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Remembering The Hartford Whalers

“You make sure, they remember, forever, the night they played the Titans.” – Will Patton (aka Coach Bill Yoast), Remember The Titans, 2000. 

In much the same way that “Remember the Titans” has a cult-like following and has taken on a life of its’ own, so too has the story of the Hartford Whalers. 

Originally, the Hartford Whalers were members of the now-defunct WHA (World Hockey Association). And when The WHA merged/folded into The NHL in 1979, only four teams were included; one being The Hartford Whalers. 

At the time, nobody could have possibly imagined that more than 45 years later, The Whalers have cemented a legacy that defies sense. They never won The Stanley Cup. Heck, they don’t even “exist” anymore. In 1997, The Whalers franchise moved to North Carolina and was rechristened as The Carolina Hurricanes. And yet, The Whalers live on as one of the most popular teams in NHL history and Present Day.

Pat Pickens is a sports writer, author and producer, having just come out with his new documentary about the long-lost Hartford NHL team. “The Whalers” premiered at Cinestudio in Hartford, Connecticut last weekend in front of a sold-out crowd of approximately 400 people. And now, we’ve checked in with Pickens to learn a little more about this film and why The Whalers’ legacy endures to this day.

*Editor’s Note: Questions and Answers have been lightly edited for clarity.

Q: Why was now the right time for this documentary?

Pickens: “It’s because this (their legacy) continues. That’s part of what makes this. It could have been now, it could have been five years from now. It just doesn’t seem to go away. That’s what was compelling about this story in the first place. This whole project started almost 15 years ago, from my standpoint, with my book. It all started because I was in Connecticut and I saw the Whalers’ logo everywhere. That’s where the whole thing started and it really hasn’t stopped since. 

“The Hurricanes trot the logo out once a year. They had their reverse retro, it was a Whalers’ jersey, as their first reverse retro in 2021. People jumped on board with that. The logo is everywhere. The colors are (everywhere), just go to The NHL Shop. We had this conversation at the premier with Howard Baldwin and he mentioned that Peter Karmanos Jr., who used to own the Hurricanes, had said that there was more Whalers stuff for sale at The NHL Shop. He was angry that there was more Whalers stuff available for sale at The NHL Shop than there was Hurricanes stuff. That kind of speaks to what’s going on with the brand revival element in terms of the Hurricanes bringing the logo out and having the Whalers Night every year.

“But there’s also this sort of legacy piece and we touched it in the film at the very end where there’s just this robust number of former Whalers who tend to pop up everywhere. From Ray Ferraro on ESPN to Mike Liut, who’s one of the highest profile agents to Ron Francis who’s the GM in Seattle. Pat Verbeek is the GM in Anaheim. Dean Evason is having a resurgent year with Columbus (as their Head Coach). 

“They all love to talk about their time in Hartford. I understand that it’s been a long time, it’s been almost three decades since there’s been a team in Hartford, but it seems more relevant than ever just based on the fact the logo doesn’t go away. The Brass Bonanza is super catchy and popular. The huge number of alums who are former Whalers. I was watching the game the other night between Colorado and Edmonton and Ray Ferraro was referencing his time in Hartford. So I think there’s never a bad time (to do stuff on the Whalers). They are as relevant now as they ever have been and I think they will (always) continue to be.”

Q: Were any of the alumni involved with the project and how was the premier received?

Pickens: “We had a bunch (of alum involved with the film). Most of them have not seen it, frankly. We had our premier event this past weekend. Howard Baldwin was there and Chuck Kaiton was there. André Lacroix was the other alum who was there. The event sold out very quickly. We sold out like 400 seats at Cinestudio in Hartford. 

“The whole weekend was also surrounded with a bunch of events for former players. They got to participate in the Wolf Pack game on Saturday night. So, we have not gotten it to the number of people who we spoke with yet. The plan is obviously to get it out to as many people as possible. But we are ecstatic about how the film was received.”

As a quick note, Pickens mentioned how even though the film is not yet available on streaming, they do have a plan to eventually get it to that point. 

Q: Why do you feel the legacy of The Whalers continues to endure?

Pickens: “There’s more to the story than just what people know. It’s more than just the alumni. It’s more than just the Brass Bonanza. It’s more than just the logo. And we cover all those things in the film. There was a hockey team there (in Hartford); a Stanley Cup competitive team some years. 

“Due to a combination of economic shifts from North to South and West along with some circumstances that really did not end up favoring the team. It was an organization that moved and now it’s almost like the hockey team gets forgotten amid everything. There was a very good hockey team there for a number of years. I’m not saying there could potentially be again, but, if not for the butting of heads and a handful of other terrible decisions through the years, there could still be an NHL team in Hartford.”

Q: How does the Hartford Wolf Pack fit into this? Have they assumed part of the mantle of The Whalers’ legacy in Hartford?

Pickens: “The city has been slow to embrace the Wolf Pack and I think it’s unfortunate in some ways, but it’s understandable in other ways. Them being a Rangers affiliate does not help the Wolf Pack’s case. I’ve come to realize, there’s a Double-A baseball team in Hartford, the Yard Goats, that the city and the surrounding areas fully embrace. They get 8,000 seats sold every game for years now. It’s a wonderful little ballpark for a Double-A team, but it’s a Colorado Rockies affiliate. So you don’t have that sort of anti-fan feeling like you would if it was the Yankees, Red Sox or Mets.

“I think there is something to that with the Wolf Pack. The Whalers’ fans and Booster Clubs are still active and they don’t feel they’ve been treated well by the Wolf Pack. They feel like they’ve been ostracized in some ways. I know that they don’t love the fact it’s a developmental team. They had hockey at the highest level and now they’re in a developmental league, especially in a developmental program for the Rangers. 

“They don’t wear green and blue. They wear the Rangers colors. These may seem like minute issues to some people, but these are things that people have brought up, that they have not felt the same toward the Wolf Pack that certainly they felt towards the Whalers.

“It’s sort of holding the city back in terms of putting its best foot forward with hockey fandom. There is passion and there is excitement for hockey. A lot of fans have been sort of left wondering what are they supposed to do. They don’t wanna root for the Rangers. The Rangers fans were not good to them when the Rangers would play in Hartford.

“They don’t wanna become Bruins fans, even though many of them have. Some of them have started cheering for the Hurricanes, but many of them say they’d never do that. So, yes, the Wolf Pack are there, but they certainly haven’t replaced the Whalers by any means due to some of the factors I referenced. Plus, it’s hard to get behind The AHL when you’ve had The NHL in your (backyard). It’s a lesser on-ice product and it’s tough for some of them.”

This is just the tip of the iceberg in the story of The Hartford Whalers. While the film is not yet widely accessible for all to see, the day is coming where it will be and it promises to be a treat for hockey fans. We don’t want to spoil too much but as Pickens described, there are so many Gordie Howe stories and so many other stories about the franchise that the film goes into. 

So, we’ll leave it at that, and in the meantime, fans can take solace in the fact that hockey has a team whose legacy continues to live on past its time. To paraphrase Will Patton, You make sure, they remember, forever, the Hartford Whalers.

 
 

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