Tag Archives: Whale

HAWK’S EYE: A TALE OF TWO THOMAS’

Posted on May 3, 2012 | Leave a comment

BY: Bob Crawford, (Voice of the CTWhale)

The pressure cooker of pro sports can make for some strange situations, and hockey history has seen many a family battle, with gentlemen sharing the same last name going up against one another in opposing jerseys.

Most of those have been sibling clashes, with brother combinations like Phil and Tony Esposito, the Staal brothers, the Sutter clan, Scott and Rob Niedermayer, Keith and Wayne Primeau, etc., knocking heads.

The current Connecticut Whale vs. Norfolk Admirals series, though, features a father and son locking horns, in the Whale’s Christian Thomas and his dad, Steve. Continue reading →

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Posted in AHL, Connecticut Whale, CTWhale, Hartford Wolf Pack, Hockey, New York Rangers, NHL, Sports

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LIVE FROM HARTFORD – IT’S GAME FOUR

Posted on May 3, 2012 | Leave a comment

CPTV SPORTS TO AIR GAME FOUR OF WHALE VS. ADMIRALS SERIES LIVE

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Monday’s Game will be First Franchise Postseason Telecast since 2004 

Whalers Sports & Entertainment announced today that Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinal Calder Cup Playoff series between the Connecticut Whale and the Norfolk Admirals will be aired live state-wide on CPTV Sports this Monday, May 7. Continue reading →

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Posted in AHL, Connecticut Whale, CTWhale, Hartford Wolf Pack, Hockey, New York Rangers, NHL, Sports

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CTWHALE RD 2: GAME ONE – ANDREAS THE GIANT

Posted on May 2, 2012 | Leave a comment

     VERSUS     

GAME ONE

A thrilling first round series concluded for the Connecticut Whale knocking off their intra-state and franchise rival Bridgeport Sound Tigers in dramatic fashion with a 4-3 in overtime completing the three game sweep on April 22nd at the XL Center.  For the New York Rangers’ top farm club that meant travelling to Virginia to battle the AHL’s top seeded team, the red hot Norfolk Admirals. Despite a franchise record ten-day break between games, the Whale responded by posting their fourth straight win, second straight in overtime on Andreas Thuresson fluke goal at 2:53 of overtime at The Scope in front of 3,223 Wednesday night.

“Owie (Jordan Owens) was driving good to the net,” Thuresson told the Whale’s Bob Crawford about the game-winner. “I just shot it through (Owens’) legs and through the defenseman’s legs, hopefully for a rebound for him or for Bourqueie (Ryan Bourque) driving the net, and it ended up going in.  That’s what happens in playoffs.” Continue reading →

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Posted in AHL, Connecticut Whale, CTWhale, Hartford Wolf Pack, Hockey, New York Rangers, NHL, Sports

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BERLET SPOTLIGHT: PLAYOFF PREVIEW

Posted on May 1, 2012 | Leave a comment

BY: BRUCE BERLET (Special to Howlings)

After losing all four games to the Norfolk Admirals and viewing lots of film of the American Hockey League’s best team, the Connecticut Whale players and coaches feel they have a pretty good feel for what it will take to beat the record-setters from Virginia.

But to try to get as much insight as possible, Whale coach Ken Gernander and assistant J.J. Daigneault, who handles the defense, got a special scouting report from veteran defenseman Mike Vernace, who spent last season and the first third of this one with the Admirals. Vernace is still good friends with several Admirals players, especially tough center Mike Angelidis, who will be in each other’s wedding parties the next two summers, and Mark Barberio, a first-team All-American Hockey League selection who won the Eddie Shore Award as the league’s best defenseman.

Continue reading →

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Posted in AHL, Connecticut Whale, CTWhale, Hartford Wolf Pack, Hockey, New York Rangers, NHL, Sports, Traverse City Tournament

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MAGICAL MYSTERY BUS TOUR

Posted on May 1, 2012 | Leave a comment

BY: BRUCE BERLET (Special to Howlings)

Aime Auclair is affectionately known as “Mr. Love” and truly loves his work.

Auclair, who lives in Quebec City, Quebec, is a driver for TNG (Transport New Generation) that operates three sleeper buses to carry professional and amateur teams around Canada and the United States.

Auclair’s job this week is to take the Connecticut Whale on a roundtrip ride between Hartford and Norfolk, Va., where the teams’ Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Admirals, the American Hockey League’s best team, begins Wednesday night at the Scope Arena. Continue reading →

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Posted in AHL, Connecticut Whale, CTWhale, Hartford Wolf Pack, New York Rangers, NHL, Sports

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ROSTER CHANGES FOR WHALE

Posted on May 1, 2012 | Leave a comment

WHALE ANNOUNCE ROSTER CHANGES

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Defenseman Dylan McIlrath Reassigned from WHL Moose Jaw, McColgan, Noreau Released

BY: Bob Crawford, Voice of the CTWhale

Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the parent New York Rangers have reassigned defenseman Dylan McIlrath to the Whale from the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League, and that forward Shane McColgan and defenseman Samuel Noreau have been released from their Amateur Tryout (ATO) agreements. Continue reading →

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Posted in AHL, Connecticut Whale, CTWhale, New York Rangers, NHL, Sports, Traverse City Tournament, World Junior Championships

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WHALE WEEKLY: May 1-7, 2011

Posted on May 1, 2012 | Leave a comment

BY: Bob Crawford, Voice of the CTWhale

The Whale (36-26-7-7, 86 points) prepare to face the regular season-champion Norfolk Admirals in their second-round playoff series, beginning Wednesday in Norfolk. Connecticut advanced to the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs for the first time in six years last Sunday night in Hartford, as they defeated the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, 4-3 in overtime, to sweep their first-round series. Cam Talbot won all three games in the series, shutting out the Sound Tigers in games one and two to become the first franchise goaltender to post back-to-back postseason shutouts, and the first AHL goaltender to start a postseason with consecutive shutouts since Michael Leighton for the Norfolk Admirals in 2004. Marek Hrivik led the Whale offense with a pair of goals in both Game Two and Game Three, while Casey Wellman netted the overtime series-clincher and added three assists in the series.

This week:

The Whale will open up their second-round playoff series against the first-seeded Norfolk Admirals on the road, beginning Wednesday, May 2 at the Norfolk Scope (7:15). Game Two will also be in Norfolk Friday, May 4, a 7:30 PM start. The series will shift to the XL Center for Game Three Sunday (7:00). Game Four will be played Monday, May 7 (7:00) in Hartford, with the series heading to Bridgeport’s Webster Bank Arena, if needed, for Game Five Wednesday, May 9 (7:00). Game Six will be back at the Norfolk Scope, Friday, May 11 (7:30), and a decisive Game Seven would be played at Scope on Sunday, May 13 (5:00). Continue reading →

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Posted in AHL, College Hockey, Connecticut Whale, CTWhale, Hartford Whalers, Hartford Wolf Pack, Hockey, New York Rangers, NHL, Sports, Traverse City Tournament, World Junior Championships

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BERLET SPOTLIGHT: WHALE AT HOME ON THE ROAD

Posted on April 28, 2012 | Leave a comment

BY: BRUCE BERLET (Special to Howlings)

If the Connecticut Whale’s first-round American Hockey League playoff series against the regular-season Norfolk Admirals reaches Game 5, it will played at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport on May 9.

The sixth-seeded Whale, who completed a sweep of the third-seeded and Northeast Division champion Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Sunday, might have to play a home game on the road because of scheduling conflicts at the XL Center in Hartford, which is booked Wednesday, Thursday, next Saturday and May 9-13. Continue reading →

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Posted in AHL, College Hockey, Connecticut Whale, CTWhale, Greenville Road Warriors, Hartford Whalers, Hartford Wolf Pack, Hockey, New York Rangers, NHL, Sports

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BERLET SPOTLIGHT: WHALE’S NEXT MOVE

Posted on April 26, 2012 | Leave a comment

BY: BRUCE BERLET (Special to Howlings)

The Connecticut Whale has advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in six years but will have to play at least one home game away from the XL Center in Hartford because of scheduling conflicts.

The sixth-seeded Whale completed a three-game sweep of the third-seeded Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Sunday but likely will play in their home, the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, because the XL Center is booked Wednesday and Thursday, as well as May 5, 10, 11, 12 and 13. Plus, May 9 is unavailable because that’s setup day for Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey circus.  Continue reading →

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Posted in AHL, Connecticut Whale, CTWhale, ECHL, Greenville Road Warriors, Hartford Wolf Pack, Hockey, New York Rangers, NHL, Sports

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BERLET SPOTLIGHT: MAREK HRIVIK

Posted on April 26, 2012 | Leave a comment

BY: BRUCE BERLET (Special to Howlings)

Who would have ever thought there would be bed sheets proclaiming “Hip, Hip Hrivik” in large green letters being displayed in the XL Center in Hartford?

Heck, a month ago, Connecticut Whale rookie left wing Marek Hrivik of Slovakia didn’t even know where Connecticut was located until he found it on a map.

But playoffs often make for intriguing, career-changing stories.

The most obvious lately for Whale fans – and hockey aficionados everywhere – is goalie Cam Talbot, a surprise starter to outsiders for the first-round playoff match-up with the Northeast Division champion Bridgeport Sound Tigers. But anyone who had been paying attention knew Talbot was sharper down the stretch than Chad Johnson, who was 4-2-1 against the Sound Tigers compared to 0-2-1 for his backup most of the season. Continue reading →

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Posted in AHL, College Hockey, Connecticut Whale, CTWhale, ECHL, Greenville Road Warriors, Hartford Wolf Pack, Hockey, New York Rangers, NHL, Sports

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