Carl Beane, the public address announcer at Fenway Park, has died after a car crash in Sturbridge, MA May 9. Our thoughts and prayers are with Carl’s family during this difficult time. Fenway Park will no doubt never be the same and it will take time to adjust to a new voice announcing Red Sox games at the park. Carl, you will be greatly missed!
And yes, that is a vintage Hartford Whalers “Home at Last” sticker (from the days of the ’91 Club) on the back of Carl’s clipboard in the picture.
While you’re surfing around looking for that special gift, don’t forget to head on over to the Hartford Whalers Gift Shop! Currently offered are a number of classic Hartford Whalers items ranging from t-shirts and sweatshirts to books and hats. A portion of every purchase directly contributes to the hosting costs for this site, so please take a moment to show your Whalers spirit!
You can visit the store directly by going to: http://astore.amazon.com/brassbonanza-20
Happy Holidays!
Congratulations to all the fans in Winnipeg on the return of an NHL team! While the time may not yet be right for Hartford, the dedication and enthusiasm shown by the fans in Winnipeg are an inspiration for those in Hartford. It can happen. The NHL can return. If the television ratings from Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs are any indication, Hartford’s interest in hockey is growing, which is great to see. Please continue to support the Connecticut Whale and some day what we’re seeing in Winnipeg may just happen in Hartford!
Today is the 36th anniversary of the famous record-setting fight between the Whalers and the Saints of the WHA. To celebrate, we’ve (finally) posted the extended audio version which until now had only been available on the “Whalers… Score!” LP from the late 70′s. This version adds over 2 minutes of play-by-play action! Go take a listen!
We have also added a video retrospective on the fight that FSN put together a few years ago. While no video is known to exist of the actual fight, the FSN reel has some interesting interviews.
Versus did a short piece yesterday looking back at the history of NHL hockey in Hartford. They specifically cited the troubles in Atlanta and Phoenix and NHL’s possible re-entry into a market such as Winnipeg, Hartford, or Quebec. Take a look:
We’ve finally joined Facebook, so please “Like” us!! 
There is also continuing work to complete backend updates to our photo galleries and add various pictures that folks have sent us over the years.
Whale Bowl 2011 is in the books and by most accounts, it was a great success. Despite frigid temperatures, fans tailgated in the parking lot and cheered from the stands. Hopefully fans continue to show their support for Hartford hockey and prove once and for all to the NHL that Hartford is hockey country.
Check out these highlights from Whale Bowl:
Longtime Hartford Courant sports writer Jeff Jacobs has succeeded where many have failed. He tracked down and corresponded with Jack Say, composer of Brass Bonanza. Can you believe Jack Say is a pseudonym and the song was not originally titled ‘Brass Bonanza’? Get all the details from Jeff’s column, “The Beat Turned Into A Bonanza”.
It’s hard to imagine, but this web site just celebrated its 15th anniversary. It was the fall of 1995 in a college dorm when this site was born, and since then this site has grown more than anyone could have ever hoped. A number of you have been generous over the years, donating pictures, videos, audio clips, time, and even money to help keep this site alive. For that, I’m most grateful. We’ve even had celebrities (also known as the hard working folks who made many a Whalers broadcast possible) grace these pages and provide materials for all to enjoy.
The site just underwent another update, with the most visible change being the top navigation menu and banner image. A number of backend changes were also made, which will make it much easier to add the collection of pictures we’ve had in the queue for some time.
We hope you’ll continue to check in… and if you are in the market for Whalers merchandise, please visit our Hartford Whalers Gift Shop. A portion of the proceeds from items sold helps pay our hosting fees.
It has been some time, but thanks to contributions from some fans out there, we’ve got a bunch of new content to add to the site throughout the year.
First, we’ve added a new page called A Season to Celebrate. The page currently hosts a “One Goal Away”, a video tribute done by SportsChannel regarding the Whalers’ Adams Division Championship season. Also on that page is a great 25 minute audio piece about the Whalers’ championship season. Check them out!
Two small audio clips have also been added. A copy of Brass Bonanza from NHL ’94 can be found on our Brass Bonanza page. The famous Whale clip from Mall Rats can now be found on our Ladies and Gentlemen… page. Enjoy!
