Whalers Alumni Returning To Hartford For 8th Annual Celebratory Weekend At Dunkin' Park

HARTFORD, CT — For one night, the strains of "Brass Bonanza" will once again permeate the air in Connecticut's capital city Saturday, as the Hartford Yard Goats, Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, play host to the eighth annual gathering of former Hartford Whalers.

Despite having uprooted from Connecticut and moving to North Carolina in 1997 as the Carolina Hurricanes, the Whalers have seemingly never gone away. The iconic logo can be found on jerseys, hats, sweatshirts and T-shirts all across America, and remains among the top-selling apparel of defunct pro teams.

Though the Connecticut market was ultimately deemed too small to support the franchise, one would never guess that based on the expected capacity crowd Saturday at Dunkin' Park. Prior to the Yard Goats' 6:10 p.m. game against the Reading Fightin' Phils, more than a dozen Whalers alumni and some special guests will meet fans and sign autographs in the main concourse at the stadium.

Andre Lacroix, the leading scorer in World Hockey Association history, will make his annual journey from Ohio to be in attendance. Former Whalers public relations director Mark Willand said, "I met him when I was still in college. The "Magician" is a special man. What a great talent he was, and was it ever a thrill to travel around Connecticut with Andre and Gordie Howe and the alumni on Friday nights in the winter."

Two special guests appear regularly at the reunion. Radio broadcaster Chuck Kaiton, who called games from the team's NHL debut in 1979 until the move to North Carolina (and stayed with the Hurricanes through 2018), won the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for outstanding contributions to hockey broadcasting in 2004. He always regales fans and alumni alike with stories culled from his 39-year pro career.

The magnetic personality of former NHL star Mike Corrigan is also a big draw for fans. He spent 10 seasons in the National Hockey League, scoring a career-high 37 goals for the 1972-73 Los Angeles Kings, and later became an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Though he never played for the Whalers, Corrigan, a resident of Windsor Locks, became an honorary alumnus after a phone call from "Mr. Hockey."

"Gordie Howe called me up and asked me to play in an alumni game when they were short, and I've been an honorary Whaler ever since," Corrigan said.

Former All-Star defenseman Dave Babych will hold the distinction of traveling the farthest to attend the festivities, flying more than 3,000 miles from Vancouver. His brother Wayne returns to Hartford from the Winnipeg area, while tough guy Archie Henderson will attend his second straight alumni weekend from his home in Edmonton.

Not every player will have long treks to the downtown stadium. Several alumni still live in Connecticut, including Corrigan, Norm Barnes, Gerry McDonald, Bob Crawford, Russ Anderson and Yvon Corriveau.

Other alumni expected to appear are Bill Bennett, Jeff Brubaker, Mark Janssens, David Jensen, Paul Lawless and Don Nachbaur. The lineup is subject to change.

Tickets may be obtained here.