HARTFORD, October 9, 2012:  Connecticut Whale general Manager Jim Schoenfeld today announced the following changes to the team’s training camp roster:

Assigned to Greenville (ECHL):

Defensemen (1): Steven Delisle

Forwards (3):  Ryan Flanigan, Danny Hobbs, Jordie Johnston

Released from training camp tryouts:

Goaltenders (2): Bryan Hince, Kyle Rank

Defensemen (3): Kyle Haines, Colten Hayes, Brent Henley

Forwards (4): Andrew Courtney, Scott Tanski, Nicolas Tremblay, Francis Verreault-Paul

With those changes, the Whale now have 28 players in training camp:

Goal (3): Jason Missiaen, Scott Stajcer, Cameron Talbot

Defense (9): Sean Collins, Matt Gilroy, Sebastien Piche, Sam Klassen, Dylan McIlrath, Jyri Niemi, Blake Parlett, Logan Pyett, Mike Vernace.

Forwards (16): Ryan Bourque, Tommy Grant, Micheal Haley, Marek Hrivik, Kyle Jean, Chad Kolarik, Chris Kreider, J.T. Miller, Kris Newbury, Scott Pitt, Brandon Segal, Kelsey Tessier, Christian Thomas, Shayne Wiebe, Jason Wilson, Andrew Yogan

The Whale open their 2012-13 season this Friday, October 12 at the XL Center, with a 7:30 PM battle against their in-state rivals the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.  At that game, all fans can purchase tickets at the special price of $12 each, and that night will also kick off the Whale’s new Friday night $1 hot dogs and $2 beers promotion.

Tickets for that game, and all Whale regular season home games at the XL Center, are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, through TicketMaster Charge-by-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.

Season tickets for the Whale’s 2012-13 AHL season are also available. For information on season seats, and all of the Whale’s many ticketing options, visit www.ctwhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 548-2000 to talk with an account executive today.

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

Hartford, CT, October 7, 2012 – Chris Kreider’s hat trick led the Connecticut Whale to a 4-3 victory over the Worcester Sharks Sunday afternoon at the Koeppel Community Center at Trinity College, in the Whale’s last of four AHL preseason games.

Kreider scored once in each of the three periods, and fellow New York Ranger first-round pick J.T. Miller also had a goal, as the Whale won its second straight game after dropping its first two preseason starts.  Scott Stajcer made 19 saves to get the win.  The Whale power play was 3/5.

James Sheppard had a goal and an assist for Worcester, Sebastian Stalberg and Marek Viedensky also scored and Travis Oleksuk had two assists.

The Whale jumped on top at 7:36 of the first period, with Kreider scoring an unassisted goal.  Kreider worked the puck away from Matt Pelech at the right point in the Whale zone and moved down left wing, eventually snapping a shot past Shark starting goaltender Alex Stalock (three goals-against on 21 shots).

Connecticut made it a 2-0 advantage on a power play at 17:20, as Sean Collins sent a slick feed to Miller in center ice and Miller used Pelech as a screen to beat Stalock from the left circle.

After the Sharks killed off a major penalty assessed to Curt Gogol for boarding at 17:41, Worcester would get on the scoreboard at 5:45 of the second period, in a delayed-penalty situation, as Stalberg slipped a shot from the right circle through Stajcer’s pads.

Connecticut got that goal back just 1:13 later at 7:20, with another power-play score.  With Matt Tennyson in the penalty box for tripping, Kreider headed down the right-wing side in the Worcester zone and tried to backhand a pass to Kris Newbury at the left post, only to have the puck hit a Shark defender and go into the net for a 3-1 Whale lead.

That lasted until the 15:05 mark, when Viedensky made it a one-goal game again for Worcester.  Covering the left point, Viedensky stopped a Whale clearing attempt and beat Stajcer to the glove side with a slap shot.

Kreider then notched the eventual game-winner, and Connecticut’s third power-play goal of the contest, at 5:57 of the third period, with Oleksuk off for high-sticking.  Kreider took a feed from Newbury and whipped a shot from the left circle past the short side of Harri Sateri (one goal-against on eight shots), who replaced Stalock in the Shark net to start the third.

Worcester closed to within one again at 16:56, when Sheppard scored on a Shark power play.  Stajcer made a pad save on a point shot by Danny Groulx, but the rebound deflected to the left circle, where Sheppard pounced on it and ripped it into the net before Stajcer could recover.

The Whale open their 2012-13 regular season this Friday, October 12 at the XL Center, with a 7:30 PM battle against their in-state rivals the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.  At that game, all fans can purchase tickets at the special price of $12 each, and that night will also kick off the Whale’s new Friday night $1 hot dogs and $2 beers promotion.

Tickets for that game, and all Whale regular season home games at the XL Center, are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, through TicketMaster Charge-by-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.

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

Worcester Sharks 3 at Connecticut Whale 4
Sunday, October 7, 2012 – Koeppel Community Sports Center

Worcester 0 2 1 – 3
Connecticut 2 1 1 – 4

1st Period-1, Connecticut, Kreider 2 7:36. 2, Connecticut, Miller 3 (Collins), 17:20 (PP). Penalties-Parlett Ct (closing hand on puck), 8:45; Niemi Ct (holding the stick), 13:26; Tam Wor (interference), 16:59; Gogol Wor (major – boarding, fighting, game misconduct), 17:41; Haley Ct (fighting), 17:41.

2nd Period-3, Worcester, Stalberg 1 (Oleksuk, Sheppard), 5:15. 4, Connecticut, Kreider 3 (Vernace), 7:20 (PP). 5, Worcester, Viedensky 1 15:05. Penalties-Tennyson Wor (tripping), 6:07.

3rd Period-6, Connecticut, Kreider 4 (Newbury), 5:57 (PP). 7, Worcester, Sheppard 1 (Groulx, Oleksuk), 16:56 (PP). Penalties-Oleksuk Wor (high-sticking), 4:11; Haley Ct (roughing), 6:31; Tarasov Wor (high-sticking), 9:26; Pyett Ct (interference), 11:58; Kreider Ct (hooking), 16:52; Hamilton Wor (holding), 18:03; Klassen Ct (roughing), 18:03; Pyett Ct (elbowing), 19:58.

Shots on Goal-Worcester 7-5-10-22. Connecticut 11-10-8-29.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 1 / 6; Connecticut 3 / 5.
Goalies-Worcester, Stalock 0-0-0 (21 shots-18 saves); Sateri 0-2-0 (8 shots-7 saves). Connecticut, Stajcer 2-0-0 (22 shots-19 saves).
Referees-Jean Hebert (43).
Linesmen-Jim Briggs (83), Marty Demers (79).

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HARTFORD, October 7, 2012:  Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the team has agreed to terms with defenseman Matt Gilroy on an American Hockey League contract.

Gilroy, who was the 2008-09 Hobey Baker Award winner as a senior at Boston University, has skated in 194 NHL games during his three years as a pro, with the New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators.  Last season, the 6-1, 201-pound North Bellmore, NY native played in 53 games with the Lightning, scoring two goals and adding 15 assists for 17 points and registering 16 penalty minutes, before being traded to the Senators February 27 in exchange for Brian Lee.  In 14 games with Ottawa, Gilroy tallied one goal and two assists for three points, while serving two minutes in penalties.  He also was scoreless in three postseason games with the Senators.

Prior to 2011-12, Gilroy, 28, spent his first two pro seasons with the Rangers, the Whale’s parent club, after signing as a free agent April 17, 2009.  In 127 games in a Ranger uniform, Gilroy notched seven goals and added 19 assists for 26 points, and posted 37 PIM.  In NHL action for his career, he has totaled 10 goals and 36 assists for 46 points, along with 55 penalty minutes, in 194 outings.

Gilroy’s only previous AHL action was a five-game conditioning stint with the then-Hartford Wolf Pack in December of 2009, in which he contributed four assists and served four PIM.

As a B.U. Terrier, Gilroy amassed 25 goals and 67 assists for 92 points in 160 games over four seasons, after making the team as a walk-on freshman in 2005-06.  He was a First-Team Hockey East All-Star for three consecutive years (2006-07 through 2008-09), the first-ever Boston University defenseman to accomplish that feat, and finished his college career having played in 146 consecutive games.  In his senior year of 2008-09, in addition to capturing the Hobey Baker Award, Gilroy helped lead the Terriers to an NCAA title as team captain.  He led all Hockey East defensemen in points that season, with 8-29-37 in 45 games, and finished third among all NCAA blueliners in point-scoring.

The Whale open their 2012-13 season this Friday, October 12 at the XL Center, with a 7:30 PM battle against their in-state rivals the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.  At that game, all fans can purchase tickets at the special price of $12 each, and that night will also kick off the Whale’s new Friday night $1 hot dogs and $2 beers promotion.

Tickets for that game, and all Whale regular season home games at the XL Center, are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, through TicketMaster Charge-by-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.

Season tickets for the Whale’s 2012-13 AHL season are also available. For information on season seats, and all of the Whale’s many ticketing options, visit www.ctwhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 548-2000 to talk with an account executive today.

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

Tarrytown, NY, October 6, 2012 – Chad Kolarik’s goal with 34.3 seconds left in the third period was the winner in the Connecticut Whale’s first preseason victory, a 3-1 decision over the Adirondack Phantoms Saturday at the MSG Training Center, the New York Rangers’ practice facility.

The Whale had been 0-2 previously in the preseason.

Kolarik, who missed the entire 2011-12 season due to a knee injury suffered during Ranger training camp at the MSG Training Center, banged his own rebound past Phantoms goaltender Scott Munroe for the deciding score, after a long heave from the left point by Sam Klassen.

Chris Kreider, making his first appearance of the preseason for the Whale, added an empty-net goal with 15.4 seconds on the clock

Jason Missiaen made 34 saves for the Whale in the win, and Connecticut also got a goal from Andrew Yogan.  Brayden Schenn scored the Phantoms’ only goal, and Munroe made 29 saves in the Adirondack net.

After a scoreless first period in which the Whale were outshot 8-2, they would allow another 18 shots in the second frame but would take their first lead of the preseason on Yogan’s goal at 6:13.

After a strong rush up ice by Kyle Jean, J.T. Miller jammed the puck to the front of the net, and Yogan poked it out of a crowd and past Munroe.

The Phantoms tied it, though, at 13:08 on a power play.  Schenn, who spent all but seven games of last season with Philadelphia, and Sean Couturier, who was in the NHL all year, hooked up on the tally, as Couturier found Schenn in the slot with a pass out of the right-wing corner, and Schenn beat Missiaen with a shot into the top shelf.

Neither goaltender yielded after that until Kolarik’s late tally, with Munroe stopping Miller on a penalty-shot attempt at 12:25 of the third, after Miller had been dragged down on a shorthanded opportunity.

In addition to Kreider, the 2009 Ranger first-round pick, joining the Whale lineup, Kris Newbury, recovered from an injury that had cost him nearly a week of training camp, made his first appearance in Whale preseason action Saturday.

The Whale finish the preseason on Sunday, as they host the Worcester Sharks at the Koeppel Community Sports Center on the campus of Trinity College.  That game faces off at 2:00 PM, and is a benefit for the Ryan Gordon/Connecticut Whale Community Scholars Fund, with donations accepted at the door in lieu of an admission charge.  The fund memorializes young fan Ryan Gordon, who passed away in 2006 and asked that a portion of the monies set aside for his college education be donated to the Connecticut Whale Community Foundation.  The Koeppel Community Sports Center is located at 175 New Britain Ave. in Hartford.

The Whale open their 2012-13 season Friday, October 12 at the XL Center, with a 7:30 PM battle against their in-state rivals the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.  At that game, all fans can purchase tickets at the special price of $12 each, and that night will also kick off the Whale’s new Friday night $1 hot dogs and $2 beers promotion.

Tickets for that game, and all Whale regular season home games at the XL Center, are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, through TicketMaster Charge-by-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.

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

Adirondack Phantoms 1 at Connecticut Whale 3
Saturday, October 6, 2012 – MSG Training Center

Adirondack 0 1 0 – 1
Connecticut 0 1 2 – 3

1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Rinaldo Adk (boarding), 3:28; Newbury Ct (hooking), 8:52; Parlett Ct (roughing), 15:52; Grant Ct (cross-checking), 19:03.

2nd Period-1, Connecticut, Yogan 1 (Miller, Jean), 6:13. 2, Adirondack, Schenn 1 (Couturier, Gustafsson), 13:08 (PP). Penalties-Bourdon Adk (holding), 9:31; Zolnierczyk Adk (slashing), 9:31; Kreider Ct (holding the stick), 11:03; Parlett Ct (high-sticking), 11:59; Zolnierczyk Adk (roughing), 14:07; Piche Ct (roughing), 14:07; Bourdson Adk (hooking), 19:27.

3rd Period-3, Connecticut, Kolarik 1 (Klassen, Vernace), 19:25. 4, Connecticut, Kreider 1 (Segal, Niemi), 19:44 (EN). Penalties-Jean Ct (high-sticking), 2:16; Piche Ct (hooking), 4:38; McGinn Adk (slashing), 5:04; Parlett Ct (tripping), 12:45; Ford Adk (holding), 13:25.

Shots on Goal-Adirondack 8-18-9-35. Connecticut 2-13-17-32.
Power Play Opportunities-Adirondack 1 / 5; Connecticut 0 / 4.
Goalies-Adirondack, Munroe 0-1-0 (31 shots-29 saves). Connecticut, Missiaen 1-2-0 (35 shots-34 saves).
A-0
Referees-Ryan Fraser (14).
Linesmen-Kevin Redding (16), Paul Simeon (66).

Worcester, MA, October 4, 2012 – The Connecticut Whale fell to 0-2 in the preseason Thursday night, as they lost to the Worcester Sharks by a score of 2-1, at the Hart Center on the campus of the College of the Holy Cross.

Brandon Mashinter’s third-period goal was the game-winner for the Sharks, and Sena Acolatse also scored for Worcester.  Sebastien Piche had the only Whale goal.

After a scoreless first period, in which Worcester outshot the Whale 10-4, the Sharks jumped on top at 4:45 of the second frame, just as Connecticut’s Andrew Courtney was stepping out of the penalty box.  The Sharks’ Yanni Gourde worked the puck out of the right-wing corner to Acolatse at the middle of the blue line, and Acolatse fired a slap shot past the stick side of Whale starting goaltender Scott Stajcer.

After the Whale’s Ryan Bourque missed the net on a shorthanded partial breakaway at 10:45, Connecticut tied the game on its fourth power play at 18:58.  Piche, a defenseman, was credited with the goal, after his shot from the left point hit a Worcester defender and deflected past Shark starting goaltender Alex Stalock.

Worcester regained the lead just before the halfway point of the third period, as Mashinter scored on a rebound at 9:53.  Kyle Rank, who replaced Stajcer in the Whale net at 12:14 of the second, made a pad save on a shot by Mikael Tam off of a 3-on-2, but Mashinter found the carom in the left circle and buried the puck for a 2-1 Shark lead, and, as it would turn out, the win.

Thomas Heemskerk played a perfect third for Worcester, stopping seven shots, after Stalock made 16 saves through the first two periods.  Stajcer made 21 stops for the Whale and Rank had 13.

The Whale had opened its preseason with a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the Albany Devils Wednesday night, at Champions Skating Center in Cromwell, CT.  The Whale’s only other home preseason game is this Sunday, October 7, as they and the Sharks rematch at the Koeppel Community Sports Center on the campus of Trinity College.  That game faces off at 2:00 PM.

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

Connecticut Whale 1 at Worcester Sharks 2
Thursday, October 4, 2012 – Hart Recreation Center

Connecticut 0 1 0 – 1
Worcester 0 1 1 – 2

1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Oleksuk Wor (holding), 1:41; Hobbs Ct (hooking), 7:55; Courtney Ct (hooking), 10:53; Pelech Wor (elbowing), 15:11.

2nd Period-1, Worcester, Acolatse 1 (Gourde, Matsumoto), 4:45 (PP). 2, Connecticut, Piche 2 (Parlett, Yogan), 18:58 (PP). Penalties-Courtney Ct (hooking), 2:45; Miller Ct (high-sticking), 9:59; Mashinter Wor (high-sticking, high-sticking), 12:22; Haley Ct (roughing), 13:43; Kennedy Wor (roughing), 13:43; Kearns Wor (roughing), 17:34.

3rd Period-3, Worcester, Mashinter 1 (Tam, Viedensky), 9:53. Penalties-Sheppard Wor (holding), 2:04; Pitt Ct (holding), 7:04; Yogan Ct (slashing), 14:44; Petrecki Wor (high-sticking), 14:44; McCarthy Wor (slashing), 18:33.

Shots on Goal-Connecticut 4-12-7-23. Worcester 10-13-13-36.
Power Play Opportunities-Connecticut 1 / 6; Worcester 1 / 5.
Goalies-Connecticut, Stajcer — (22 shots-21 saves); Rank — (14 shots-13 saves). Worcester, Stalock — (16 shots-15 saves); Heemskerk — (7 shots-7 saves).
A-283
Referees-Mark Lemelin (41).
Linesmen-Bob Paquette (18), Todd Whittemore (19).

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HARTFORD, October 4, 2012:  Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the team has signed forward Ryan Flanigan to an American Hockey League contract.

Flanigan, 24, got his first taste of pro hockey at the end of the 2011-12 season, skating in four AHL games with the Hamilton Bulldogs.  The 6-1, 180-pound Rochester, NY native contributed a goal and an assist for two points, and registered four penalty minutes, with the Bulldogs, after finishing a four-year Hockey East career at Merrimack College.  In 36 games with Merrimack last season, Flanigan scored 11 goals and added 18 assists for 29 points, good for tops on the team in both points and assists.  He also served 42 minutes in penalties.

Flanigan’s totals for his Merrimack career included 34 goals and 45 assists for 79 points, plus 147 PIM, in 131 games.

The Whale open their 2012-13 season Friday, October 12 at the XL Center, with a 7:30 PM battle against their in-state rivals the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.  At that game, all fans can purchase tickets at the special price of $12 each, and that night will also kick off the Whale’s new Friday night $1 hot dogs and $2 beers promotion.

Tickets for that game, and all Whale regular season home games at the XL Center, are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, through TicketMaster Charge-by-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.

Season tickets for the Whale’s 2012-13 AHL season are also available. For information on season seats, and all of the Whale’s many ticketing options, visit www.ctwhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 548-2000 to talk with an account executive today.

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

Cromwell, CT, October 3, 2012 – The Albany Devils defeated the Connecticut Whale, 3-1, Wednesday night at Champions Skating Center in Cromwell, CT, in the Whale’s AHL preseason opener.

Brandon Burlon, Harri Pesonen and Darcy Zajac scored for Albany, and J.T. Miller had the lone Connecticut goal.  The Devils outshot the Whale, 34-19.

The game remained scoreless until there were only 42.7 seconds remaining in the first period, when the Devils scored a power-play goal.  The goal came during a seven-minute Albany power play, created when the Whale’s Brent Henley repeatedly punched the Devils’ J.S. Berube, who did not respond.

During the man advantage, Burlon fired a shot from the left-wing boards that went through a Zajac screen and eluded Connecticut starting goaltender Jason Missiaen.

The power play carried over into the second period, and Albany struck again at 2:57 of the second, on a goal by Pesonen.  Pesonen got his stick free in front of the Whale goal and deflected a right-point shot by Roman Hrabarenka past Missiaen.

The Devils made it a 3-0 lead at 6:52, with Zajac jamming the puck past Missiaen off of a goalmouth scramble.

The Whale finally got on the board on a five-on-three power play at 16:08, as Miller took a pass from Sean Collins and one-timed the puck past Albany’s Maxime Clermont.

The win in net went to Jeff Frazee, who stopped all 10 shots he faced before giving way to Clermont at the 10:48 mark of the second period.  Clermont stopped seven of eight shots.  The Whale also changed goaltenders at 10:48 of the second, with Bryan Hince (no goals on 12 shots) replacing Missiaen, who made 16 saves in absorbing the loss.

The Whale are back in preseason action Thursday night, traveling to Worcester to meet the Sharks, at the College of the Holy Cross’ Hart Center.  Faceoff is 7:00 PM.  The Whale’s only other home preseason game is this Sunday, October 7, as they and the Sharks rematch at the Koeppel Community Sports Center on the campus of Trinity College.  That game faces off at 2:00 PM.

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

Albany Devils 3 at Connecticut Whale 1
Wednesday, October 3, 2012 – Champions Skating Center

Albany 1 2 0 – 3
Connecticut 0 1 0 – 1

1st Period-1, Albany, Burlon 1 (Hrabarenka, Wiseman), 19:17 (PP). Penalties-Haczyk Alb (checking to the head), 3:48; Henley Ct (roughing), 7:06; Gelinas Alb (cross-checking), 10:49; Kelly Alb (fighting), 14:50; Delisle Ct (fighting), 14:50; Henley Ct (instigating, fighting, misconduct – instigating, game misconduct – aggressor), 16:47.

2nd Period-2, Albany, Pesonen 1 (Hrabarenka, Sestito), 2:57 (PP). 3, Albany, Zajac 2 (Berube, Carrier), 6:52. 4, Connecticut, Miller 2 (Collins, Piche), 16:08 (PP). Penalties-Zajac Alb (fighting), 7:20; Haley Ct (fighting), 7:20; Burlon Alb (interference), 14:51; Wohlberg Alb (hooking), 15:14.

3rd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Hoeffel Alb (holding), 4:07; Yogan Ct (interference), 10:36; Baier Alb (hooking), 17:18.

Shots on Goal-Albany 9-13-12-34. Connecticut 8-4-7-19.
Power Play Opportunities-Albany 2 / 4; Connecticut 1 / 6.
Goalies-Albany, Frazee 3-0-0 (10 shots-10 saves); Clermont 0-0-0 (8 shots-7 saves). Connecticut, Missiaen 0-1-0 (19 shots-16 saves); Hince — (12 shots-12 saves).
A-0
Referees-Terry Koharski (10).
Linesmen-Luke Galvin (2), Brent Colby (7).

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Tessier Eager to Start New Season

By Bob Crawford

One of the more consistent presences in the Whale lineup the last two seasons has been that of Kelsey Tessier.

A guy who has had to work for everything he’s gotten over his two-year pro career, while playing on AHL contracts, Tessier has proven himself to be a dependable defensive centerman, a guy who bears down hard on faceoffs and burns to be counted on to neutralize the opposition’s most dangerous players.

Tessier isn’t exactly a hockey version of a “good-field, no-hit” guy in baseball, though, as his five points in the Whale’s nine playoff games last spring was third-best on the team, and he got to the 30-point mark in the regular season, with 12 goals and 18 assists in 75 games.

“I’m getting stronger, older, so hopefully I bring a little more offense,” Tessier said recently about his approach to this season.  “Defense, I know I’m really good at that, so I’d just like to bring a little bit more offense to the team.”

Tessier’s strong playoff performance helped spark the Whale to a first-round sweep of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and to push the eventual-champion Norfolk Admirals hard in the second round.  Throughout his Junior hockey career in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Tessier always picked up his production in the postseason, and he is hoping he can carry his consistency from last year’s playoffs into this season

“My past stats, I’ve been a playoff guy, and that’s what I wanted to bring last year, and just bring a little bit more experience in it,” Tessier said.  “And that’s why I can’t wait for this year also.  That’s what we play for, is playoffs and to win championships.  Definitely that’s one of the things I emphasize my game on, and just try to build that up throughout the year and keep it up during the playoffs.”

Tessier, a fourth-round draft pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2008, was a free agent coming out of the QMJHL, and has become a fixture in Hartford since signing with the then-Hartford Wolf Pack prior to training camp in 2010.  The Whale renewed Tessier’s AHL deal prior to last year, and the two sides re-upped again this August, with Tessier confident that Connecticut is a good place for him.

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“They’ve (the Whale) been giving me the opportunity and I’ve been playing a lot, so I think it’s a great fit,” Tessier said.  “And with the (NHL) lockout, it was tough to find a spot anywhere else, so I’m happy to be back here and have my chance again.”

Tessier came into pro hockey as a guy who emphasized two-way play.  He has picked up many little nuances, though, during the last two years that have allowed him to take his all-around game to a new level.

“Now you’re playing against men and it’s a whole different league (from Junior),” Tessier said.  “It’s just those small things on the ice that you just pick up my last two years, and can’t wait to start the third year.  Just being on the defensive side (of the puck) or all the tricks around the boards or the corner and knowing where the empty spots (on the ice) are.  So I’m just excited to start all over and keep going here.”

Another area in which Tessier, even though he is still a very young player at 22, may have to carry more of a burden this year is leadership.  The Whale still have several solid veteran players at their disposal, like Kris Newbury, Chad Kolarik, Brandon Segal, Sean Collins and Micheal Haley, just to name a few, but are not likely to see last year’s captain, Wade Redden, for the duration of the lockout.

“We’ve got some great leaders anyway,” Tessier said.  “I’m going to do my part.  I’m not going to be that main guy, but I’ll definitely show up at the right spot and if they really need me I’ll be there.  We’re going to miss Redds (Redden) because he’s been such a role model for the young guys and such a great guy in general, but I’m going to have to pick it up, and other people are going to have to pick it up, to fill in that spot because it’s going to be a tough one to fill in.”

On the other side of the lockout coin, everyone in the AHL will be under more scrutiny as long as the NHL is not playing, and that could be a real positive for a guy like Tessier, who is looking to raise his profile from an AHL-contracted player to a guy who is in the running for an NHL spot.

“With the lockout, for sure everyone’s going to be watching the American Hockey League,” Tessier said.  “So game in game out I’ve got to be consistent and play my game, and make sure I take every game like it’s the last one I’m going to play.

“I’m just going to fight for a spot here, and make my name again every year, and just make sure that I come out on top.”

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HARTFORD, October 1, 2012:  Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the team has signed forward Jordie Johnston to an American Hockey League contract.

Johnston, a 6-0, 180-pound native of Rosetown Saskatchewan, turned pro at the end of last season, going scoreless in three games with the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers.  That was after Johnston completed a four-year college career at Ferris State University (CCHA).  Johnston, 25, led the Bulldogs in points and goals, with 20 goals and 16 assists for 36 points, along with 52 penalty minutes, in 43 games.  He also finished second among CCHA skaters in goals, and sixth in the league in points.

In four seasons with Ferris State, Johnston totaled 136 games-played, scoring 30 goals and adding 27 assists for 57 points and serving 102 minutes in penalties.

The Whale open their 2012-13 season Friday, October 12 at the XL Center, with a 7:30 PM battle against their in-state rivals the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.  At that game, all fans can purchase tickets at the special price of $12 each, and that night will also kick off the Whale’s new Friday night $1 hot dogs and $2 beers promotion.

Tickets for that game, and all Whale regular season home games at the XL Center, are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, through TicketMaster Charge-by-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.

Season tickets for the Whale’s 2012-13 AHL season are also available. For information on season seats, and all of the Whale’s many ticketing options, visit www.ctwhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 548-2000 to talk with an account executive today.

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

HARTFORD, September 28, 2012:  AEG Management CT announced today that the annual “CT Whale Bowl-a-Thon” will be held Sunday, November 18th at AMF Silver Lanes in East Hartford, CT.  The event supports Special Olympics Connecticut.

The CT Whale Bowl-a-Thon features the entirety of the Whale player roster.  The hockey players will be bowling with teams of four bowlers, who have collected pledges to benefit Special Olympics Connecticut Eastern Region.  A minimum pledge level of $200 is required for a team to enter, and the top fund-raising teams will win prizes, including the use of luxury suites at Whale home games.  In addition to bowling, there are chances to win great prizes including hockey memorabilia, restaurant gift cards, apparel and more.

Online registration is now open at www.SOCTBowlathon.com.  There will be two sessions of bowling, the first starting at 11:00 AM and the second at 2:00 PM.  AMF Silver Lanes is located at 748 Silver Lane in East Hartford.  Event sponsorships and raffle prizes are currently being accepted.  One-hundred-percent of proceeds benefit Special Olympics Connecticut’s year-round sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

For further information, contact Jackie Turro of Special Olympics Connecticut at (860) 887-1555 or jackiet@soct.org.

The Whale open their 2012-13 season Friday, October 12 at the XL Center, with a 7:30 PM battle against their in-state rivals the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.  At that game, all fans can purchase tickets at the special price of $12 each, and that night will also kick off the Whale’s new Friday night $1 hot dogs and $2 beers promotion.

Tickets for that game, and all Whale regular season home games at the XL Center, are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, through TicketMaster Charge-by-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.

Season tickets for the Whale’s 2012-13 AHL season are also available. For information on season seats, and all of the Whale’s many ticketing options, visit www.ctwhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 548-2000 to talk with an account executive today.

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