By Brian Ring

Springfield, MA, February 10, 2012 - The Whale defeated the Springfield Falcons, 3-2 in overtime, Friday night at the MassMutual Center. Wojtek Wolski had two goals, including the overtime game-winner, as the Whale won their fourth straight game in the month of February.

Jonathan Audy-Marchessault also scored for the Whale to force overtime late in the third, with goaltender Chad Johnson making 33 saves for his fourth straight personal win in net.

“That was a great goal by [Audy-Marchessault],” said Whale head coach Ken Gernander of the winger’s late tying goal. “A great shot, that was a huge goal.”

Cam Atkinson scored twice for Springfield, notching his league-leading 26^th of the season in the third period.

The game started off quickly, as the Whale took advantage of an early power-play to give themselves a 1-0 lead just 1:04 into the contest. Wolski converted his second goal of the season for the Whale with the man-advantage, burying a pass from Mats Zuccarello behind Springfield goaltender Manny Legace (37 saves). Brendan Bell received the secondary assist on the goal.

The lead would not last long, as Atkinson would tie the game just 16 seconds later. Alexandre Giroux’s pass from behind the Whale goal line found the stick of the open Atkinson in the slot. Johnson appeared to get a big piece of the shot, but it still snuck in for Atkinson’s 25^th goal of the campaign, assisted by Giroux and Patrick Cullity.

Legace did his part to keep the game tied for the Falcons, as the Whale fired a team season-high 23 shots on goal in the first period.

Neither team would manage to score in the second period, with the Falcons outshooting the Whale in the middle stanza, 11-8. Both power-plays were held off the board despite another pair of chances for the Whale in the second, and one extra-man opportunity for the Falcons.

The Falcons would take a 2-1 lead 6:50 into the third period on the power-play, as Atkinson was able to score his second goal of the night. A shot from Giroux rebounded off of Johnson and to Atkinson, who was able to one-time it home from the left-wing side.

Audy-Marchessault would tie the game for Connecticut with just 3:06 left to play in the third period, as he took the puck up the ice nearly end-to-end and scored on Legace with a quick snap-shot. The goal was Audy-Marchessault’s 17^th of the season and came unassisted, as he intercepted a Ryan Garlock pass in the Whale zone before turning and sprinting up ice.

The Whale would need just 1:04 to win the game once it was sent to the extra session, as Wolski backhanded the game-winner past Legace to send Connecticut to their fourth straight victory. Legace dove to poke the puck away from Wolski, whose long reach enabled him to corral the puck and net the winner.

“[Wolski] was able to pressure Legace and he gave it right back to him,” said Gernander.

Connecticut will be back in action with a pair of road games this weekend, as they take on the Manchester Monarchs Saturday (7:00) and the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Sunday (3:00).  The Whale will return home next Friday, when they host Falcons at the XL Center (7:00).

Tickets to all 2011-12 Whale home games, are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, as well as on-line at www.ctwhale.com and through TicketMaster Charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000.

The Whale and the CT Hockey Hall of Fame will partner to hold a CT Hockey Hall of Fame night at the Whale’s home game at the XL Center Saturday, March 10 vs. the Norfolk Admirals.  That night will mark 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.  There will be an induction ceremony before the game, which faces off at 7:00 PM on March 10, and the new inductees will also be recognized on the ice during the first intermission.  Fans can take home a special souvenir of the March 10 night, as 5,000 Hall of Fame posters will be given away, courtesy of SuperCuts.  There will also be a special meet-and-greet event on March 10, details of which will be announced soon.  This will be the first class of inductees since 1990, and further details are available at cthockeyHOF.org.

College students can get discounted tickets to Whale weekday games with the Whale’s “Ditch the Dorms” deal.  For Monday through Friday home games, students who show a valid student ID at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center can get $2 off Upper Level tickets and $5 off Lower Level seats.

Save on your tickets, and get the best seats, with a ticket plan for the Whale’s 2011-12 AHL campaign, which are on sale now. For information on season seats, mini plans and great group discounts, visit www.ctwhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 728-3366 to talk with an account executive today.

To continue reading, click on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

By Bruce Berlet

Casey Wellman played several sports growing up in Brentwood, Calif., hardly a hotbed for hockey.

But Wellman got hooked on the game played on ice after his father, Brad, met several New Jersey Devils players who asked him to skate with them in Boston.

“Dad didn’t know how to skate, so he was pretty upset about that,” Wellman said with a smile.

But Brad, an infielder for 441 games for three major league teams over eight seasons who later managed in the Houston Astros organization, introduced Casey and his brother, Logan, to hockey, and 31/2-year-old Casey fell in love with his new endeavor.

“I have some vague memories (of his dad playing), but I was pretty young,” said Wellman, whose uncle, Tom Candiotti, is a former major league pitcher known for his knuckleball. “Having pictures of a father-son game is pretty cool, but I haven’t played baseball for a while. It’s a great sport, but at the time, it was just a little slow, a little boring, so I stuck with hockey.”

Despite his West Coast upbringing, Wellman is now surprisingly playing professionally with the Connecticut Whale, who are about 70 miles from where he competed collegiately on the East Coast. When Wellman was on his way to practice with the Houston Aeros last Thursday, he got “a pretty big surprise,” a call that the Minnesota Wild had traded him to the New York Rangers.

“It was definitely pretty crazy, a bit of a shock,” said Wellman, 24, acquired for center Erik Christensen, who had a two-week conditioning assignment with the Whale in mid-January, and a conditional seventh-round pick in 2013. “It was tough to say goodbye because I had some good friends (in Houston), but that’s the business and that’s what can happen and probably won’t be the last time.”

Wellman quickly returned home, packed and headed for Hershey, Pa., where he met his new teammates. Whale coach Ken Gernander put Wellman on a line with All-Star Jonathan Audy-Marchessault and rugged Andre Deveaux, and the trio helped produce a 4-1 victory over one of the AHL’s top teams, including going 5-for-5 on the penalty kill against the league’s top power play.

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By Brian Ring

Hartford, CT, February 7, 2012 - The Connecticut Whale defeated the Syracuse Crunch, 3-1, Tuesday night at the XL Center in Hartford. Mats Zuccarello, Blake Parlett and Scott Tanski all scored for Connecticut, with defenseman Jeff Woywitka adding two assists. Goaltender Chad Johnson made 23 saves in winning his third straight start in the month of February.

The Whale’s victory put them two points ahead of idle Bridgeport for first place in the AHL’s Northeast Division with 53 points.

“We’re all playing together and playing well right now,” said Johnson. “We’re more conscious of the score and of what we want to do, which is to get the two points.”

The Whale struck first midway through the opening period, taking a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal from Zuccarello 7:31 into the frame. Zuccarello tipped Tim Erixon’s shot from the right point past Syracuse goaltender Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers (25 saves) for his tenth goal of the season, with the secondary assist going to Brendan Bell.

Jean-Francois Jacques tied the game for Syracuse with 5:11 to play in the first, as he cut across the Whale slot in front of a sprawled Johnson. Jacques was able to flip the puck on the backhand up and over the Whale goaltender for his 14^th goal of the season, with the assist going to highly-touted Anaheim prospect Devante Smith-Pelly.

Connecticut would retake the lead with 1:46 left in the second period with the game-winning tally, as the power-play came through for the second time in the game. Parlett’s shot from the blue line managed to fool a screened Drouin-Deslauriers for Parlett’s fourth goal of the season, putting the Whale ahead, 2-1. Woywitka and Casey Wellman would assist on the goal, Wellman notching his second assist in two games with the Whale.

Tanski would increase the Whale lead to 3-1 with 12:08 left in the third period, as he backhanded a Woywitka rebound into the Syracuse cage. Woywitka would receive his second assist of the game on the goal, Tanski’s fifth, with Jordan Owens picking up the secondary helper.

The win kept the Whale perfect in February (3-0-0-0), with tough tests coming this weekend with games in Springfield Friday, Manchester Saturday and a GEICO Connecticut Cup match with Bridgeport on Sunday.

The Whale will return home on Friday, Feb. 17, when they host the Springfield Falcons at the XL Center (7:00 PM).

Tickets to all 2011-12 Whale home games, are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, as well as on-line at www.ctwhale.com and through TicketMaster Charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000.

The Whale and the CT Hockey Hall of Fame will partner to hold a CT Hockey Hall of Fame night at the Whale’s home game at the XL Center Saturday, March 10 vs. the Norfolk Admirals.  That night will mark 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.  There will be an induction ceremony before the game, which faces off at 7:00 PM on March 10, and the new inductees will also be recognized on the ice during the first intermission.  Fans can take home a special souvenir of the March 10 night, as 5,000 Hall of Fame posters will be given away, courtesy of SuperCuts.  There will also be a special meet-and-greet event on March 10, details of which will be announced soon.  This will be the first class of inductees since 1990, and further details are available at cthockeyHOF.org.

College students can get discounted tickets to Whale weekday games with the Whale’s “Ditch the Dorms” deal.  For Monday through Friday home games, students who show a valid student ID at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center can get $2 off Upper Level tickets and $5 off Lower Level seats.

Save on your tickets, and get the best seats, with a ticket plan for the Whale’s 2011-12 AHL campaign, which are on sale now. For information on season seats, mini plans and great group discounts, visit www.ctwhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 728-3366 to talk with an account executive today.

To continue reading, click on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

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By Bruce Berlet

Taking one step back in hopes of making two forward is a familiar refrain.

Left wing Wojtek Wolski and defenseman Jeff Woywitka are hoping that theory works in their quests to get more ice time with the New York Rangers or another NHL team.

Wolski and Woywitka accepted requests from the Rangers on Thursday for two-week conditioning assignments with the Connecticut Whale and then helped beat Albany and Hershey to end an 11-game winless streak (0-6-2-3) since the start of 2012 and gain a share of the Atlantic Division lead with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, whose 11-game point streak (10-0-0-1) ended with a 3-2 loss to Manchester on Saturday night.

Goalie Chad Johnson was stout in both games, stopping 59 of 62 shots, and left wing Tommy Grant had his first two-goal game as a pro and new center Casey Wellman chipped in an assist in a 4-1 victory at Hershey while on a line with All-Star Jonathan Audy-Marchessault and rugged Andre Deveaux. Wellman, who played two years at UMass, was acquired from the Minnesota Wild on Thursday for center Erik Christensen, who had a conditioning stint with the Whale from Jan. 11 to 23, and a conditional seventh-round pick in 2013. Wellman’s father, Brad, was an infielder who played 441 games over eight seasons with the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers and Kansas City Royals in the 1980s, and his uncle, Tom Candiotti, is a former major leaguer noted for his knuckleball.

Wolski scored the winner in a 3-2 victory over Albany off a nifty give-and-go with All-Star Mats Zuccarello while on a line with Whale leading scorer Kris Newbury (17 goals, 24 assists). Wolski, 25, who is in the final year of a two-year, $7.6 million deal signed with the Phoenix Coyotes on June 28, 2010, had played in only nine games with the Rangers and was a healthy scratch the previous six since Jan. 15 after playing just three games following a return from injury. The Rangers acquired Wolski from the Coyotes for defenseman Michal Rozsival on Jan. 10, 2011.

“It’s the best thing for them,” Ranger head coach John Tortorella said of the conditioning stints. “Because if they do get an opportunity, or if we sit to make a change, or if there is an injury – you can bag skate them until the cows come home, it doesn’t help them – they need to play. We had to get their permission, and it was seamless. They wanted to go do it, and that’s a good sign.”

Continued solid play in Hartford could help Wolski crack the lineup of the NHL’s top team or get ice time elsewhere. But playing anywhere now is the only way to achieve one of those goals.

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By Brian Ring

Hershey, PA, February 4, 2012 - The Connecticut Whale defeated the Hershey Bears, 4-1, Saturday night at the Giant Center to win their second straight game. Tommy Grant scored twice for the Whale and goaltender Chad Johnson made 39 saves in the victory.

The win, coupled with Bridgeport’s loss to Manchester, moved the Whale back into a share of first place in the Northeast Division with 51 points.

“Johnson had a good game in net, we got a power-play goal, we got some secondary scoring with Tommy Grant getting two, there were a lot of things in our favor tonight,” said Whale head coach Gernander.

The two teams played exactly 16 minutes of scoreless hockey before Grant gave the Whale a 1-0 lead in the opening period. Grant carried the puck down the left wing boards, snapping a shot that squeaked under the left arm of Bears’ goaltender Dany Sabourin (17 saves). Grant’s goal, his fourth of the season, was assisted by Scott Tanski and Jared Nightingale.

Hershey, however, would tie the game right back up just 1:19 later, as former Whale Tomas Kundratek’s shot from the point was tipped past Chad Johnson by Cody Eakin.  Boyd Kane also registered an assist on the score, the eighth of the year for Eakin.

The Whale would retake the lead on the power-play 12:10 into the second period, as Kris Newbury shot a puck up and over Sabourin for his team-leading 17^th goal, the eventual game-winner. Newbury was fed by Mats Zuccarello on the back-hand below the right faceoff circle, leaving the Whale veteran with an open chance. Tim Erixon also assisted on the play.

Andre Deveaux would extend the Whale advantage to 3-1 just 1:22 later, as he converted a nifty three-way passing play between himself, Casey Wellman and Jonathan Audy-Marchessault. Audy-Marchessault’s pass found a wide-open Deveaux as the trio crossed into the Hershey zone, with Deveaux promptly depositing the puck into the top right corner of the cage.  It was the first Whale point for Wellman, who was making his Whale debut after being acquired from the Minnesota Wild on Friday.

Grant would strike again to provide the game’s final tally, his second of the night, with 6:10 remaining in the third period. Kelsey Tessier won a draw to the right of Sabourin straight to Grant, who shot and scored for the first multi-goal game of his professional career and a 4-1 Whale lead.

“We got contributions from everyone and it was a good team win,” said Gernander.

The Whale will now return home on Tuesday, when they host the Syracuse Crunch in their only visit to the XL Center this season (7:00 PM).

Tickets to all 2011-12 Whale home games, are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, as well as on-line at www.ctwhale.com and through TicketMaster Charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000.

The Whale and the CT Hockey Hall of Fame will partner to hold a CT Hockey Hall of Fame night at the Whale’s home game at the XL Center Saturday, March 10 vs. the Norfolk Admirals.  That night will mark 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.  There will be an induction ceremony before the game, which faces off at 7:00 PM on March 10, and the new inductees will also be recognized on the ice during the first intermission.  Fans can take home a special souvenir of the March 10 night, as 5,000 Hall of Fame posters will be given away, courtesy of SuperCuts.  There will also be a special meet-and-greet event on March 10, details of which will be announced soon.  This will be the first class of inductees since 1990, and further details are available at cthockeyHOF.org.

College students can get discounted tickets to Whale weekday games with the Whale’s “Ditch the Dorms” deal.  For Monday through Friday home games, students who show a valid student ID at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center can get $2 off Upper Level tickets and $5 off Lower Level seats.

Save on your tickets, and get the best seats, with a ticket plan for the Whale’s 2011-12 AHL campaign, which are on sale now. For information on season seats, mini plans and great group discounts, visit www.ctwhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 728-3366 to talk with an account executive today.

To continue reading, click on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

By Brian Ring

Hartford, CT, February 3, 2012 - The Connecticut Whale defeated the Albany Devils, 3-2, Friday night at the XL Center in Hartford to snap an eleven-game winless streak. Kris Newbury, Jonathan Audy-Marchessault and Wojtek Wolski all scored for the Whale, while Mats Zuccarello and Brendan Bell added two assists apiece.

“It’s a good feeling in here right now, the guys are happy,” said Newbury. “The good news is we get to get right back at it and try to have a good weekend.”

Albany staked themselves to an early 1-0 lead, as Eric Gelinas’ shot from the right point was ripped past Whale goaltender Chad Johnson (20 saves) just 1:39 into the opening period. Stephane Veilleux and Darcy Zajac each assisted on the goal.

The Whale would strike back just over a minute later, as Newbury tied the game in his return to the lineup after missing the last two games due to injury. The puck hit off the end boards to the left of Albany goaltender Keith Kinkaid (21 saves) and out to a streaking Zuccarello, who hit Newbury with a quick one-time pass. Bell would also assist on the equalizer.

Jonathan Audy-Marchessault would give the Whale a 2-1 lead that they would carry into the first intermission with a power-play goal, his 16^th tally of the season, at 18:30. Audy-Marchessault managed to sneak a bad angle shot past Kinkaid, as the Whale All-Star had gathered the puck up and fired at the Devils’ goal line to the right of the cage. Bell recorded his second assist of the game on the score, with Andre Deveaux earning the secondary assist.

The Whale would extend their lead to 3-1 with 3:47 remaining in the second period, as Wolski tallied Connecticut’s second power-play score of the night for the eventual game-winner. Wolski fed Zuccarello for a quick give-and-go passing play, depositing the return pass in the top right corner of the Devils’ net. The goal came in Wolski’s first tilt with the Whale after he joined the team from the New York Rangers on a conditioning assignment, with fellow assignee Jeff Woywitka notching the secondary assist.

Joe Whitney would close the Albany deficit to 3-2 5:21 into the third period, as he stuffed a loose puck past Johnson. Zajac and Veilleux both collected their second assists of the night on the goal, Whitney’s team-leading 12^th.

The Whale, however, would hang on in the third period to preserve their first win since Dec. 31.

“We need to build off of this win and keep it rolling in here for tomorrow,” said Newbury.

Connecticut now heads to Hershey to face the Bears Saturday night at the Giant Center (7:00 PM).

The Whale will return home on Tuesday, when they host the Syracuse Crunch in their only visit to the XL Center this season (7:00 PM).

Tickets to all 2011-12 Whale home games, are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, as well as on-line at www.ctwhale.com and through TicketMaster Charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000.

The Whale and the CT Hockey Hall of Fame will partner to hold a CT Hockey Hall of Fame night at the Whale’s home game at the XL Center Saturday, March 10 vs. the Norfolk Admirals.  That night will mark 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.  There will be an induction ceremony before the game, which faces off at 7:00 PM on March 10, and the new inductees will also be recognized on the ice during the first intermission.  Fans can take home a special souvenir of the March 10 night, as 5,000 Hall of Fame posters will be given away, courtesy of SuperCuts.  There will also be a special meet-and-greet event on March 10, details of which will be announced soon.  This will be the first class of inductees since 1990, and further details are available at cthockeyHOF.org.

College students can get discounted tickets to Whale weekday games with the Whale’s “Ditch the Dorms” deal.  For Monday through Friday home games, students who show a valid student ID at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center can get $2 off Upper Level tickets and $5 off Lower Level seats.

Save on your tickets, and get the best seats, with a ticket plan for the Whale’s 2011-12 AHL campaign, which are on sale now. For information on season seats, mini plans and great group discounts, visit www.ctwhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 728-3366 to talk with an account executive today.

To continue reading, click on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

HARTFORD, February 2, 2012:  Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the Whale has loaned forward Randy McNaught to its ECHL affiliate, the Greenville Road Warriors.

McNaught, who signed an AHL contract with the Whale January 23, dressed for one game with the Whale, this past Saturday’s 2-1 home loss to Springfield, after going scoreless with 24 penalty minutes in 12 games with the University of Calgary.  McNaught was a seventh-round selection (190^th overall) by the parent New York Rangers in the 2010 NHL Draft, out of the Western Hockey League.

The Whale finish off a five-game homestand tomorrow night, Friday, February 3, when they take on the divisional-rival Albany Devils at the XL Center in a 7:00 PM game.

Tickets to that contest, and all 2011-12 Whale home games, are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, as well as on-line at www.ctwhale.com and through TicketMaster Charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000. 

Save on your tickets, and get the best seats, with a ticket plan for the Whale’s 2011-12 AHL campaign, which are on sale now. For information on season seats and mini plans, visit www.ctwhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 728-3366 to talk with an account executive today.

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

HARTFORD, February 2, 2012:  Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the Whale has released forward Aaron Voros from his Professional Tryout (PTO) agreement.

Signed November 15, Voros skated in 23 games with the Whale, notching four goals and three assists for seven points while serving 23 minutes in penalties.

The Whale finish off a five-game homestand tomorrow night, Friday, February 3, when they take on the divisional-rival Albany Devils at the XL Center in a 7:00 PM game.

Tickets to that contest, and all 2011-12 Whale home games, are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, as well as on-line at www.ctwhale.com and through TicketMaster Charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000. 

Save on your tickets, and get the best seats, with a ticket plan for the Whale’s 2011-12 AHL campaign, which are on sale now. For information on season seats and mini plans, visit www.ctwhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 728-3366 to talk with an account executive today.

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

By Brian Ring

Hartford, CT, January 28, 2012 - The Connecticut Whale were defeated by the Springfield Falcons, 2-1, Saturday night before a season-high crowd of 11,181 at the XL Center in Hartford. Maksim Mayorov scored the game-winning goal for Springfield in a low-scoring affair, with Mats Zuccarello tallying the only score for Connecticut.

The defeat sent the Whale to their eleventh straight loss since 2012 began (0-6-3-2).

“We make a mistake there late, an odd man rush and we pay the price for it,” said Whale head coach Ken Gernander. “Our margin of error isn’t one where we can afford a lot of mistakes.”

Springfield opened up a 1-0 lead with three minutes remaining in the first period, as Tim Spencer deflected Theo Ruth’s shot from the point past Whale goaltender Cam Talbot (27 saves). Tomas Kubalik received the secondary assist on the goal, the only scoring play of the opening frame. The Falcons outshot the Whale, 8-7, in the first despite the Whale being afforded three power-plays to Springfield‘s one.

The teams were headed for a scoreless second period before Zuccarello’s stellar one-man effort tied the game for the Whale. Zuccarello cut down the left wing boards through the face-off circle, and despite being impeded by a Falcon’ defender, managed to slide the puck in between the legs of Falcons goaltender Paul Dainton (24 saves). Jonathan Audy-Marchessault and Blake Parlett both assisted on the goal, Zuccarello’s ninth of the season.

Maksim Mayorov would give the Falcons a 2-1 lead 6:03 into the third period with the eventual game-winner, as he one-timed a pass from Cam Atkinson past Talbot. Martin St. Pierre set the whole play up with a long stretch pass to Atkinson, who perfectly timed his feed to Mayorov in front of the Whale net.

The Whale would not be able to get the equalizer the rest of the way, as Dainton stood tall in goal for the Falcons in a period that saw the home team outshoot Springfield, 14-12. Dainton made several key stops, including a game-saving effort on an Audy-Marchessault one-time bid.

“We’ve got to find a way to finish, do the little things, take advantage of this short break,” said Whale defenseman Jared Nightingale. “Every man in this locker room knows we can turn this thing around right away.”

Connecticut will now rest up during the AHL All-Star break, before returning to the XL Center to face the Albany Devils in a Northeast Division struggle on Friday (7:00).

Tickets to all 2011-12 Whale home games, are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, as well as on-line at www.ctwhale.com and through TicketMaster Charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000.

To continue reading, click on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

HARTFORD, January 28, 2012:  Whalers Sports & Entertainment and the CT Hockey Hall of Fame today announced the seven inductees who have been selected to form the new 2012 class of enshrinees to the CT Hockey Hall of Fame.  The newly-selected hall of famers will be honored at the Connecticut Whale’s March 10 home game at the XL Center vs. the Norfolk Admirals, which will be “CT Hockey Hall of Fame Night”.

The seven new CT Hockey Hall of Fame 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.

This new class of seven enshrinees will join the eight members of the storied Hartford Whalers Hall of Fame that have been adopted by the CT Hockey Hall of Fame.

Leetch, who was raised in Cheshire, CT, was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.  Leetch played prep school hockey at Avon Old Farms before going on to Boston College and an 18-year NHL career.  Drafted ninth overall by the New York Rangers in 1986, Leetch would go on to become the highest-scoring defenseman, and second-highest-scoring player overall, in Ranger history.  Leetch skated in 1,129 games for the Broadway Blueshirts in 17 seasons and totaled 741 assists, a franchise career record, along with 240 goals and 981 points, second only to Rod Gilbert’s 1,021 in Ranger history.

Leetch was captain of the Rangers from 1997-98 to 1999-00, and became the first American-born player ever to capture the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 1994, the year the Rangers ended a 53-year championship drought by winning the Stanley Cup.  Following his Ranger tenure, and 15 games with Toronto in 2003-04, Leetch finished his career with the Bruins in 2005-06.

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