The Whalers: The Rise, Fall, and Enduring Mystique of New England's (Second) Greatest NHL Franchise

by Patrick Pickens

Overview

More than twenty years after departing Hartford, Connecticut, for Raleigh, North Carolina, the NHL's Whalers continue to inspire passion among fans. As HartfordBusiness.com reported in 2015, "Whalers merchandise...still has a cult following not only among fans in Connecticut but around the country." But Whalers devotees aren't just clamoring for jerseys, hats and t-shirts. They're nostalgic for a team that had New England roots for nearly 25 years—in Boston, Springfield, and Hartford—and featured some of the greatest players in NHL history, including Gordie Howe (with his sons Mark and Marty), Bobby Hull, and Ron Francis.

Pat Pickens’s book details the Whalers’ origin in Boston in 1972, the team’s WHA championship in 1973, the roof collapse of their home arena that indirectly led to their entrance to the NHL in 1979, their stunning NHL playoff-series win against the top-seeded Quebec Nordiques in 1986, the 1986-87 season when they claimed their first division championship, and their relocation south in 1997 as the Carolina Hurricanes. Pickens imagines a Stanley Cup delivered to hockey-crazed Hartford in 2006, when the Hurricanes instead brought it home to North Carolina. The book also explores the likelihood of an NHL team returning to the Nutmeg State.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493073092
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	10/01/2023
Pages:	284
Sales rank:	194,464
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

Pat Pickens is a writer for NHL.com. Previously, he was an editorial producer for MLB.com and a freelance sportswriter for The New York Times. From 2008 to 2013 he was sports editor at the Fairfield Citizen in Connecticut. He now lives in Jersey City, NJ.

Table of Contents

Foreword Gerry Cheevers vi

Prologue vii

Chapter 1 The Mythical Brand 1

Chapter 2 The WHA 12

Chapter 3 The Nutmeg State 35

Chapter 4 The Failure to Launch 51

Chapter 5 The Cat's Arrival 71

Chapter 6 The Quebec Failures 96

Chapter 7 The Transition 119

Chapter 8 The Detonation 138

Chapter 9 The Sun Belt Shift 161

Chapter 10 The End in Hartford 178

Chapter 11 The Hurricanes 201

Chapter 12 The Future 227

Notes on Research and Sources 238

Acknowledgments 240

Index 242

Editorial Reviews

Pickens does a magnificent job in giving the bigger picture surrounding the franchise. No professional sports entity exists in a vacuum. There is always a wider context. Throughout The Whalers, one learns about the layers of external factors that impacted the franchise and ultimately led to its move from Hartford to Raleigh. Contemporaneous occurrences and trends within the NHL and other major sports leagues, the regional and national economy, demographic data, political realities, and statewide cultural realities and quirks are some among several outside factors that Pickens strategically and informatively weaves into his narrative and analysis. Lastly, the decisive and unambiguous conclusions by Pickens are appreciated, commendable, and refreshing.

The New England Journal of History

"We may not have realized how special the Hartford Whalers were at the time, but as I look back it was a privilege to play for the team. I still keep in touch and get together with many of my ex-teammates from those days, which were unlike any other in my pro career. The Whalers brought back fond memories of my time playing in Hartford."

Paul Lawless

"Pat Pickens's book captured more than a historical account of a sports franchise but rather a story about the deep connection between Hartford and its Whalers. Through cheers and tears the characters in the book remain fondly connected to Hartford."

Mike Liut

"Hockey fans continue to have a fascination with the Whalers franchise, with good reason. From the rough early years, to the development of an exciting young team that thrilled one of sport’s most underrated fan bases, to the final years of controversy and chaos, Pat Pickens's account of the team’s colorful history is a terrific read. It’s filled with memories from over a dozen figures who continue to have a powerful impact on the NHL to this day."

Rick Peckham

"Hockey fans continue to have a fascination with the Whalers franchise, with good reason. From the rough early years, to the development of an exciting young team that thrilled one of sport’s most underrated fan bases, to the final years of controversy and chaos, Pat Pickens's account of the team’s colorful history is a terrific read.  It’s filled with memories from over a dozen figures who continue to have a powerful impact on the NHL to this day." —Rick Peckham, former play-by-play announcer for the Whalers and Tampa Bay Lightning

"Pat Pickens's book captured more than a historical account of a sports franchise but rather a story about the deep connection between Hartford and its Whalers. Through cheers and tears the characters in the book remain fondly connected to Hartford." —Mike Liut, Whalers goalie, 1985-90

"We may not have realized how special the Hartford Whalers were at the time, but as I look back it was a privilege to play for the team. I still keep in touch and get together with many of my ex-teammates from those days, which were unlike any other in my pro career.  The Whalers brought back fond memories of my time playing in Hartford." —Paul Lawless, Whalers forward, 1982-88

From the Publisher