End of the Whale Part II?
In 1997, the hockey world was delivered a tough blow when the Hartford Whalers (aka The Whale) packed up and headed south to Carolina to become the Hurricanes.
13 years later, Whalers Sports & Entertainment, who owned the business side of the Rangers AHL affiliate Hartford, brought the popular name back by changing the team's mascot from the Wolf Pack to the Whale.
Well, it looks like the fans up in Hartford are going to lose their beloved Whale mascot for a second time. According to Paul Doyle at the Hartford Courant, Global Spectrum, which will take control of the XL Center later this year and keep the team in Connecticut, plan on changing the logo again.
Doyle feels they may return to the Wolf Pack as MSG has kept the brand alive by retaining uniforms and has even renewed the hartfordwolfpack.com domain name.
...like everyone else I loved the old Whalers uniforms and was disappointed to see them relocate, but to me the CT Whale name and logos fell way short and I'm sort of happy to hear they're likely to go by the wayside.
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@TheNYRBlog Now all Global Spectrum's got to do is let contract expire 3/1 & take temporary Phantoms in Ct. & NYR to Glens Falls.
@thomdimopoulos @TheNYRBlog MSG and Global have agreed to a 3 year contract with a 2 year option. http://t.co/xTx4clYSA8
Not gonna happen any time soon, but it would be nice if the Binghamton Rangers made a comeback...I say this only because I live near there.
Miss Sonar, never cared for the whole Whale thing. Haven't been to a game in Hartford since the Wolfpack left
Since they went down that route anyway, what was be the problem with naming them the Hartford Whalers? I still don't know why they needed to change to begin with.
There was something about the NHL saying that Baldwin couldn't use the Whalers name. He wanted to call the team the Connecticut Whalers, but someone somewhere said no.
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I wish they'd call them the Rangers or something associated with the Rangers. And lean more towards a Rangers color scheme.
When they were the Wolf Pack they use the Rangers Alternate colors. I hope that this happens. Baldwin still owes a lot of people money. Also, the Whalers fans around here think that the Rangers are the reason the Whalers left, and why the NHL hasn't come back. I hope the Whale name dies again. It's not like they care about the team.
@Joshua Warnock I just hate the alternate colors with the silver. I hope they use the regular colors.
@GLENsatherVSglennDANZIG It looked good with the Wolf Pack brand, but I could live without it. I do like the dark blue, red and white combo. Looks enough like the Rangers, but still gives them an identity to call their own.
When they were the Wolf Pack they use the Rangers Alternate colors. I hope that this happens. Baldwin still owes a lot of people money.
