Comments on: Return of the Whalers? Howard Baldwin thinks he can make it happen (again)

By: slackpro84

slackpro84 — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:01:07 +0000

I grew up in NY going to both Ranger and Isles games my entire life. I love hockey.

I also loved the Whalers and bought season tickets, and travelled the distance from college in Mass and home on LI to make all the games. I loved it.

Since the team was killed by the league and slimebag pete karmanos I have lost a lot of passion for hockey. Still a great game but there aren’t any character teams anymore. No real underdogs. Fewer great rivalries.

If the Whalers came back I’d be buying NHL center Ice and dragging my friends and fam to every game I possibly could. I miss being fanatical about a team I can actually watch and root for.

Unfortunately the NHL has created a new formula for teams the Whale just doesn’t fit in:

1) Pick a mainstream/safe name that is boring: Predators, Panthers, Hurricanes (yawn….)
2) Make sure you do your best to incorporate black and/or red color schemes
3) Disregard game history in terms of existing rivalries, division names, retired numbers, etc
4) Don’t upset Boston or New York with additional rivals (other smaller cites you can screw over)
5) Disregard the hotbed of hockey fabs in new england and canada — shoot for southerners that love nascar and college football, that’s the ticket!

Until them I’ll be at every isles and rangers game I score free tickets or heavily discounted tickets (or games where I bribe the ticket agent to let me in for $20 — it works!), with my HARTFORD WHALERS jersey, dreaming of the day….

By: atwatercrushesokoye

atwatercrushesokoye — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 01:53:56 +0000

Finding a team to buy and relocate seems like the easiest part of this situation.

By: bobo8192

bobo8192 — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:41:52 +0000

Your article is filled with misinformation. First off the XL Center’s capacity would still hover around 15-16,000 post renovations, not 18,000. It would be financed through redevelopment bonds, private investors and public funds. Who are you to proclaim it sounds like a “stacked deck” If you were closer to the situation you would know that the XL Center is due for renovations or new arena anyways. 105 million vs. 400 million is a lot easier to present to the public. Also you failed to mention the biggest player in all of this, UConn is 100% behind this plan. The governor spends money at will and this deal makes to much sense for him to turn down. Do a little research before you try to pass off your misinformed opinion as fact, after all it is your job.

By: greatminnesotasportsmind

greatminnesotasportsmind — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 23:02:35 +0000

Nordiques will be re-born next season, according to sources. This is the last year of NHL hockey in Phoenix.

By: greatminnesotasportsmind

greatminnesotasportsmind — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 23:00:16 +0000

Like the Rangers/Islanders/Devils aren’t close? XL Arena would be renovated to be an NHL arena.

By: greatminnesotasportsmind

greatminnesotasportsmind — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:58:54 +0000

Your dead right. The AHL/IHL tried to replace the North Stars with the Moose. They eventually moved to Winnipeg before we got the Wild here. Wild had sold out every game until last year.

By: govtminion

govtminion — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:54:56 +0000

I’d love to see it happen… but agreeing with the others in here, it’s just not feasible right now, if ever. Being a small-ish city parked right in the middle between the New York threesome and Boston, it’s going to be tough to get fans in seats. Quebec City is much more likely.

By: unknowneric

unknowneric — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 21:55:57 +0000

“We’d love to see the Whalers reborn, we’re shameless for 80s-90s nostalgia here, this plan just doesn’t make it feel very likely given that you’re asking the people to give up so much money to make it happen.”

Extremely well-said. The 10-year-old in me wants the Whalers back and “Brass Bonanza” blaring from the arena horn again, but it just doesn’t make sense at the present time. I’ll just have to settle for being happy to see the Jets back for now.

By: firemarshal1

firemarshal1 — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 21:40:13 +0000

Hartford Whalers uniforms were awesome.

By: pastabelly

pastabelly — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:43:29 +0000

Too close to Boston and NY, no NHL arena, and small tv market. Three strikes.

By: brucewaynewins

brucewaynewins — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:32:16 +0000

I don’t know if minor league attendance is the best precursor for NHL attendance. There are other contributing factors. In some cities people only want to watch NHL, NFL, MLB, NBA, etc. They won’t accept minor league teams. Same as some cities only want college and some won’t support college sports.

Another thing to look at is businesses. Companies, especially larger ones, tend to buy more season tickets or are more likely to buy season tickets if its a major league level team.

That doesn’t mean that Hartford could or could not support an NHL team. I’m just saying I feel its something that isn’t as obvious or transparent as most might expect.

But that’s just my opinion not a fact.