Former Whalers Gather In Hartford For Alumni Weekend With Yard Goats

HARTFORD, CT — It has been a quarter-century since the Hartford Whalers played their last National Hockey League game before departing for the warmer confines of North Carolina. It was 35 years ago that the team won its only Adams Division title, and if you aren't feeling old already, next January will mark the 45th anniversary of the devastating 1978 collapse of the Hartford Civic Center roof, when the team still played in the now-defunct World Hockey Association.

Despite having been gone from Connecticut for 25 years, Whalers merchandise is still among the top sellers of all NHL teams, and over 125 people are members of the Whalers Booster Club. For the past five years, the Hartford Yard Goats, Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, have honored the memory of the long-gone franchise with a special commemorative weekend.

Whalers Alumni Weekend took place Friday through Saturday at Dunkin Donuts Park, with 14 former players, representing several eras of Hartford hockey, plus several other hockey dignitaries on hand Saturday to sign autographs and throw out ceremonial first pitches.

They came from everywhere. Dave Babych took honors for the longest distance traveled, nearly 3,000 miles from his home in British Columbia. Babych's brother Wayne joined Jordy Douglas in flying in from Winnipeg; former 56-goal scorer Blaine Stoughton and all-time WHA leading scorer Andre Lacroix came from Ohio; Jeff Brubaker visited from North Carolina.

Others did not have as far to travel. Gerry McDonald had the shortest drive, from Wethersfield, while Marty Howe (Glastonbury), Norm Barnes (Simsbury) and Russ Anderson (Southington) also had brief commutes.

The Howe family - legendary great Gordie Howe and his sons Marty and Mark - joined the Whalers in 1977. Marty and his bride Mary originally rented a home in Manchester from former Whaler Rosaire Paiement, then built their house on seven-and-a-half acres in Glastonbury.

"My wife loves it here; we have lots of privacy and many good friends," Howe said.

He runs the Howe Foundation, started by his parents. Its mission is twofold: elping kids get involved in sports, from their first skates or first soccer ball, to international competitions, to the best schools, whether they make it to the pros or not; and helping women rise through the ranks of the sports business, through education, experiences and networks.

Barnes, a Toronto native, settled in Simsbury upon being traded to Hartford by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1980. He works for Turbine Controls in Bloomfield.

"The school system was great for my kids here, and the fans in the city are great people," he said.

Upon being traded to the Whalers from the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1981, Minnesota native Anderson settled in Southington, where he and his wife Diane still reside.

"When I retired, I knew a lot of people back here from when I played here, so we came back," he said. "There are no better hockey fans than in Hartford. I was in the car business for the last 30 years, and I just retired last year and am having the time of my life."

Following the first pitch ceremony prior to the ballgame, former radio announcer Chuck Kaiton and longtime equipment manager Skip Cunningham were recognized on the field for their many years of service to the organization, both in Hartford and subsequently with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Windsor Locks resident Mike Corrigan, who played 11 years in the NHL, and former minor league player Mark Bousquet, famous for portraying Andre "Poodle" Lussier in the classic Paul Newman hockey movie "Slap Shot," also joined the festivities.

Corrigan, a standout player with the Los Angeles Kings, relocated to northern Connecticut after the birth of his first grandchild. Despite never having played for the Whalers, he became involved with the organization by request of "Mr. Hockey."

"Gordie Howe called to invite me to play in a Whalers alumni game, and I've been with them ever since," he said.

Brubaker, Cunningham, Douglas, Howe, Lacroix and Stoughton all were part of the organization while still competing in the WHA as the New England Whalers. Mark Janssens represented the last incarnation of the team from the capital city, having played in Hartford from 1992 until 1997. However, he was not around for the final game at the Civic Center on April 13, 1997, having been traded four weeks earlier to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.