The Hartford Whalers Booster Club – hoping for a hat trick for Hartford!

By: Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb

Displaying the same tenacity of former Hartford Whalers’ goalie Sean Burke in keeping opponent’s pucks out of the net, the Hartford Whalers Booster Club has not given up its campaign to bring the National Hockey League back to Hartford, Connecticut. As far as some residents are concerned it is a pipe dream but recently hopes were stirred again when Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy announced at least two groups were interested in trying to acquire a NHL team for the Insurance City.

Hartford Whalers Booster Club members faithfully march in the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Connecticut’s capital city.

Regardless of whether anything comes of this latest announcement, it’s a safe bet the club will carry on. In 1997 the Whalers relocated to North Carolina and morphed into the Hurricanes, yet faithfully members of the HWBC march in Hartford’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, sponsor a scholarship for a graduating senior planning to play collegiate hockey, hold regular meetings and maintain their status as a NHL associate booster club.

All of this serves not only to keep the dream of NHL “Hockey Night in Hartford” alive but, as well, memories of beloved former Whalers such as Ronnie Francis, Kevin Dineen and Ulf Samuelsson. Each of whom, with the one time team theme song “Brass Bonanza” periodically blaring, had their Whalers’ jersey numbers – respectively, 10, 11 and 5 – retired during a ceremony held in downtown Hartford on January 6, 2006. The event was hosted by AHL affiliate The Wolf Pack as part of a game – later the Wolf Pack was renamed The Whale, but has reverted to its original title.

“I still bleed green, too” Dineen told some 12,200 fans who filled seats in the Hartford Civic Center arena that night.

“Bleed green” – clearly, words that must be like music as sweet to the Hartford Whalers Booster Club as the powerful sound of Brass Bonanza!

The next meeting of the HWBC is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 10 at Friendlys restaurant on Silas Deane Highway in Wethersfield. For more information visit whalerwatch.com.