WHALE WEEKLY: March 26 – April 1, 2012

BY: Bob Crawford, Voice of the CTWhale

The Whale only managed one point out of three games this past weekend, but maintained a two-point lead over Bridgeport for first place in the Northeast Division.  The Whale fell to Portland, 4-1, on Friday night at home, then dropped a 3-2 decision to the P-Bruins the following night in Hartford. Connecticut gathered one point in a 4-3 overtime road defeat to the Sound Tigers to close out the weekend Sunday.  Kris Newbury and Jonathan Audy-Marchessault led the Whale offense with a goal and two assists each on the weekend.

This week:

• The Whale host three opponents in three days this weekend, starting with a date against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Friday night at the XL Center (7:00 PM faceoff). The next night, the Adirondack Phantoms come to town for their final Northeast Division clash of the season with the Whale (7:00), and the Whale close out the weekend’s action on Sunday with another tilt against the Providence Bruins.  That game faces off at a special time of 2:00 PM.

WHALE WEEKLY: March 19 – 25, 2012

BY: Bob Crawford, Voice of the Connecticut Whale

The Whale took four out of six points in three home games this past weekend, solidifying their lead in the Northeast Division with wins over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and the Portland Pirates. The Whale began the weekend with a big 3-2 win over the Sound Tigers Friday, before a 3-0 setback against Springfield on Saturday. Connecticut closed their three-games-in-three-nights home slate with a 5-4 shootout triumph over the Pirates on Sunday afternoon, helping them to carry a four-point division lead into this week. Tommy Grant posted a four-point game on Sunday (2-2-4) and Jonathan Audy-Marchessault had a four-point weekend as well (2-2-4). Casey Wellman had three points in Friday’s win (1-2-3), while Cam Talbot Sunday won his first decision in goal since Feb. 18.

WHALE WEEKLY: March 12 – 18, 2012

BY: Bob Crawford, Voice of the CTWhale

The Whale won two out of three games again this past weekend, starting off with a key 4-3 shootout victory at home Friday over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in Northeast Division action. The Whale would fall to the league-leading Norfolk Admirals Saturday at the XL Center, 3-1, on Connecticut Hockey Hall of Fame night, but would rebound nicely with a 5-3 road win over the Manchester Monarchs on Sunday. Casey Wellman had two goals and an assist in Sunday’s game, and both Jonathan Audy-Marchessault and Kris Newbury cracked the 20-goal mark over the course of the three games. Chad Johnson recorded his 20^th win of the season in goal Sunday, after earning a First-Star nod in Friday’s win over the Sound Tigers.

LEETCH, GERNANDER LEAD CT HOCKEY HOF CLASS

WHALE’S CT HOCKEY HALL OF FAME NIGHT IS THIS SATURDAY

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Includes Poster Giveaway, First-intermission Induction Ceremony, Autograph Session, Jersey Auction

The Connecticut Whale’s CT Hockey Hall of Fame Night is coming up this Saturday, March 10 at the XL Center, as the Whale host the Norfolk Admirals in a 7:00 game.

The night marks the enshrinement of a new class of 2012 inductees into the CT Hockey Hall of Fame, which has adopted eight members from the storied Hartford Whalers Hall of Fame.  The new inductees are: Connecticut-bred Hockey Hall of Famer Brian Leetch, ex-Hartford Whalers 56-goal scorer Blaine Stoughton, former Whalers goaltender Mike Liut, former Whalers captain Pat Verbeek, Connecticut Whale/Hartford Wolf Pack franchise icon, long-time captain and current head coach Ken Gernander, three-time Olympic medalist for Team USA and all-time NCAA women’s leading scorer Julie Chu, and one of the founders of the New England Whalers, William E. Barnes.

WHALE WEEKLY: January 16 – 22, 2012

BY: Bob Crawford, Voice of the Connecticut Whale

The Whale visited Norfolk, VA this past weekend for their only road action against the Norfolk Admirals this season. Connecticut dropped both ends of the two-game set, falling by a 3-1 score Friday night at the Norfolk Scope, and by a 4-2 margin on Saturday night. Aaron Voros scored twice on the weekend for the Whale, and defenseman Sam Klassen recorded his first AHL point with an assist in Saturday’s action. The Whale still own a two-point edge over the Adirondack Phantoms for first place in the Northeast Division.

WHALE WEEKLY: December 19-27, 2011

BY: Bob Crawford, Voice of the Connecticut Whale

The Whale (16-8-1-3, 36 pts.) gained three out of a possible four points in a pair of home games this past weekend, remaining ahead of the Adirondack Phantoms by four points for first place in the Northeast Division.  The Whale hosted Bridgeport at the XL Center on Friday night, defeating their GEICO Connecticut Cup rivals handily, 6-3, before the arch-rival Providence Bruins came to town on Saturday. Connecticut was edged by Providence, 2-1 in a shootout, in that contest. Kris Newbury recorded five points on the weekend for the Whale with a goal Saturday and four assists Friday, the Whale’s first four-point game of the season.

This week:

The Whale’s last game before the Christmas holiday is this Wednesday night, December 21, as they host the Adirondack Phantoms for the first time this season at the XL Center, with faceoff at 7:00 PM.  The Whale then return to action Monday night, the night after Christmas, December 26, visiting Bridgeport for a GEICO Connecticut Cup tilt (7:00).  Connecticut is back home Tuesday night, December 27, for a 7:00 Northeast Division game against the Albany Devils.

WHALE WEEKLY: December 12-18, 2011

BY: Bob Crawford, Voice of the Connecticut Whale

The Whale (15-8-1-2, 33 pts.) went 1-2-0-0 in three games this past week, but remained in first place in the Atlantic Division by a margin of three points over second-place Adirondack.  The week began with a 5-3 home loss to the Hershey Bears on Friday night, as Hershey’s Chris Bourque evened the rivalry between him and his younger brother, the Whale’s Ryan Bourque, at one win apiece.  The Whale then split a home-and-home set with arch-rival Providence, blanking the Bruins 3-0 at the XL Center on Saturday and then falling by a 3-2 score Sunday in Providence.  Kelsey Tessier scored three times during the weekend, including his first two-goal game of the year Sunday, and defenseman Tim Erixon had assists in all three outings (0-4-4).

WHALE WEEKLY: November 14-20, 2011

BY: BOB CRAWFORD, Voice of the Connecticut Whale

The Whale visited the St. John’s IceCaps for two games this past weekend, in their only trip to Newfoundland this season. After leading in both games, Connecticut ended up with a pair of losses, the Whale’s first back-to-back regulation defeats of the season.  The Whale fell in Saturday’s game, 8-4, before being narrowly edged, 4-3, in Sunday afternoon’s rematch. John Mitchell recorded three goals on the weekend for the Whale, while Tim Erixon recorded his first North American professional goal. Carl Hagelin also scored twice in two games for the Whale, and has matched a Whale season high with a three-game goal-scoring streak (3-1-4).

WHALE WEEKLY: October 17-23, 2011

BY: Bob Crawford, voice of the CT Whale

The Whale began last weekend’s action with the final tilt of a three-game, season opening road trip against the Albany Devils. Connecticut gathered another valuable point on the road despite losing, 3-2 in a shootout. Saturday saw the Whale host a home opener for the first time at the XL Center, drawing 8,832 fans that saw the Whale head to a shootout for the third consecutive game. Once again, the Whale gained a point but fell in the tie-breaker, 5-4, in the first meeting against their GEICO Connecticut Cup rivals this season.

SWAIN COMPLETES THE SOUND OF WHALE BROADCASTS

FORMER WHALER GARRY SWAIN TO JOIN CONNECTICUT WHALE BROADCAST TEAM

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Former WHA and NHL Player Skated in Nine Professional Seasons

Whalers Sports and Entertainment announced today that former New England Whaler Garry Swain will be joining veteran play-by-play man Bob Crawford as a commentator during this season’s Connecticut Whale home game radio broadcasts as part of “Rockin’ Hockey” on 106.9 WCCC-FM.

Swain, a first-round draft pick of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins in 1968 and a veteran of three seasons with the WHA’s Whalers, brings additional broadcast experience to the radio booth. Swain has previously worked with Bob Neumeier, former voice of the Hartford Whalers on WTIC-AM and currently a broadcaster for NBC Sports and Comcast SportsNet New England. He has also done games with former Whaler broadcaster Chuck Kaiton, currently the radio play-by-play voice of the Carolina Hurricanes.