in sports. Go CANES!!!!
My dads family immigrated to Hartford when he was 5, the WHA was his introduction to hockey and he fell in love with the sport and the team. He’s been a fan from ‘72 to now.
I lived in Calgary and Edmonton during the late seventies and early eighties. Got to see a lot of WHA games, including Hartford several times - great memories.
The Adams division was great ! I remember watching the 88 playoffs against the Habs , hearing the Brass Bonanza for the first time and sayong - These are some great fans
As a lifelong Bruin's fan that now lives in Hartford I REALLY wish the Whalers were still a team, I turned old enough to start watching hockey (age 6 or 7) during thire last season, the first Bruin's game I ever went to was against the Whalers during the 96-97 season
I wish I could remember what game it was however Sean Burke stopped an onslaught of shots in a wild fury - Jim Jacobs of the Hartford Courant summed it up fantastically. Saying Sean Burke stopped more shots than Sonny Corleone at a Jersey Toll booth . Best sports line ever !
Ugh, still remember Burkie dashing the dreams of a Bolts' playoff berth in 97. Great goalie, and did end up on the Bolts for a season lol.
Great piece. I was born in 1970, started playing hockey at age 6, and used to scream Brass Bonanza in the shower as a kid. Favorite memory is Gordie Howe signing my stick when I was 7. The move was a crushing blow. I had just been able to afford a share of season tickets that last year. Stopped watching hockey for a long time.
Best logo ever. I just bought a whalers sweatshirt earlier today lol!
@All Sports History I Remember This Team When I Was a Kid From 1995 to 1997 Before They Moved To North Carolina!
I always feel bad for fans when their team moves away. The Whalers just never seem to have any luck. The Francis deal being a shining example.
It's interesting that out of the 4 WHA team that merged with the NHL, only the Oilers didn't fold. The Whalers had a very cool logo and nice uniforms I think.
Hopefully the Nords or the Whalers could come back like the Jets!
Having the greatest hockey player of all times win them 5 Stanley Cups in a single decade probably helped. Had Gretzky not been an Oilers, they would've met the same fate as all the other "small market" teams.
@@anthonyrousseau8050 I believe Gretzky was only there for 4, but point taken
It's also interesting that they even picked to get Hartford over the Houston Aeros in the first place. Texas at the time was an untapped hockey market, and Houston was already a huge market and some of the highest attendance in the WHA. You'd think that they'd want to tap into that untapped market, but hockey didn't embrace the South until Gretzky was traded to LA. Plus, the rivalry between the Bruins and the Hudson River trio must've been salivating.
The other former WHA teams didn't fold they just moved elsewhere
I grew up in Connecticut and often went to the Hartford Civic Center with many neighborhood friends to watch the Whalers play. It was a lot of fun and I got a lot of Autographs from Gordie Howe and his sons Mark and Marty, Ric Ley, and so on. Around 30 in total and I have them hidden away. I have 6 New England and Hartford Whalers yearbooks still. Great memories from the 70's and 80's. I now live in Raleigh North Carolina and go to a few games with my old shirts and hats. I miss those days a lot.
The Hartford Whalers were the first team I ever saw in person when they were visiting my Florida Panthers. Despite my love of hockey as a child (thanks, The Mighty Ducks and Sega Genesis), it took me at least a decade to discover the H in the negative space of their logo. The Whalers truly had the best logo in sports history. So subtle and magnificent.
Went to Gordie Howes last game in Detroit at the Joe. Crowd flopped and cheered for the Whalers. If any of the Wing so much as gave Jowe a nudge fans were all over him.
One of the best sports names/logo/colors ever!
I always felt the Whalers and Boston should've been in the same division as the Rangers and Islanders. The video failed to mention how close the Nassau Coliseum is to Hartford. There's also a ferry between LI and Bridgeport, CT.
Yeah they’re pretty close, about the same drive time as from MSG to Hartford but I’m guessing the ferry between LI and CT would be shorter. I think I did mention that Hartford is right in the middle of the NYC-Boston teams geographically, making it hard to have a wider fan base.
@@AllSportsHistory Great potential for great rivalry with fans having the opportunity to see their teams on the road.
In fact the Islanders at one time were looking for a hone when Brooklyn Barclays Center was found to be poor for hockey. Hartford was considered as a site for Islanders “ home” games being so close to Long Island. Thankfully they just built an arena in Elmont, Long Island for the Islanders.
As a Winnipegger, I have a soft spot for all of the WHA teams. Unfortunately I don’t see Hartford or Quebec City getting franchises anytime soon. I hope I am wrong. I thinks it’s just too much money, especially for QC. They would have to pay close to a 600-700 million US dollars which would be close to a billion dollars Canadian, and try to make their money back. Winnipeg got lucky with the Thrashers. True North bought the franchise at $170 million US when the Canadian dollar was at par with the US dollar.
I liked the Ottawa Nationals for their one season 1972-73 because of the logo
I was in HS in Bloomfield (just NW of Hartford) from 1974 - 1977 - and was a hockey player growing up (was a Big Bruins fan - actually got to watch the Bruins live in Boston Garden with my grandfather - from Boston - when I was a child - when the team was made up of Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito, Derek Sandersen, etc...!!!)... ...so I was all in with the Whalers!
I love all of the Whalers NHL Jerseys, the story of the Howe’s playing together is also very cool but mostly took place in the WHA where they won 2 Championships together.
I go to Hartford for business sometimes via Amtrak and I often walk by the civic center. I always wonder how downtown Hartford would have been popping during a good Whalers season. It's so quaint but walkable (for a NYCer, of course) and I imagine it would be fun with a popular sports team not-so-far away from NYC via train.
Peter Karmanos and John Rowland should have their own furnished apartments in hell. An absolute crime and tragedy. I still bleed green!!!
I agree Steve. But don't forget to reserve a room for Robert Kraft as well. It was his lies about moving the Patriots here that made losing the Whalers so much easier for leadership, and the state in general, to accept the loss of the Whale. We were going to get an NFL franchise as consolation at least...
Rowland was a train wreck, but no one was going to be able to deal with Karmanos, he was never acting in good faith from the start. I always felt that Shanahan had a heads up, like "just stick around, it'll be better next year wink wink". He made some weird comments on his way out of town, like he knew this bullshit was coming.
The Whalers first ever playoff appearance came in 1980, that year they were swept by the Montreal Canadiens 3-0 in the opening round.
only 4000 views? this is so well done and professional. love the content guys, hope your channel takes off
Thanks so much!! I hope so too!
What the video neglected to mention was that the Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup not long after moving from Hartford.
That may have been ours if the team just stayed here where they belonged!
Same thing happend to the North Stars in Dallas.
They won 8 years after the move. That cup belongs to Carolina. Period.
First NHL game I ever went to was Flyers vs. the Whalers at the old Spectrum. Always loved the Whalers logo. So it's not surprising the merch still sells well.
I miss my whalers. wolf pack is ok, but nothing beat a sea of blue and green.
This video needed the Mallrats reference. Breakfast may come and go. Hartford, the Whale, they only beat Vancouver once or twice in a lifetime. At the very least, it is one of the few pop culture references to the team that still exists.
The Whalers got absolutely screwed by Bettman and Karmanos.
Same thing in Twin Cities 1993 Gary Bettman and the North Stars
I was a rink rat and actually hung out at the Whalers very first training camp and was near their bench for their first exhibition game. I was a huge whalers fan and was sad when they packed up and moved to western New England though I understand. Still I was able to go to at least one game a year up until about the 1991-92 season.
THe original Logo is still the best but the newer one was very well done and creative.
They also played some games at the Boston arena, which was great fun since you sat so close.
Enjoyed watching the 80’s Whale teams when they would visit the Kings in LA…remember some of their players from that era…Mike Liut, Blake Wesley, Babych brothers …
I've seen a couple of videos on the Whalers and all them don't mention a couple of things; the rise of college basketball had a significant impact in eroding the Whalers fan base. To the point where UCONN women's basketball outdrawing 15,000 fans, and the Whalers were only drawing 6,000. This in turn hurt the perception of the not only the team, but the sport in Hartford. I went to a game in the latter days and I had one extra ticket that I tried to sell, and I couldn't even GIVE IT AWAY. It was (at the time) a $37 rink side seat, and I was offering it up for $25. A guy comes up to me and says, very obtusely, "I'll give you six dollars". I said "Six dollars, this is a $37 ticket", and he says "There's only 6,000 people here man", I told him "Don't insult me, pal". The Whalers were becoming a major league team, in a minor league market and were now second class citizens to women's basketball in their own building.
Secondly, the Whalers had little to no TV coverage in the lower half of the state. I know my cable system (Comcast) didn't carry Sports Channel New England that carried the Whaler games. The NHL blackout rules also meant that the NY Rangers and Islanders were often blacked out because of the Whaler home games.
The Whalers were a major league team in what was rapidly becoming a minor league market. I know some are hoping the Coyotes will relocate to Hartford, but the NHL wouldn't want a team moving from the 11th largest market in the country, to the 32nd largest market. With only Columbus being smaller .
As a Quebec fan during my childhood, every time they played At Hartford, I was hoping for an 8-7 Quebec win. That way I could still hear the Brass Bonanza 7 times. LOL
I miss the Hartford-Quebec Adams division playoff series!
I miss the Quebec-Montreal "tribal wars"! Quebec has the arena...now gett Mulroney's people on board and then keep the logo.
It is great they still pay a nice tribute to their roots.
Remember where you come from and where you are going to.
Been a Rangers fan for 4 decades. But if I could love any other team growing up, it was the Whalers. Visiting my cousins in Hartford was great when the Blueshirts and Whale played. And I loved Brass Bonanza. Bring Back The Whale!!!!
Still rock my Whalers Merch! Went to about 40 games in my childhood. Even remember the blind lady with the cowbell on, and she shook it every-time the Whalers Scored! #Hartford
Great video. I used to enjoy seeing the Whale when they would visit MSG.
Thanks!!
I'm glad they touched on the logo, as it is one of the best logos in all of sports.
I still have my Whalers/Nordiques uniforms as they were the first teams that I went for in the mid 80's and I'm an Aussie fan as well. It was extremely hard for me to follow my Whalers/Nordiques and with everything that happened I often questioned if it was worth it?! Because off the event mentioned here, I had to choose new teams via the Pens and the Canucks with a passing interest in Carolina via the Whalers tie in to them. Always deep down for the underdog squad....Took me a near 29 years for me to secure some green 80's and 90's Whalers uniforms here, damn hard to find when your US team is dead at the time. Damn those recent Adidas Whaler jerseys especially the grey variant?! So purdy!
1:09
One of the most bad ass sports coats in history!!!
Agreed!
It was rough in the 90’s-losing Hartford, Quebec, and Winnipeg.
And the awful uniform wave of that decade 🤦♂️
Amazing Video. Really hoping they return in some capacity some day!
Thanks! Yeah me too, it happened once with the Winnipeg Jets maybe it can happen again!
And it happened to ottawa
As a Bostonian Bruins fan I loved that rivalry.
One of my best memories was being in the old Boston Gardens on a trip from Canada to watch my beloved Whaler's play the Bruins. The Bruins fans were merciful to me in my Whaler's jersey in the stands.
@@svart_kors well ya. Ct is part of NE. I loved those green uniforms. But weren't u a fan of your respected provinces pro team? Why Hartford?
@@svart_kors at 8 and 9 years old I was heartbroken in 1990. They went to Hartford and seven they went through Montreal and 7 then swept Washington just to lose to Edmonton in five and Gretzky was already in La so it was Messier period but it was cool to have a New England rivalry. Just south of us
One sided rivalry look up the all time meetings between the teams and it was mostly Bruins on top
@@michaelleroy9281 still it was nice to have a different new england city pro team. I mean Connecticut is pretty much half New England and half New York fans. When it's in their favor they can choose between 4 NE teams and 10 NY and NJ teams. They already have the NY accent. It's not Boston or NY but close
Very informing video All Sports. Had no clue the Whalers and Patriots almost played in the same city. Also today the NHL unveiled new retro Jerseys for all NHL teams, and the Hurricanes went with the Whalers as their retro throwbacks!
Thank you! Yeah I saw the new retro jerseys that were announced, I’m really liking most of them. I also thought it was interesting that the Avs chose to go with the Nordique throwbacks but in Avs colors while the Canes went with the Whalers but in Whaler colors 🤷♂️
@@AllSportsHistory Exactly! Being an Avs fan myself I was very happy to see them go back to the Nords Logo.
I was disc jockey t from 1979-81.I saw a story about a Whalers player on the teletype which identified said player as "the 11 year old veter1r veteran."I sent it to Real People but it was never aired on the show.I actually had to explain why it was funny to many I showed it to.BTW,good for the Governor for refusing to build a new arena.
Very well done! You may want to make an addition. The Whalers made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the 1979-80 season....their first NHL season. They were swept by Montreal 3 games to none. Should you choose to expand on this....you may want to explore Lowell Weicker's role in the move south. He just happened to land a spot on the board of directors of Compuware at about the same time as the move.. He still resides there.
Thank you!! Yeah definitely a bunch more to include in a follow of up video, great ideas for notes to add!
Marc, you are right about the Whalers making the playoffs because Gordie Howe finished his career in game 3.
Regarding the Whalers's logo... the green that you say represents the 2 inverted hockey sticks also depicts a "W" for Whalers.
I remember watching their last ever playoff game in 1992. They were the third-worst team in the league and only got in because Quebec was worse. They were huge underdogs vs. Montreal and yet they pushed the Habs to Game 7 double OT. Yvon Corriveau had the series on his stick but missed on a breakaway. The Whalers would get scored on, minutes later. It was curtains from there, as the Nordiques beefed up from the Eric Lindros trade. That meant that Hartford couldn't beat up on them anymore and thus their playoff backdoor was closed.
Hi from a Quebec Nordiques fan here. Man ! Did Quebec ever sucked in the early 90's or what ? We were number 1! We even beat the Colorado Rockies record for the least point in a season if I remember well.
@@martinberthiaume4971 Yeah, that was the 89-90 season, if I recall. Joe Sakic undoubtedly has a place in the history books for being on a team that terrible but then also on a Cup winner. What a journey!
That game 7 loss against Montreal still hurts
Lemieux ♡ at 5:55
The Whalers blew it with the jerseys when they made navy blue the dominating color for the 1992-93 season
How Did The Whalers Blew It With The Navy Blue Jerseys For?
Nope. The navy blue is gorgeous.
@@vinceniederman The green 💚 ones I thought were much better looking
@@michaelleroy9281 Really?
Agreed. The green whalers jerseys were iconic. The navy blue ones were average looking.
Still have a 81-82 Whalers sweater with #14 Keon on it. Will go to my grandkids and help to keep hockey history alive.
The last team Dave Keon played for in his final season
I had never heard that Hartford stadium story about polluted soil at the site - I'd always heard Kraft had just duped Rowland like a bitch into being leverage over his Foxboro investors.
Yeah, I know that in the contract Kraft signed with Rowland there was a mandated date that the stadium in Hartford had to be completed by (something like before the 2002 season). And if that date wasn't met, or it was clear it wasn't going to be met, Kraft had legal grounds to terminate the deal (which is exactly what happened). SOOO it's possible that the construction site really did have a lot of pollution issues, but I also think Kraft would have found anyway possible to get out of the original deal with Rowland because Foxboro offered a much better deal to Kraft. The pollution situation just happened to be a convenient excuse.
Greatest goal song in the past, present, and future.
Sandwiched between Boston and New York, this small market team still managed to sell out with regularity. It was a hard ticket to get for years. And then the team was utterly mismanaged, to a degree never before seen in professional sports. With coaches and GM's getting bagged for DWI's on the way home from games. A mutiny from the team, led by their captain against the worst coach to ever have coached a sport, in Pierre McGuire. After nearly 15 years without fielding a competitive team, the New England Patriots owner, Robert Kraft, lied to state leadership and said they were moving to CT. This disincentivised the state from any legitimate attempts to come to an agreement to keep the team in town. They moved. And then the Patriots didn't. The end.
Don't forget that after this Robert Kraft flew down to Florida to get a "massage", or as he calls it a "happy ending".
kraft is public enemy number one in my book. i despise the patriots because of that stunt.
What happened? Eddie Johnston, Peter Karmanos, Gary Bettman, and John Rowland happened.
I suppose it wasn't surprising at that point considering what already happened to Winnipeg and Quebec City. The NHL evolved a lot from the business side during the 90's so unfortunatly several of the smaller market teams got swallowed up.
If the Oilers didn't already have Northlands Colliseim, they would have been gone too.
Absolutely. Peter Pocklington threatened to move the team every five minutes in the 90's.
@JoeyArmstrong2800 Great memories lol... But I see his side of it too, It might be the dream of many to own an NHL team but you can't do at a loss. Northlands was the first thing that saved the Oilers, the salary cap was the second.
@@Viprz Yup.The Oilers were always relatively competitive during this period and especially the end of the 90's. Those first round series against Dallas were something I always looked forward to because you knew it was coming.
@JoeyArmstrong2800 The Oilers/Stars playoff series in 1997 was one of the best I've ever seen but the whole rivalry proves my point, the Stars were big market and could aquire/retain star players (eventually winning the Cup), the Oilers were small market and could not.
@@Viprz Best series I've ever seen. Marchant's goal is burnt into my memory banks. It's a shame because they had such a great team in 97-98-99. Just no money to really keep it together.
The Whalers had the bad habit of trading their best players away. I heard attendance was so bad in North Carolina that they tried to get people from Connecticut to travel to North Carolina to attend the games. Most of us told them where to go.
You forgot to mention that the nascent Whalers also played at the Boston Arena by Northeastern University in their early days due to the Boston Garden being used by the Bruins,Celtics and AHL Braves.
That’s true! The Whalers were treated like a black sheep unwanted step child at the Boston Garden haha.
The Whalers belong in Hartford!
More hockey videos please, just found this channel and subbed, solid content
Thanks for the sub!! I’ll have another hockey video coming next month :)
Saw my first games in Hartford! We would drive from Southern NH.... good times...
sooo many good memories going to whalers games
great video, love the production quality! Curious to know how you made the timeline motion graphic in the beginning. I assume you used after effects?
Thanks, appreciate that! Yeah I used an After Effects template from video hive, and then I just updated it with Whalers stuff. Here’s the site I got it from: videohive.net/category/after-effects-project-files?term=timeline%20history&gclid=CjwKCAjw9vn4BRBaEiwAh0muDAlP_NzMCTMbwJ7jBMQwMwWP_CFDGUKxRZKRu0OzZfVGSJHvpWhOCBoCSG4QAvD_BwE
This was a solid history. One thing that contributed to fans losing interest wasn't just losing seasons. In the 90s when NHL popularity took off, it was obvious that Hartford was low budget. Other teams were doing laser shows and merchandising and all kinds of arena presentation upgrades. Meanwhile a Whalers game would start and there was nothing of the sort. So you're paying the same $55 you'd pay in Boston or Philly and you're getting a boring experience. Which is why the Wolf Pack added all of those enhancements and (if you weren't too butthurt to actually go) it was a mind blowing upgrade to all the stuff you'd seen on TV and been denied. . This might be apocryphal, but in 1997 when they moved, the Whalers were the only NHL franchise that didn't even have a website.
That's a great point, especially about their website...that's hard to believe that didn't have one haha! Nowadays teams have moved beyond just in game entertainment, and are looking to build up the area around the arenas so that they own the real estate all around it (i.e. bars, restaurants, movie theaters, etc). That way the team can attract people to come earlier and stay longer after games, as well as having money coming in all year long even during the off seasons. Not sure how this effects smaller market clubs as of yet, but some owners may not have the cash flow to buy out the area around their arenas which can put them at a further disadvantage.
@@AllSportsHistory It would have been interesting what might have happened - the arena Karmanos was going to be gifted was to be built in the suburbs. Hartford is a city that is scary and intimidating in the minds of too many of the white people within 50 miles that a franchise would require to survive. The suburban arena would have short circuited all of these people's stock excuses about their racist fears of black and brown people, inconvenient traffic, and too far from their TGIFs or Applebys. Lol
The Old Boston Garden closed in 1995, and could never do 1/4th of “extra-curriculars” they do now....the Bruins routinely had good crowds...the Celtics invented pro basketball in that building. Regarding the Whalers not having a website in ‘97, our family didn’t even have a home computer until 2004. Many small businesses still don’t. Internet was for nerds and geeks back then.
@@CatholicTraditional In Boston, they could have filled the Garden without doing anything - if any city needed a gimmick to get butts in seats, it was Hartford. And it's mostly true what you said about computers - but when every OTHER team in the league had one, it's pretty telling that this backwater dump team didn' tbother. Note they started the next year in Carolina with an amazing shiny website.
As a Boston born and bred die hard Bruins fan, the Hartford Whalers were the one team I loved to hate. Their rivalry with the Bruins was on par with the Canadiens, Sabers, and Flyers. A Bruins/Whalers clash always made for a great night of hockey
A great rivalry for sure!!
Adams division for life! ✊
I loved the Whalers because I could see the Penguins in Boston and Hartford once or twice a season.
I still love their logo and team colours. Hartford will never see another HNL team as cities like Houston and Kansas City have a much better shot and already have arenas. Quebec City and Hamilton have a better chance of landing teams than Hartford.
Just found this channel excellent content and well done about the Whalers definitely should still be a team in the NHL
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
Can not un-see the original H in the logo now.
Thank you!!!!
I was in the stands the night Chris Osgood (Goalie) of the Red Wings scored a goal. Then we got home just in time to see it again on Sports Center. I’m a converted Bruins fan now, but I will alway bleed green and blue.
Always been a Bs fan. Glad to have u with us. 1 thing Whalers and Bruins fans always agreed on was we hate Montreal.
A favorite memory was watching the Whalers play sofball (charity game) againt the Enfield, CT police department.
Sucks in the greatest hockey video game ever created, ESPN NHL 2K5, the Whalers are the only throwback/relocated team not be included. In this game you can play as the Nordiques, original Winnipeg Jets, KC Scouts, Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Flames, Minnesota North Stars as well as throwback jerseys like the Kings purple road and yellow home uniforms, the Canucks "Flying V" and blue/green uniforms of the 70's, Oakland/California Seals, Cleveland Barons, as well as other classic teams from the early 20th century. I never found out why the Whalers weren't included in this.
Best logo in the league
Agreed!
It’s pretty good. The hawks also have a sic logo.
Really nice work!
Thank you!