HARTFORD, Conn – The Connecticut Whale got their first TV air time Saturday night since 2007 when the team was known as the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Wednesday night the Whale could get some exposure on a much larger scale, as part of the first of four episodes in HBO’s “24/7: Road to the NHL Winter Classic” series leading to the fifth Winter Classic on Jan. 2 at 1 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, where the Flyers will host the New York Rangers.
While a good crowd of 5,598 at the XL Center and a WCCT-TV audience watched the Whale beat the Providence Bruins 3-0 behind Cam Talbot’s 27 saves Saturday night, millions could see the Whale’s green and white, as HBO asked the AHL team for footage of Sean Avery while he played on Asylum Street for two games in October. That should also give the team and other Whale players more exposure, which is always a good thing and a major reason the team is televising five games on WCCT this season.
Plus, the Rangers have nine players besides Avery who have plied their trade in Hartford – captain Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh, Michael Sauer, Michael Del Zotto and the newest call-ups, John Mitchell and Carl Hagelin. And All-Star defenseman Marc Staal, who played his first 12 pro games with the Wolf Pack in the 2006 playoffs, is on injured reserve with post-concussion symptoms.
Then there’s the Hartford Whalers influence on the Flyers, in general manager Paul Holmgren and top defenseman Chris Pronger, the second overall pick in 1993. Pronger was on a preview released by HBO last week but is out indefinitely with concussion-like symptoms, which is certain to be part of the cable network’s series. And former Rangers Jaromir Jagr, Blair Betts and Jody Shelley are on the Flyers’ roster.
For those interested in viewing Part I on Wednesday night, tune in HBO at 10 p.m. and see the Rangers, Flyers and perhaps a bit of the Whale.
Then on Dec. 31 at 1 p.m., Hockey Hall of Famers Mark Messier, Cheshire native Brian Leetch, Glenn Anderson and Mike Gartner will be among the former Rangers in the Winter Classic alumni game against the Flyers on the same rink as the NHL teams will use. Messier, the NHL’s second leading all-time scorer (1,887 points), and Leetch, who won the Conn Smyth Trophy as playoff MVP, led the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup in 54 years in 1994. Messier was scheduled to undergo shoulder surgery this month and was uncertain if he’d be ready to play, but he postponed the surgery and says he’s good to go after running the New York City Marathon for the first time last month.
Other Rangers scheduled to compete include former Wolf Pack players Dale Purinton, Dan Blackburn and Darius Kasparaitis and former Hartford Whalers Nick Fotiu, Darren Turcotte and Nick Kypreos, along with Adam Graves, John Vanbiesbrouck, Brian Mullen, Ron Duguay and commentator Dave Maloney, whose son Dave Jr. now works for the Whale. Coaches will be Mike Keenan, Colin Campbell and former Whalers general manager Emile Francis. The Rangers’ off-ice ambassadors will be Rod Gilbert, Ed Giacomin and Harry Howell, all of whom have had their numbers retired. For ticket information on the alumni game, call 212-465-6080.
Fans can vote at www.Blueshirtsunited.com for the starting lineup for the Rangers team in the alumni game. By casting a vote, fans will be entered to win a host of prizes, including Winter Classic jerseys and tickets to the alumni game and Winter Classic. The Rangers are offering special one-day and three-day NHL Winter Classic Road Trip packages presented by Amtrak. Packages include round-trip transportation to Philadelphia, game tickets, access to a pregame tailgate party with Rangers alumni, passes to watch practice and much more. For more information, visit www.newyorkrangers.com .
A third AHL outdoor game will be played at Citizens Bank Park on Jan. 6, when the Adirondack Phantoms, formerly based in Philadelphia and the Flyers’ top affiliate, will host the Hershey Bears. That will be two days after a collegiate exhibition game between Penn State and Division III Neumann University.
By Bruce Berlet
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