Hartford Whalers - a team that has been waiting for 20 years

In 1875, Canada hosted the first ever official hockey match in history. Since then, this game has managed to win the hearts of millions of fans around the world. The National Hockey League is one of the most exciting and spectacular tournaments on the planet. The best teams fight for the right to own the Stanley Cup. The league was formed in 1917. It then included only 4 teams. This season, 31 teams are participating in the league. For their 100-year history, different teams played in the league, some of them ceased to exist. One such team is the Hartford Whalers.

History

The team was formed in 1979 in the American city of Harford (Connecticut). In the period from 1979 to 1997, she played in the regular championships of the USA and Canada. The native stadium is the "Hartford Civic Center." At the beginning of its career, the club played in the arenas of Boston's Boston Arena and Springfield Springfield Civic Center.

The team was remembered for its game at the World Hockey Association, which included under the name New England Whalers ("New England Whalers"). The best game season for the Whalers was 1972/1973, where they were second in the regular season, behind only the Winnipeg Jets in the final game. In the photo the same “golden composition” of the team.

In 1979, the Whalers moved to the NHL due to the cessation of the WHA. In the same year, they change their name to the familiar Hartford Whalers ("Hartford Whalers"). In the NHL, things are not going as well for the team as in the VHA. They rarely make their way to the playoffs and fly out in the first knockout match. In the 1986/1987 season, the team manages to defeat Charles Adams in the quarterfinals of the Stanley Cup. The 1990s were a failure for the team: a series of losses forces the club to “sell” promising players to other teams in order to cover losses. After the 1997/1998 season ended, Hartford Whalers changed its name to Carolina Hurricanes (Carolina Hurricanes) and moved to the city of Raleigh. Whalers beat their last game against Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1.

Team Performance Statistics for the NHL Regular Championship

Consider the statistics of the performance of “whalers” in the NHL. What were the results?

Hall of Fame

Despite the fact that the club did not exist for long, its members managed to visit real world hockey stars.

8 former team members are included in the Hockey Hall of Fame:

• Gordy Howe - right-handed forward, his statue erected during the course of the Museum of the Hockey Hall of Fame, played in 1977 - 80 years;
• Dave Keon, the center forward, spent 1976-1982 at the Hartford Whalers;
• Mark Howe - defender, was part of the team in 1979-1982;
• Bobby Hull - left winger, spent in the team 1980 years;
• Ron Francis - the central striker, played for the team in 1981-1991;
• Paul Coffey - defender of the team in 1996;
• Brendan Shenahan - right and left winger, was in the team in 1995-1996;
• Chris Pronger - Defender, 1993-1995.

Return

In 2013, former Hartford Whalers owner Richard Gordon, in an interview for the WFSB, spoke about the team’s return. At the same time, he expressed hope for the return of “Carolina Hurricanes” as successors to the team in Hartford. There was no talk of creating a new team in the interview. Despite the fact that the team has not been performing for more than 20 years, their return is very much awaited in their hometown. In Hartford, you can easily find the team form and other fan attributes.

As a sign of respect to the Whalers team, 11/24/2018 the Carolina Hurricanes team put on a white-blue-green Wailers uniform against the Boston Bruins. Fans greeted their favorite team with a standing ovation.