Have you seen this video?  Eight year old Elizabeth Hughes debut singing the national anthem on January 7, 2011 at the Norfolk Admirals versus CT Whale game. This little girl is doing an amazing job singing when her microphone cuts out, and the crowd lends a helping hand….

Connecticut Whale Logo Unveiled Today

Whalers Sports and Entertainment unveiled its new logo for the Connecticut Whale today before the Wolf Pack played the Albany Devils in their preseason opener at Koeppel Community Sports Center on the campus of Trinity College.

The Wolf Pack will be re-branded as the Connecticut Whale around Thanksgiving, and the logo consists of a blue whale holding a stick inside a green C with Connecticut Whale under in black and blue capital letters. It has a connection to the Wolf Pack and the Hartford Whalers, which played in Hartford from 1974 to 1997 before owner Peter Karmanos moved the team to North Carolina and renamed it the Carolina Hurricanes.

“We have created a fun logo that not only captures the family-oriented approach of the Whale but also represents the competitive nature of coach Ken Gernander’s Whale team,” said Howard Baldwin, chairman of the Whale franchise. “We wanted to not only incorporate our traditional Whale green but focus on the whale, the official animal of the state of Connecticut.”

Baldwin also noted the iconic “Pucky the Whale” will remain the official “live mascot of the Whale.”

The logo was designed by Baldwin, the Whale marketing team and designed Frank Carlson. The Whale will introduce a secondary logo mark and official Connecticut Whale jersey design at a later date.

The Whale-Wolf Pack franchise is the AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers. The Wolf Pack opens their 14^th season Oct. 9 at the XL Center against the Charlotte Checkers.

Related Link: http://www.whalerssports.com/index.html

This Saturday (September 18th) the Hartford Colonials will host the Sacramento Mountain Lions in the first UFL game of the season, and officially mark the return of pro-football to Connecticut.  The Colonials play an eight-game season, with four games at Rentschler Field. Earlier this spring the UFL had an online contest to name the team (Colonials beat out River Dogs, my suggestion).

The debut of Hartford’s new team also marks the UFL debut of players such as Daunte Culpepper, Ryan Perrilloux, Josh McCown and Andre Dixon. It will also mark the return of former Tusker Taye Biddle, an explosive WR who just moved over from the NFL.
 
“This community, they had the (National Hockey League’s) Whalers abandon them, they had the (National Football League’s) Patriots at the altar and (they) turned around and went back to Massachusetts,” said Colonials head coach/general manager Chris Palmer. “The fans are accepting us. They will definitely embrace us.” 
 
And with the announcement of entertainment, including B.o.B performing at halftime, ticket sales are ramping up. Fans would be wise to purchase tickets via in order to avoid walk up’s! Individual tickets are affordable and as low as $15.00. Colonials Fan Fest kicks off at 11:30am on Saturday.

Hartford Colonials Schedule:

• Saturday, September 18th @ 2:30pm Hartford Colonials v. Sacramento Mountain Lions, Rentschler Field, East Hartford, CT
• Friday, September 24th @ 7:00pm Omaha Nighthawks v. Hartford, Rosenblatt Stadium, Omaha, NE
• Saturday, October 9th @ 3:00pm Hartford Colonials v. Florida Tuskers, Rentschler Field, East Hartford, CT
• Saturday, October 16th @ 3:00pm Hartford Colonials v. Omaha Nighthawks, Rentschler Field, East Hartford, CT
• Saturday, October 23rd @ 3:30pm Las Vegas Locos v. Hartford, Las Vegas, NV
• Saturday, October 30th @ 8:00pm Sacramento Mountain Lions v. Hartford, UFL Hornet Stadium, Sacramento, CA
• Thursday, November 11th @ 7:00pm Florida Tuskers v. Hartford Colonials, Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando, FL
• Saturday, November 20 @ 3:30pm Hartford Colonials v. Las Vegas Locos, Rentschler Field, East Hartford, CT
• Friday, November 26 Championship Game TBD

Tickets: Individual Game Tickets from $15.00, $20.00, $25.00, $30.00

Season Tickets from $60.00, $80.00, $100.00, $120.00

For more information about the Hartford Colonials visit:
http://www.ufl-football.com/hartford-colonials

Powerboats hit the Connecticut River in Hartford over Labor Day Weekend

Over Labor Day weekend, the Connecticut River will once again come alive with the roar of engines and the spray of rooster tails. The premier PRO outboard racing organization in the United States, US Title Series, will conclude their 6 month long season here in East Hartford and Hartford. World record racers from around the country will bring their custom American and European manufactured 2-stroke engines – all dialed in for high performance racing. More than 80 boats are expected to participate.

The competition will be divided into classes range from 125cc up to 1100cc engines, with speeds reaching 120 miles per hour! There is no thrill more exciting than seeing the blur of boats thundering across the surface of the water into their first turn. With youth competitors, starting at age 11 with K-PRO Hydro boats, to veteran drivers, the Riverfront US Title Series Power Boat Race promises to offer something for everyone.

The When: September 4th and 5th, 11am to 5pm
The Where: Great River Park, East Hartford and Mortensen Riverfront Plaza, Hartford

For more information please visit: http://www.riverfront.org/events/date/2010/09/04/

Grown Men Cried: The Story of The Last Hartford Whalers’ Game this is a repost of an older, but still relevant blog post from Bill Strong.  Click here to read this retrospective about the final game at the Hartford Civic Center on April 13, 1997.

Next Saturday, August 14th 2010 there will be a Hartford Whalers Reunion & Fan Fest at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.

Along with the chance to meet Whalers Legends Ron Francis, Kevin Dineen and Joel Quenneville and more this hockey Fan Fest celebrates the history of the Whalers and publicly reunites a wide range of Whalers Alumni for the first time.

The event also features:

• Appearances by local sports teams including the Hartford Colonials, New Britain Rock Cats, CT Tigers and UConn Huskies
• Autographs from some of your favorite Whalers Alumni
• Vintage Whalers video footage featured on the Rentschler Field “Jumbotron”
• The region’s premier sports card and collectibles dealers
• Whalers merchandise and memorabilia
• Live radio broadcasts WTIC-AM, WTIC-FM, WRCH and WZMX
• Interactive Games!
        o Dome Hockey
        o Air Hockey
        o Slap Shot Goalie
        o Gockey
        o Xbox 360 and Wii NHL video games
• Ability to choose and reserve seats for Whalers Hockey Fest in February 2011
• The WHA Hall of Fame Induction of Howard Baldwin and Andre Lacroix

The When: Sat, August 14, 11am – 6pm
The Where: Rentschler Field Stadium, 615 Silver Lane, East Hartford, CT. (map)
The Price: $5 charitable donation at the door to be donated to the Whalers Wives Foundation. You will receive a FREE poster with donation.

For more information on the Hartford Whalers Fan Fest visit: http://whalerssports.com/fanfest.html