One of the most lamented teams to depart the NHL landscape was the Hartford Whalers. It was a small market with a fun goal horn and a logo that made you feel clever if you spotted the H and the W. But they were never good, and that market was, indeed, too small. They moved to Carolina, but not before we all got to play them on NHL 94.
The Whalers changed their name to the Hurricanes because whaling was apparently not a big activity in Raleigh, like it was in Connecticut. As fun as the Hurricanes are now, there is a large portion of the country that will always miss the Whalers. I suspect the biggest portion is in and around Hartford.
But what do people miss most about the Whalers? Do they miss the name and the color scheme, or do they miss having a team play in Hartford with Brass Bonanza blaring when they scored a goal? Carolina tried to answer that question with their throwbacks from this past season, but I’m not sure the spiritual connection was made.
So perhaps then, it is that people miss having a team in Connecticut. Probably New York area writers most of all. Let’s try having the Hurricanes play in Hartford a couple of times a year. If there is a silver lining to the impact of Henri, it is that calling a team the Hartford Hurricanes is not as out of place as it once seemed.
Barry Melrose Rocks is not above making cheap and lazy connections about current events and hockey, but acknowledge that Henri — compounds and adds to the struggles that many residents are going through. Please consider a donation to the Red Cross to help those in Southern New England, as well as those in distress all around the world.
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