HARTFORD, April 10, 2012:  Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that six players have been added to the Whale roster from Connecticut’s ECHL affiliate, the Greenville Road Warriors.

Goaltender Jason Missiaen, forwards Jeff Prough, Chris McKelvie and Jason Wilson, and defensemen Blake Parlett and Lee Baldwin, have all been summoned from Greenville, whose season ended with a first-round playoff defeat at the hands of the Florida Everblades.

Missiaen, a 6-8, 220-pound rookie out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, finished the ECHL season tied for fourth among league backstops in shutouts with three, while compiling a 22-13-0 record, with a 2.71 goals-against average and a 91.6% save percentage.  He was 0-1 in one playoff appearance with Greenville, allowing four goals on 33 shots.

Prough has played 17 games with the Whale this season, scoring one goal and serving six minutes in penalties, and tallied 18 goals and added 29 assists for 47 points in 47 games with Greenville.  The fourth-year pro out of Brown University netted a goal and was +2 in his only playoff appearance for the Road Warriors.

McKelvie skated in 38 AHL games with the Whale this year and had two goals and three assists for five points, along with 42 PIM.  In 11 regular-season outings with the Road Warriors, the second-year pro registered three goals and two assists for five points, and he added a goal and an assist in three playoff games.

Wilson, a fifth-round selection (130^th overall) by the parent New York Rangers in the 2010 NHL Draft, struck for four goals and 10 assists for 14 points in 56 regular-season games for Greenville, in his rookie year as a pro, and had the third-most penalty minutes on the club, with 102.  A 6-2, 205-pound native of Toronto, Ontario, Wilson was scoreless in one playoff contest for the Road Warriors.

Parlett, a second-year man out of the Ontario Hockey League, logged 54 games in a Whale uniform this season and amassed 14 points, with four goals and 10 assists, and 34 PIM.  In 12 Road Warrior games in the regular year, Parlett notched a goal and six assists for seven points, plus 17 PIM, and he added one assist and four penalty minutes in three playoff games.

Baldwin played 16 games with the Whale this year, his second in the pro ranks, posting two penalty minutes and ten shots on goal, and the 6-4, 205-pounder saw action in 45 regular-season contests with the Road Warriors, producing totals of six goals and 12 assists for 18 points, along with 27 PIM.  In three ECHL playoff outings, Baldwin was scoreless with two PIM.

The Whale return to action tomorrow night, Wednesday, April 11, when they travel to Portland to take on the Pirates in a 6:30 PM game (“The Rock” 106.9 WCCC-FM, www.ctwhale.com).  The Whale then wrap up the home portion of their regular season on “Fan Appreciation Night” this Friday, April 13 at the XL Center (7:00), hosting the Manchester Monarchs.  Five-thousand fans at that game will receive a green Whale bracelet, courtesy of Xfinity.  There is also a special Friday-night food combo deal available, as a hot dog and a 12-ounce soda can be purchased for only $5.

Tickets to Fan Appreciation Night 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.

For information on Whale 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.

Hershey, PA, April 8, 2012 - Hershey, PA, April 8, 2012 – Cam Talbot made 24 saves for his second shutout in his last three starts Sunday, as the Connecticut Whale defeated the Hershey Bears, 1-0, at Giant Center.  Defenseman Pavel Valentenko’s second-period goal was the only score of the game.

The Whale victory, combined with the Adirondack Phantoms’ 4-2 home loss to the Rochester Americans, clinched a playoff spot for the Whale.

“It was a great game, back and forth, I thought,” said Talbot, who also blanked the Adirondack Phantoms last Saturday night in Hartford, with 26 saves in a 3-0 win.  “Both teams had some good chances, but I thought we did a great job eliminating their top guys from a lot of scoring chances, (AHL leading scorer Chris) Bourque and (Kyle) Greentree and their first line.  They were around the net but really didn’t get a whole lot of quality scoring chances.  I think the defense did a great job of clearing out rebounds for me and boxing out when I needed to see the puck.”

The victory improved the Whale’s record to 36-25-7-5 for 84 points, and moved them to within three points of idle Bridgeport for the Northeast Division lead.

An evenly-played first period ended scoreless, with the best chance for either team coming near the 12:00 mark, when Bourque sent the puck up the slot to Mike Carman, but Carman’s deflection went off the goalpost to Talbot’s right.

Hershey ended up with an 8-7 shots advantage coming out of the first, helped by a pair of late penalties against the Whale that gave the Bears’ league-leading power play (25.9% coming into the game) two closely-spaced chances.  Talbot held strong, however, denying a pair of close-in bids by Greentree just before the end of the period.

The Whale finally broke the scoreless deadlock at 7:59 of the second period.  After Kelsey Tessier won a faceoff from Hershey’s Andrew Carroll, linemates Jonathan Audy-Marchessault and Casey Wellman combined to deflect the puck back to Valentenko at the right point, and Valentenko’s slapshot beat Hershey netminder Dany Sabourin (25 saves) to the stick side.

The Whale and Talbot, who notched his fourth shutout of the year and ran his record to 14-14-0, made that lead stand up the rest of the way.  The Whale got a break with 6:57 left in the third, when Carman received a major penalty for spearing Connecticut defenseman Tim Erixon, but they never threatened on the long power play.  Then, with Sabourin on the bench for an extra attacker, Valentenko was called for kneeing at 19:33, but the Whale were able to survive that, despite the Bears having a six-on-four skater advantage with the goaltender pulled.

“It’s a load off the guys’ minds, to clinch a playoff spot with three games to go and we can kind of relax on that,” Talbot said.  “But we have to remember that there are still two teams trying to catch us for sixth (in the Eastern Conference).  We obviously want to stay in that sixth spot and not move down, so we still have three more games to go and hopefully six more points.”

“We’re obviously excited,” added Whale head coach Ken Gernander.  “We’ve got one week left in the season to fine-tune a few things and get cranking here, but we’re definitely excited to clinch a playoff spot.”

The Whale’s next action is Wednesday night in Portland against the Pirates, a game that faces off at 6:30 PM (“The Rock” 106.9 WCCC-FM, www.ctwhale.com).  The last Whale home game of the regular season is this Friday, April 13, as the Manchester Monarchs return to the XL Center for a 7:00 game.  That is Fan Appreciation Night, and the first 5,000 fans receive a green Whale bracelet presented by Xfinity.  Also, $5 Family Value combo meals are available.  For tickets visit www.ctwhale.com.  CT Whale action is presented by the Connecticut Lottery and sponsored by Aetna, CBT and St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center.

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Wilkes-Barre, PA, April 7, 2012 – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins goaltender Scott Munroe shut out the Connecticut Whale for the third time on the season, and second in just over a week, Saturday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza, making 27 saves in a 3-0 Penguin win.

Munroe also blanked the Whale last Friday night in Hartford, with 32 stops in another 3-2 verdict.

Rookie defenseman Simon Despres had the game-winning goal and an assist for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, which also got goals from Bryan Lerg and Geoff Walker.  Chad Johnson made 24 saves in the Whale net, including one on a Nick Petersen penalty shot at the end of the second period.

The loss dropped the Whale to 35-25-7-5 on the year and, combined with Adirondack’s 5-3 win at Albany, kept Connecticut’s magic number for clinching a playoff spot at three points.

The only goal of a fast-paced first period came at the 12:16 mark, when Despres scored his fifth of the year for the Penguins.  Cal O’Reilly fed a pass out of the right-wing corner to Despres high in the slot, and he snapped a shot past Johnson, who was screened by Penguin forward Paul Thompson.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton had a big early edge in shots in the first, but by the end of the period, the Whale had an 11-10 advantage in that department.

The Penguins upped their lead to 2-0 only 49 seconds into the second frame, as Lerg scored on a breakaway for his 26^th of the season.  A Kris Newbury pass got away from Brendan Bell at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton blueline to allow Lerg to break in alone, and he slipped a backhander just past Johnson’s left skate.  Then, on their first power play of the game, the Penguins scored again at 5:18, only eight seconds after Andre Deveaux was whistled for hooking.  Former Whale Jason Williams found Walker with a seeing-eye pass from the right-wing boards, and Johnson had no chance to stop Walker’s tap-in from the left side of the goalmouth.

Johnson prevented the Penguins from coming out of the second period up 4-0, when he stopped Petersen’s penalty shot opportunity with no time left on the clock.  Referee Graham Skilliter awarded Petersen the penalty shot as time expired, when he was hooked off the puck on a break-in by Jonathan Audy-Marchessault.  It was the second penalty shot Johnson has faced on the year, and he has stopped both.

The Whale were not able to build on that effort, despite outshooting the Penguins 12-6 in a scoreless third period.

The game featured the pro debuts of forwards Christian Thomas, a second-round New York Ranger draft pick in 2010, and Shane McColgan, who was taken in the fifth round by the Rangers in 2011.  Both players joined the Whale Wednesday from the Canadian Junior ranks, Thomas from the Ontario Hockey League’s Oshawa Generals and McColgan from the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League.

The Whale finish up a three-game weekend Sunday in Hershey against the Bears (5:00 PM faceoff, “The Rock” 106.9 WCCC-FM, www.ctwhale.com).  The Whale’s last home game of the regular season is this Friday, April 13, as the Manchester Monarchs return for a 7:00 game.  That is Fan Appreciation Night, as the first 5,000 fans receive a green Whale bracelet presented by Xfinity.  Also, $5 Family Value combo meals are available.  For tickets visit www.ctwhale.com.  Presented by the Connecticut Lottery, sponsored by Aetna, CBT and St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center.

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By Brian Ring

Hartford, CT, April 6, 2012 - The Connecticut Whale defeated the Manchester Monarchs, 2-1 in overtime, Friday night at the XL Center in Hartford. Casey Wellman scored the overtime winner for Connecticut, backing a 32-save, First-Star performance from goaltender Chad Johnson.

Ryan Bourque scored in regulation for the Whale, while Linden Vey had the only goal of the contest for the Monarchs. The win improved the Whale to 5-0-0-0 against the Monarchs this season.

“We’re obviously happy with the finish and the two points,” said Whale head coach Ken Gernander. “But there were some points in the first and definitely in the second where we needed to play with more emotion and more desperation.

“[Johnson] was strong and kept us in there when we were a little bit lacking in emotion.”

The Whale took the first lead of the game 9:52 into the opening period, as Bourque redirected Andreas Thuresson’s wrist shot past Manchester goaltender Martin Jones (29 saves) for his sixth goal of the season. Jordan Owens picked up the secondary assist on the score.

Vey would answer for the Monarchs, tying the game for Manchester 12:23 into the first. Vey found himself open in front of the Whale netminder Johnson, as he put home his 18^th goal of the season. Brandon Kozun and Nick Deslauriers were credited with the assists.

Neither team would break the one-all tie in the second period, and Johnson was sharp in keeping the Monarchs off the board in the frame.

The Whale were outshot, 17-9, in the second, and 24-18 through two periods, as the Monarchs were able to sustain several bursts of attack in the Connecticut zone.

Neither team would mount much attack in the third period either, but the Whale would take control of the majority of the play as they outshot their guests, 12-8, in the last frame of regulation.

Johnson and Jones were both on point through three periods, forcing the two clubs to battle into overtime for the first time this season.

Wellman would finally knock the puck just over the line past Jones 1:16 into the extra session to net the overtime victory for Connecticut, with Brendan Bell and Wade Redden tallying the assists after the puck trickled past Jones.

The Whale will be back in road action Saturday, when they face the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (7:00 PM).

The Whale’s last home game of the regular season is next Friday, April 13, as the Monarchs return for a 7:00 game.  That is Fan Appreciation Night, as the first 5,000 fans receive a green Whale bracelet presented by Xfinity.  Also, $5 Family Value combo meals are available.  For tickets visit ctwhale.com.  Presented by the Connecticut Lottery, sponsored by Aetna, CBT and St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center.

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By Bob Crawford

Slovakian-born winger Marek Hrivik was a bit of a surprise addition to the Connecticut Whale’s roster last weekend, and the call to join the Whale came as somewhat of a surprise to him as well.

“The day before (coming to Connecticut), I was supposed to leave to go back home (to Slovakia),” Hrivik said after Wednesday’s Whale practice.  “My flight was 2:30, and they let me know at 12:00 that they want me here in Hartford.  So I said, ‘for sure, I’m coming.’  It was kind of a quick decision.”

And the 20-year-old Hrivik, who signed an Amateur Tryout (ATO) agreement with the Whale just before making his pro debut in Saturday’s 3-0 home win over the Adirondack Phantoms, had virtually no time to think about it before he was suddenly in uniform in an important late-season AHL game.

“It’s all about adjusting as quick as possible,” Hrivik said.  “I just came here and went for a nap and went for a game.  I did feel good out there, that’s the main thing, and we did get two points out of the game, so that’s great.

“It’s going pretty well.  It’s a really good team and the guys are helping me a lot.  I just have to adjust a little bit to the style of hockey.  It’s quicker, stronger, so I just have to win some battles in the corners and bury my chances.”

Whale head coach Ken Gernander, who wasted no time in giving Hrivik a chance to show what he could do in the AHL, has been pleased with the 6-1, 197-pound youngster’s effort so far.

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HARTFORD, April 5, 2012:  Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the Whale has returned forward Jeff Prough on loan to its ECHL affiliate, the Greenville Road Warriors.

Prough has registered one goal and six penalty minutes in 17 games on the year with the Whale, and the fourth-year pro out of Brown University has 18 goals and 29 assists for 47 points in 47 games.

The Whale’s next action is a home game at the XL Center tomorrow night, Friday, April 6, vs. the Manchester Monarchs.  Five-thousand fans at that game will take home a free Whale team poster, courtesy of AT&T the Real Yellow Pages.  There is also a special Friday-night food combo deal available, as a hot dog and a 12-ounce soda can be purchased for only $5.  Faceoff is 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.

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, April 4, 2012:  Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that a pair of forwards, and New York Ranger draftees, Christian Thomas and Shane McColgan, have joined the Whale.

Thomas, chosen in the second round (40^th overall) by the parent club Rangers in the 2010 NHL Draft, was reassigned by the Rangers to the Whale from the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League.  In 55 games with the Generals this season, his fourth in the OHL, Thomas, a 5-9, 170-pound native of Toronto, registered a team-high 67 points, including 34 goals, which tied for the team lead, along with 12 penalty minutes.  He also notched four points in six playoff games, with two goals and two assists.  Thomas, who is the son of long-time NHL stalwart Steve Thomas, had a 54-goal season with the Generals in 2010-11, finishing second in the OHL in that category, and he also added 45 assists for a total of 99 points that year, sixth-best in the league.

In 244 career OHL games with the Generals and London Knights, the 19-year-old Thomas has amassed totals of 137 goals and 120 assists for 257 points, along with 91 PIM.  He agreed to terms on an NHL contract with the Rangers May 19, 2011.

McColgan, a fifth-round selection (134^th overall) by the Rangers in 2011, has been signed to an Amateur Tryout (ATO) agreement by the Whale, from the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League.  In 70 games with the Rockets this season, the 5-9, 170-pound Manhattan Beach, CA native scored 18 goals and added 46 assists for 64 points, leading the Kelowna club in points and assists, while serving 85 minutes in penalties.  In four WHL postseason games, the 19-year-old McColgan had two assists.

McColgan has played three full seasons, and part of a fourth, with the Rockets, totaling 65 goals and 137 assists for 202 points, along with 196 PIM, in 212 games.

The Whale’s next action is a home game at the XL Center this Friday night, April 6 vs. the Manchester Monarchs.  Five-thousand fans at that game will take home a free Whale team poster, courtesy of AT&T the Real Yellow Pages.  There is also a special Friday-night food combo deal available, as a hot dog and a 12-ounce soda can be purchased for only $5.  Faceoff is 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.

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, April 2, 2012:  The Connecticut Whale are proud to announce that Kelsey Tessier has been named the team’s winner of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the Hartford community during the 2011-12 season.

Tessier has generously donated his time by visiting patients at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, and has been instrumental in the Whale’s “Hockey in the Streets” program, an outreach effort towards inner-city children in the Hartford area. He has selflessly volunteered for public appearances and has also taken on the role of community ambassador, going well beyond what was required of him.  Tessier has also served as a leader in organizing and inspiring his teammates to participate strongly in Whale community relations efforts.

Tessier is now one of 30 finalists for the AHL’s 2011-12 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, honoring the overall IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year. The league award is named after the former Hershey Bears forward and AHL All-Star who died in 1997 following a 16-month battle with leukemia. The winner of the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award will be announced by the American Hockey League in the coming weeks

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By Brian Ring

HARTFORD, CT April 1, 2012 – The Connecticut Whale were defeated by the Providence Bruins, 3-2, in overtime Sunday afternoon at the XL Center. Carter Camper scored twice for the Bruins, including the overtime game-winner, which came with 2.1 seconds remaining in the extra session.

Kris Newbury had a goal and an assist and Jonathan Audy-Marchessault had two helpers for the Whale.

“If we had capitalized a little bit earlier on some of our chances, it doesn’t get to that point,” said Whale head coach Ken Gernander. “They’re all one goal games or close games and your margin of error is such that you’re not afforded mistakes.”

The two teams played a scoreless but physical first period, with the Whale outshooting Providence, 10-7. The Whale were afforded three power-play chances in the first period, but Michael Hutchinson (33 saves) was up to the task to help keep Connecticut off the board.

The period began with a fight between the Whale’s Jared Nightingale and Providence’s Lane MacDermid, dropping the gloves just eight seconds into the game.

The Bruins would open the scoring with 5:24 left to play in the second period, as Camper redirected a Zach Trotman shot from the point past Whale goaltender Cam Talbot (28 saves). The goal ended a span of nearly seven shutout periods for Talbot.

That would be all of the scoring through two periods, despite the Whale continuing to outshoot their guests, 22-19, over the first 40 minutes.

Wade Redden would tie the game up almost immediately to start the third period, scoring just 37 seconds into the frame. Nice passing between Audy-Marchessault and Newbury allowed Redden to sneak behind the Providence defense and beat Hutchinson from the slot.

Kyle MacKinnon would give the Bruins a 2-1 lead with 9:49 left in the third, as Calle Ridderwall’s shot deflected in off of his chest and past Talbot for MacKinnon’s 13^th goal of the season.

The Whale, however, would strike right back, as Newbury beat Hutchinson over his glove to tie the game back up 1:23 later. Audy-Marchessault had the only assist on the score, his second of the game.

The teams headed to the extra-session for the second Sunday in a row for the Whale, and once again the game looked destined for a shootout.

Camper, however, would bury a rebound against Talbot for the game-winner as the Whale fell in heartbreaking fashion in overtime, two weeks in a row with two seconds remaining.

The Whale are back in action this Friday night, April 6, when they play host to the Manchester Monarchs at 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.

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, please click on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

By Brian Ring

Hartford, CT, March 31, 2012 - The Connecticut Whale defeated the Adirondack Phantoms, 3-0, Saturday night before a crowd of 6,253 at the XL Center. The win allowed the Whale to snap a four-game losing streak on the back of goaltender Cam Talbot, who notched his third shutout of the season with 26 saves.

Kelsey Tessier scored twice and Casey Wellman had a goal and an assist to lead the Connecticut offense.

“That was a good rebound game for us,” said Whale head coach Ken Gernander. “Obviously everyone is watching the standings and points, and with every passing day it becomes more important to get the two points, and gets closer to playoff-type hockey.”

Tessier gave the Whale a 1-0 lead, with what would turn out to be the game-winning goal, 13:19 into the first period, as he finished off a rebound left by Adirondack goaltender Michael Leighton (25 saves). Wade Redden’s shot from the point could not be buried by Andre Deveaux, but the puck bounced off of the pad of Leighton to Tessier, who tallied his eleventh goal of the season.

Connecticut afforded the Phantoms three power-play opportunities in the first period, but good penalty-killing kept the visitors off the board.

The Whale would extend their lead to 2-0 on the power-play 8:49 into the second period, as Leighton once again gave up a rebound, this time to Wellman. Wellman banged the puck home between the left pad of Leighton and the post for his 22^nd goal of the season. Deveaux notched his second assist of the night on the goal, and Kris Newbury also had a touch on the play.

The home team would keep the pressure on the Phantoms the rest of the way, outshooting Adirondack 18-14 over the final two periods.

Tessier would finish the game off for Connecticut at 19:53 of the third period, taking a pass from Wellman before sending the puck into an empty net to give the Whale a 3-0 lead.

“I thought we had a much better start, a much better team game and a better game in general (than Friday night’s 3-0 loss to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton),” said Gernander.

The Whale will close out their three-games-in-three-nights homestand Sunday afternoon at the XL Center, as they host the Providence Bruins (2:00).

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.

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, please click on the read more button below if you're on the home page.