To say that the defunct Hartford Whalers franchise still has something of a cult following is, I think, fairly reasonable. So when people see remnants of the team (since moved to Carolina as the Hurricanes) and its distinct logo, the nostalgia comes rushing back. On occasion, a lot of wishful thinking joins that nostalgia. Unfortunately, despite former owner Howard Baldwin’s use of a Whalers-like logo to promote an outdoor rink - and all the assumptions and excitement that can come from such a move - NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly dismissed the probability of the team’s return. James Mirtle of The Globe and Mail shares Daly’s thoughts on the subject.
“I haven’t given a lot of thought on the Hartford front, but I guess what I would say is I’m not sure we’re aware of any potential ownership groups that want to own a team in Hartford. I know there continues to be a passionate fan base in Hartford -- I do hear from them on occasion. Ultimately, some of the reasons we left Hartford still exist: They don’t have a state of the art building and you need to have an owner who’s willing to own a club in the market.
“The club did well in Hartford given the circumstances and ultimately those circumstances conspired to make it not viable there and I don’t know if that’s changed.”
Still, despite the sobering lameness of reality, it would no doubt be gorgeous to see those silly/awesome jerseys and “The Whale” ride high again. Even though, um, they rarely rode high in the standings.