St. John’s, Nfld., February 10, 2013 – Micheal Haley scored two goals to key a four-goal first period for the Connecticut Whale Sunday at Mile One Centre, and the Whale defeated the St. John’s IceCaps 7-3, to sweep a two-game series between the two teams.

Kris Newbury added a goal and two assists for the Whale, and Andrew Yogan, Kyle Jean and Jyri Niemi had a goal and an assist each.  Cam Talbot made 25 saves.

“We came out well, had a good start and got a lead, and that’s huge,” Whale head coach Ken Gernander said.  “[Haley] is a hard-nosed, heart and soul guy, and to see him get rewarded there with some points is great.”

The Whale got the offense going early in their first-period burst, as Haley scored his first goal of the game only 68 seconds in.  St. John’s starting goaltender Mark Dekanich couldn’t settle down Mike Vernace’s shot from the left point, and Haley backhanded in the rebound.

Haley struck again at 4:03 with the teams skating four-on-four, again on the rebound.  Dekanich kicked a shot from off of right wing by Brandon Segal right out into the slot, and it came right to the stick of Haley, who buried it for a 2-0 Whale lead.

The assist on that goal for Segal gave the veteran winger a seven-game point-scoring streak, which ties a Whale season high.

The Connecticut power play then put up a couple of quick strikes, starting with a five-on-three goal by Newbury at 12:01.  A centering pass by Newbury hit a St. John’s defender and slid past Eddie Pasquale, who had replaced Dekanich after the second Whale goal.

Only 1:18 thereafter, at 13:19, Nick Palmieri scored another man-advantage goal for the Whale, getting his first point in three games in a Whale uniform.  Newbury found Palmieri between the hash marks with a pass, and Palmieri’s quick shot got between Pasquale’s legs.

Jason Jaffray got St. John’s on the board with 1:33 left in the period, with his first of two goals in the game.  The IceCap captain was able to deflect a pass from the right-wing boards by Will O’Neill past Talbot.

Up 4-1 going into the second period, the Whale made it a 5-1 advantage at 10:54 of the second, on Jean’s ninth goal of the season.  Andrew Carroll got his first Whale point with the primary assist, as he threw the puck at the net from the left-wing side, and it got away from Pasquale and landed right in the goal crease for Jean to bang in.

Kevin Clark cut it to 5-2 at 14:34, converting a centering pass from Aaron Gagnon, but the Whale responded only 33 seconds later with Yogan’s third goal of the year.

After Jean won a faceoff to Pasquale’s left and pushed the puck to Yogan, Pasquale stopped an initial Yogan try, but the Whale rookie dove across the goalmouth and pushed the rebound inside the far post.

Jaffray netted his second of the game on an IceCap power play at 19:13, taking a Ben Maxwell pass along the goal line and beating Talbot with a sharp-angle shot, but the Whale got the only goal of the third period, despite being outshot 12-5 in the frame.

It was Niemi, in just his second game back up with the Whale from Greenville of the ECHL, completing the scoring at 5:04 of the third, with his first AHL goal of the year.  Niemi’s shot from the left point hit a defender to Pasquale’s right and deflected into the goal.

The win raised the Whale back above the .500 mark, to 22-21-4-2 for 50 points, and moved them into a tie with the Worcester Sharks for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.  Prior to Saturday night’s 4-1 win over the IceCaps, the Whale had been 0-4-1-0 in five meetings with St. John’s.

The Whale now return to the XL Center for a four-game homestand, starting this Friday night, February 15 with a 7:00 PM game vs. the Portland Pirates.  As at all Friday-night Whale home games, fans that night can enjoy $1 hot dogs and $2 beers at the XL Center until the end of the first intermission.

For all Whale home games, tickets start as low as $10 each ($12 each when tickets are purchased on the day of the game), 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.

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Connecticut Whale 7 at St. John's IceCaps 3
Sunday, February 10, 2013 – Mile One Centre

Connecticut 4 2 1 – 7
St. John's 1 2 0 – 3

1st Period-1, Connecticut, Haley 7 (Vernace, Thomas), 1:08. 2, Connecticut, Haley 8 (Segal, Parlett), 4:03. 3, Connecticut, Newbury 17 (Pyett, Vernace), 12:01 (PP). 4, Connecticut, Palmieri 11 (Newbury, Niemi), 13:19 (PP). 5, St. John's, Jaffray 9 (O'Neill, Gagnon), 18:27. Penalties-Mashinter Ct (fighting), 0:51; Machacek Stj (fighting), 0:51; Pelech Ct (goaltender interference), 3:00; Melchiori Stj (boarding), 3:00; O'Neill Stj (delay of game), 6:12; Melchiori Stj (tripping), 10:06; Chiarot Stj (slashing, unsportsmanlike conduct), 11:36; Jean Ct (high-sticking), 18:43.

2nd Period-6, Connecticut, Jean 9 (Carroll, Yogan), 10:54. 7, St. John's, Clark 6 (Gagnon, Meech), 14:34. 8, Connecticut, Yogan 3 (Jean), 15:07. 9, St. John's, Jaffray 10 (Maxwell, O'Neill), 19:14 (PP). Penalties-Haley Ct (roughing, fighting), 4:15; Sawada Stj (fighting), 4:15; Klingberg Stj (goaltender interference), 8:42; Macenauer Stj (cross-checking), 15:25; Klassen Ct (tripping), 18:01.

3rd Period-10, Connecticut, Niemi 1 (Newbury), 5:04. Penalties-Tessier Ct (tripping), 1:31; Pelech Ct (holding), 8:06; Mouillierat Stj (roughing), 19:10.

Shots on Goal-Connecticut 13-7-5-25. St. John's 8-8-12-28.
Power Play Opportunities-Connecticut 2 / 7; St. John's 1 / 5.
Goalies-Connecticut, Talbot 17-19-1 (28 shots-25 saves). St. John's, Dekanich 7-8-0 (5 shots-3 saves); Pasquale 14-19-2 (20 shots-15 saves).
A-6,287
Referees-David Banfield (77), Keith Kaval (40).
Linesmen-Todd Horwood (34), Jim Vail (5).

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St. John’s, Nfld., February 9, 2013 – A line of Micheal Haley, Christian Thomas and Kelsey Tessier combined for six points Saturday night at Mile One Centre, as the Connecticut Whale defeated the St. John’s IceCaps by a score of 4-1.

Thomas had an empty-net goal and added two assists, Haley had the game-winning goal and an assist, and Tessier scored the game’s first goal.  Cam Talbot made 37 saves in the Whale net, as Connecticut was outshot by a margin of 38-20.

It was the first-ever victory for the Whale over the IceCaps, as Connecticut had been 0-3-1-0 in their previous four all-time meetings against the two-year-old IceCaps franchise.

“All three of us were just working real hard out there, which caused them to turn pucks over,” Thomas said of his line’s play.  “We beat them to pucks and it allowed us to get chances, and we got three of them (goals).”

The Whale jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, as the Haley-Tessier-Thomas line scored on back-to-back shifts.

First, it was Tessier scoring his 10^th of the year, third in the last four games, at 5:07.  Thomas worked the puck out of the left-wing corner to Tessier at the left side of the slot, and Tessier beat IceCap goaltender Eddie Pasquale (16 saves) to the stick side with a snapshot.

Then, 1:25 later at 6:32, Haley had the finish from the right side of the slot, beating Pasquale’s glove after Thomas had knocked St. John’s’ Eric O’Dell off the puck in the right-wing corner.

St. John’s cut the lead in half at 9:41, with Carl Klingberg scoring his eighth goal of the season.  Kael Mouillierat snapped the puck at the net from the left-wing boards and Klingberg deflected it past Talbot.

The Whale got that goal back at 12:30, on their first power play of the night.  Kris Newbury fed the puck from the right-wing side to Brandon Mashinter in front of the net, and he deflected it to Mike Vernace, who had snuck down from the left point to the bottom of the circle, and Vernace ripped a high shot behind Pasquale.

The goal was Vernace’s fifth of the year, four of which have come in the last seven games.

That was nearly it for the scoring, as the rest of the first period, the entire second period and nearly 18 minutes of the third passed without another goal.

The IceCaps pressured hard in the third, outshooting the Whale 16-8, but after St. John’s pulled Pasquale for an extra attacker with more than two minutes left, Thomas burned them by scoring into the empty net at 17:46, burying a high shot from the right-wing boards just inside the blue line.

The win broke at three-game winless streak (0-1-1-1) for the Whale (21-21-4-2, 48 pts.), who moved back into second place in the Northeast Division, one point ahead of Bridgeport.

The Whale and IceCaps go right back at each other Sunday afternoon at Mile One Centre, with faceoff at 2:30 PM Eastern Time.  All of the action of that game can be heard live on “Beethoven Radio” AM 1290, as well as on-line at www.ctwhale.com.  Video streaming is available at www.ahllive.com. 

The next home game for the Whale is this Friday, February 15 vs. the Portland Pirates at 7:00 PM.  As at all Friday-night Whale home games, fans that night can enjoy $1 hot dogs and $2 beers at the XL Center until the end of the first intermission.

For all Whale home games, tickets start as low as $10 each ($12 each when tickets are purchased on the day of the game), 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.

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Connecticut Whale 4 at St. John's IceCaps 1
Saturday, February 9, 2013 – Mile One Centre

Connecticut 3 0 1 – 4
St. John's 1 0 0 – 1

1st Period-1, Connecticut, Tessier 10 (Thomas, Haley), 5:07. 2, Connecticut, Haley 6 (Thomas), 6:32. 3, St. John's, Klingberg 8 (Mouillierat, O'Dell), 9:41. 4, Connecticut, Vernace 5 (Mashinter, Newbury), 12:30 (PP). Penalties-Klassen Ct (boarding), 1:01; McIlrath Ct (fighting), 8:37; Cormier Stj (fighting), 8:37; Jaffray Stj (slashing), 11:44; O'Dell Stj (holding), 19:19.

2nd Period- No Scoring. Penalties-Jean Ct (interference), 3:22.

3rd Period-5, Connecticut, Thomas 10 (Yogan), 17:46 (EN). Penalties-Meech Stj (tripping), 1:02; Palmieri Ct (tripping), 10:41.

Shots on Goal-Connecticut 8-4-8-20. St. John's 13-9-16-38.
Power Play Opportunities-Connecticut 1 / 3; St. John's 0 / 3.
Goalies-Connecticut, Talbot 16-19-1 (38 shots-37 saves). St. John's, Pasquale 14-18-2 (19 shots-16 saves).
A-6,287
Referees-David Banfield (77), Keith Kaval (40).
Linesmen-Todd Horwood (34), Jim Vail (5).

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By Bob Crawford

If you’re looking to escape nasty weather, the first choice usually is not going to be heading up to St. John’s, Newfoundland.

St. John’s is a great spot, mind you…really nice city, Newfoundlanders are great people, good eating, plenty of good night spots and a great arena.  Weather, though, is usually not considered one of the attractions.  In fact, whenever you’re going to Newfoundland on an AHL trip, you cross your fingers that some crazy North Atlantic meteorological upheaval is not going to crop up out of nowhere and turn your travel into a teeth-grinding nightmare.

For the Whale this weekend, though, “The Rock”, as it is affectionately called, has represented a well-timed getaway from the crazy snow that is slamming New England and potentially burying the Whale’s Hartford home base.

Right from when the trip was planned, the Whale were leaving for the trip on Thursday, even though they do not play the first of their two games against the IceCaps in St. John’s until Saturday.  Even if that had not been the plan, the itinerary probably would have been changed once the storm predictions started appearing, and, as luck would have it, the timing turned out to be perfect.  It was an easy bus ride for the Whale group to Newark Airport, and then a non-stop United Airlines flight to St. John’s.  No hiccups, an on-time arrival, and the traveling party is well settled in.

The fact that the team’s departure just beat the snowfall has inspired some chuckles around the Whale locker room, as reports of the blanketing snowfall began to arrive from family and friends.

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“I love it, I think it’s great,” Whale leading scorer Kris Newbury, one of the few Whale players who is married with children, said, tongue planted firmly in cheek, after the Whale’s practice at Mile One Centre in St. John’s Friday afternoon.  “They get a little taste of the real world, what happens out east (in the Maritime provinces of Canada—Newbury started his pro career with the old St. John’s Maple Leafs).  I wish them all the best.”

Lest he be thought an insensitive heel, it should be noted that Newbury did not leave wife Amanda and his three youngsters saddled with the chore of shoveling all of the snow at the family home in West Hartford.

“I hooked her up with a plowing company, so they do the driveway,” Newbury said.  “But I don’t know, maybe she’ll have to do the deck for the dogs, I guess, if we get that much (snow), shovel off a path for them.”

Anyone who might have seen Newbury tooling around the Hartford area would know that he drives a vehicle that looks like it would be better suited to competing in the Monster Jam extravaganza that is lighting up the XL Center this weekend than driving his kids to school and commuting to Whale practices and games.  The fun-loving Newbury’s ride is a Ford F-150 pickup with 38-inch tires.

While that vehicle might not be that practical in everyday circumstances, and tests Newbury’s precision and patience whenever he has to park it in the XL Center garage, it is likely to be just what the doctor ordered when Newbury and his Whale buddies get back to the Nutmeg State.

“Yeah, we’re going to have some fun, me and Micheal (Haley) are going to go driving,” said Newbury.  “He’s got a new Raptor, I got my monster truck, so we’ll go crush some snowbanks.”

So, if Newbury was back in Connecticut this weekend instead of on the Whale junket, would he be tempted to try to get his car-crusher in on Monster Jam?

“Yeah, I tried last year to get in the door, but they wouldn’t let me,” Newbury quipped.  “I wanted to go take it in the ring for a little spin.”

Head Coach Ken Gernander, one of the other members of the Whale contingent who has a family back in Connecticut, had this take, “I think we’ve had it pretty easy the last few winters, and it’s too bad I won’t be there to show my son (11-year-old Micah) how to work a shovel, but hopefully he can figure it out on his own.  I hope that the other two (daughters McKenna and Miranda) can pitch in, but I won’t be there to help anybody.

“I’m sure they would be more than happy to shovel the driveway if the tradeoff is to put Dad on the road for three or four days.”

According to the latest reports, the Whale are likely not to get off scot-free, as six-to-nine inches of the white stuff are predicted to hit St. John’s Saturday night, but that certainly pales in comparison to the blizzard that is slamming New England.

With the joking about the weather out of the way, Gernander addressed the matchup with the IceCaps, who trail the Whale by one point in the Eastern Conference standings going into the weekend.  The only previous matchup between the two teams was in the second game of the season, in which St. John’s battled back from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits to win 3-2 at the XL Center.  Since the end of the NHL lockout, the IceCaps have lost two players who made a big impact in that game, center Alex Burmistrov and defenseman Zach Redmond, but Gernander is quick to point out that the Whale aren’t exactly the same team either.

“I think the makeup of our team has changed a great deal,” he said.  “I think we’re a bigger, more physical team than we were the first time around.

“I remember the last time we faced them Burmistrov on the power play kind of gave us fits.  There’s been a lot of change in both teams, but for our team, more specifically, we’re looking for our guys to compete and play a hard game.”

Those elements will be critical if the Whale are going to succeed in grabbing hold of a playoff spot, and with the season nearing the 50-game mark (the two games in St. John’s will be numbers 48 and 49 on the Whale’s schedule), that P-word is going to dominate the conversation more and more.

“To some extent we’re approaching this (the Newfoundland trip) like a playoff-type atmosphere,” Gernander said.  “You’re going on the road for two games, back to back with your opponent, which doesn’t always happen in the American League, and the travel component is a little more prominent in the playoffs than it would be in the regular season.  So in a lot of regards we’re treating this as a playoff-type environment.”

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HARTFORD, February 7, 2013:  Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the parent New York Rangers have reassigned defenseman Jyri Niemi to the Whale from its ECHL affiliate, the Greenville Road Warriors, and that the Whale has signed forward Michael Pelech to a Professional Tryout (PTO) agreement.

Niemi, a third-year pro out of the Western Hockey League, had been assigned to Greenville December 28, after playing in five games with the Whale and registering five penalty minutes and six shots on goal.  In 14 ECHL games with Greenville, Niemi had one goal and five assists for six points and was +8, with 34 PIM.

Pelech, a 6-3, 210-pound fourth-year pro, comes to the Whale from the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones.  The 23-year-old Toronto native is second on the Cyclones team in points with 37, tied for the team lead in assists with 27 and third in penalty minutes with 63.  Pelech has also played three AHL games this year with the Worcester Sharks, a stint in which he had one assist and two PIM.

Pelech, who was a sixth-round pick (156^th overall) by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2009 NHL Draft out of the Ontario Hockey League, has appeared in nine career AHL games with the Sharks, Norfolk Admirals and Manchester Monarchs, notching one assist and eight penalty minutes.  In 249 total ECHL contests with the Cyclones, Toledo Walleye and Ontario Reign, he sports career numbers of 46-119-165 with 432 PIM.

The Whale’s next action is this Saturday night, February 9, the first of back-to-back games in St. John’s, Newfoundland against the St. John’s IceCaps.  Faceoff is 6:00 PM Eastern Time on Saturday, and fans can hear all the action live on “The Rock” 106.9 WCCC, as well as on-line at www.ctwhale.com.  Video streaming is available at www.ahllive.com. 

The next home game for the Whale is next Friday, February 15 vs. the Portland Pirates at 7:00 PM.  As at all Friday-night Whale home games, fans that night can enjoy $1 hot dogs and $2 beers at the XL Center until the end of the first intermission.

Tickets to all Whale home games, start as low as $10 each ($12 each when tickets are purchased on the day of the game), and 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.

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, February 6, 2013:  AEG Management CT today announced that the Connecticut Whale will hold a “Winter Carnival” event Thursday, February 21 at The Russian Lady, 191 Ann Uccello St. in downtown Hartford.

The Winter Carnival, which will welcome fans of all ages, will run from 5:00-7:30 PM on February 21. The event will feature the opportunity for fans to meet the entire Connecticut Whale hockey team and all proceeds will benefit Gaylord Specialty Healthcare.

The Whale Winter Carnival will offer a Mardi Gras-style atmosphere as a happy-hour party, including music, games, Mardi Gras beads and other celebratory fun.  An admission charge of $20 includes a happy-hour style buffet and tickets for two complimentary beers (for those 21 or older), courtesy of Rogo Distributors.  Whale players will be serving drinks from behind the bar, and fans can challenge the players to games of EA Sports NHL 2013 as well.  The Labatt’s Blue Bubble Hockey Tournament will also be at the event, for fans and players alike to show off their bubble hockey skills.

In addition, there will also be a silent auction at the event, with proceeds going to Gaylord Specialty Healthcare.  Any tips the players receive will also benefit Gaylord, and a percentage of beer sales from the cash bar will also be donated.

Tickets to the Winter Carnival will be available for purchase at Whale home games at the XL Center, at the Prize Den behind section 124, through February 20, and also can be purchased at the event.  Tickets can also be purchased, and more information obtained, by contacting Frank Berrian at fberrian@xlcenter.com or (860) 541-4728.

Gaylord Specialty Healthcare is a premier long-term acute and chronic care hospital, located in Wallingford, CT. Gaylord provides a continuum of care, including inpatient and outpatient physical rehabilitation, medically complex care, and sleep medicine.

Tickets to all Whale home games start as low as $10 each ($12 each when tickets are purchased on the day of the game), and 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.

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.

By Wil Goldsholl

Hartford, CT, February 5, 2013 – On a night where Connecticut and the parent-team New York Rangers made some personnel swaps, the Devils bested both clubs Tuesday; the Whale suffered a loss at the hands of Albany, 4-3 in a shootout, while the Rangers fell to New Jersey, 3-1.

Brandon Mashinter was boomeranged to New York; he left for the Big Apple with J.T. Miller, and returned to Hartford with Benn Ferriero two days later without seeing any NHL ice time.

The first shot of Tuesday’s game got Albany on the board, when Brandon Burlon got the puck to Matt Anderson at the point. After two quick steps to the middle, Anderson wound and fired the puck over the stick side shoulder of starting goaltender Jason Missiaen for Anderson’s eighth of the year. The goal went under review, but would ultimately stand for a 1-0 Devils lead 27 seconds into the matchup.

Missiaen would make a glove save on Chad Wiseman shortly thereafter, but when Kyle Jean sat for holding at 4:40, Burlon catalyzed another scoring play. Burlon fed Anderson at the left hash mark. Anderson’s one-touch pass hit Phil DeSimone right in the slot, and DeSimone had no problem closing on his fourth of the year. Five minutes and seventeen seconds in to the contest, Missiaen was pulled for Cam Talbot in relief.

The Whale’s chances were few and far between in the first; they managed to get just four pucks on Keith Kinkaid’s goal. The teams exchanged penalties several times before the first intermission, but Albany would take their 2-0 advantage into the locker room, as well as a 14-4 edge in the shot column. Continuing with his mantra of the season, head coach Ken Gernander spoke about another incomplete game, “That’s inexcusable.  Players with character play for 60 minutes.”

In the second, the game slowed down. Connecticut still only managed six shots in the second, but did hold the Devils to just seven tries of their own. At the end of the scoreless period, Brandon Segal drew blood with a high stick at the buzzer, giving Albany four minutes of power-play time to start the third.

With only 10 shots on the board through two, it still took the Whale seven and a half minutes to get a shot in the third. At that exact moment, Cam Janssen and Andrew Carroll dropped the gloves for the first bout of the game.

A minute and a half after that, at 8:58, Corbin McPherson gave Albany a 3-0 edge. Anderson was on the wall and found Steve Zalewski at the goal line. The feed to the front deflected off of Anderson, and McPherson was there in the slot for his first of the year at 8:58.

The Whale finally got on the board 20 seconds later; Micheal Haley found Logan Pyett at the point. The drive from the blueline was caught under Kinkaid, but with Palmieri and Newbury in front, the Ontario-born Newbury jabbed a stick in to the crease to poke it home.

Talbot, who was more active in puckhandling than usual in the game, took a delay of game for clearing the puck over the glass at 10:16. He did, however, manage to clear the puck on his own once during the kill.

Jason Wilson fought Alexander Urbom with 7:13 left after running him over behind Kinkaid’s net, and 59 seconds later Mike Vernace cut the deficit to just one. Kinkaid was behind the net, when Andrew Yogan clipped him and slung the loose puck around to Segal. Segal found Vernace alone in front for his fourth of the year, adding another goal to a little home scoring tear for the Whale blueliner.

Newbury manhandled his opponent after a draw with 3:38 to play, earning a cross-checking penalty, and while the timing was bad, it would lead to a Kelsey Tessier shorthander. Tessier stripped the puck in Connecticut’s defensive end and broke down the right wing to beat Kinkaid with a wrister at 3:21 that tied the game at three apiece. Tessier spoke of the goal and the game afterwards, “It was a PK… They kinda went to Segal and it opened up so I took the wrist shot. It’s good we got that one point but we need those two points right now, we have some teams to catch up to right now… We gotta blame ourselves that we’re not in the playoffs.”

The teams swapped chances yet again as Albany turned up the power play pressure and the Whale generated some additional shorthanded opportunities, but regulation would expire in a tie.

In the overtime period, Connecticut and Albany managed just a shot each, and a shootout commenced with Kinkaid shutting down Mashinter on a forehand to backhand move. Keith Kinkaid was perfect in the shootout, while Wiseman and Matt Anderson scored against Talbot to take the shootout, 2-0.

Kinkaid picked up his 15^th win in the 4-3 victory, making 20 saves, while Talbot stopped 25 of 26 after coming in for Missiaen, who stopped seven of nine.

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Albany Devils 4 (SO) at Connecticut Whale 3
Tuesday, February 5, 2013 – XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Albany 2 0 1 0 – 4
Connecticut 0 0 3 0 – 3

1st Period-1, Albany, Anderson 8 (Burlon, Whitney), 0:27. 2, Albany, DeSimone 4 (Anderson, Burlon), 5:17 (PP). Penalties-Jean Ct (holding), 4:40; Yogan Ct (tripping), 8:49; Parse Alb (interference), 9:09; Pyett Ct (slashing), 13:24.

2nd Period- No Scoring. Penalties-DeSimone Alb (slashing), 14:02; Thomas Ct (hooking), 16:54; Segal Ct (double minor – high-sticking), 20:00.

3rd Period-3, Albany, McPherson 1 (Zalewski, Anderson), 8:58. 4, Connecticut, Newbury 16 (Pyett, Haley), 9:18. 5, Connecticut, Vernace 4 (Segal), 13:46. 6, Connecticut, Tessier 9 16:39 (SH). Penalties-Janssen Alb (fighting), 7:37; Carroll Ct (fighting), 7:37; Talbot Ct (delay of game), 10:16; Urbom Alb (fighting), 12:47; Wilson Ct (fighting), 12:47; Newbury Ct (cross-checking), 16:22.

OT Period- No Scoring. Penalties-No Penalties

Shootout – Albany 2 (Sislo NG, Wiseman G, Anderson G), Connecticut 0 (Mashinter NG, Palmieri NG, Newbury NG, Segal NG).
Shots on Goal-Albany 14-7-13-1-1-36. Connecticut 4-6-12-1-0-23.
Power Play Opportunities-Albany 1 / 8; Connecticut 0 / 2.
Goalies-Albany, Kinkaid 15-9-4 (23 shots-20 saves). Connecticut, Missiaen 5-4-1 (9 shots-7 saves); Talbot 15-19-1 (26 shots-25 saves).
A-1,887
Referees-Terry Koharski (10), Ryan Murphy (5).
Linesmen-Glen Cooke (6), Kevin Redding (16).

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NEW YORK, February 5, 2013 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has assigned forward Brandon Mashinter to the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Mashinter, 24, was acquired by the Rangers from San Jose on January 16, in exchange for forward Tommy Grant and a conditional pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. He returns to Connecticut, where he has registered seven points (three goals, four assists) and 14 penalty minutes in eight games following his trade. He posted a four-game point streak from January 20 at Providence to January 26 against Springfield, tallying two goals and four assists over the span. Mashinter has recorded five goals and seven assists for 12 points, along with 58 penalty minutes in 38 total games with Connecticut and Worcester this season.

The Bradford, Ontario native has skated in 244 career AHL games over four seasons with Connecticut and Worcester, registering 57 goals and 58 assists for 115 points, along with 338 penalty minutes. At the time of his trade, he ranked fourth on Worcester’s all-time goals list and seventh on the team’s all-time points list. Mashinter has also skated in 13 career NHL contests with the San Jose Sharks, making his NHL debut on December 29, 2010, at Minnesota. He was originally signed by San Jose as an undrafted free agent on March 3, 2009.

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NEW YORK, February 4, 2013 –New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has recalled forwards J.T. Miller and Brandon Mashinter from the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League (AHL), while forward Benn Ferriero has been assigned to Connecticut.

Miller, 19, has tallied three points (one goal, two assists) in the last two games with Connecticut, including a two-assist performance on February 1 against Bridgeport. He has registered eight goals and 12 assists for 20 points, along with 27 penalty minutes in 37 games with the Whale this season. Miller represented the Eastern Conference in the AHL All-Star Game on January 28. He is currently tied for sixth on Connecticut in goals and points, and ranks seventh in assists. Miller also ranks second among Whale rookies in assists and points, and is tied for second in rookie goals. He began the season with a three-game assist streak, and recorded four points (one goal, three assists) in the opening five games of the season. Miller registered seven points (three goals, four assists) in a seven-game span from December 1 against Syracuse to December 14 against Albany.

Miller made his professional debut on April 21, 2012, in Game 2 of Connecticut’s Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series against Bridgeport. He tallied his first professional point with an assist on May 2, 2012, at Norfolk, and finished the 2012 Calder Cup Playoffs with one assist in eight postseason contests.

The East Palestine, Ohio native represented the United States at the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship, leading the team with seven assists and finishing tied for the team lead with nine points to capture the Gold Medal. Miller was originally selected as the Rangers’ first round choice, 15^th overall, in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Mashinter, 24, was acquired by the Rangers from San Jose in exchange for forward Tommy Grant and a conditional pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft on January 16. He has registered seven points (three goals, four assists) and 14 penalty minutes in eight games with Connecticut, including a four-game point streak from January 20 at Providence to January 26 against Springfield (two goals, four assists). Mashinter has recorded five goals and seven assists for 12 points, along with 58 penalty minutes in 38 total games with Connecticut and Worcester this season.

The Bradford, Ontario native has skated in 244 career AHL games over four seasons with Connecticut and Worcester, registering 57 goals and 58 assists for 115 points, along with 338 penalty minutes. At the time of his trade, he ranked fourth on Worcester’s all-time goals list and seventh on the team’s all-time points list. Mashinter has also skated in 13 career NHL contests with the San Jose Sharks, making his NHL debut on December 29, 2010, at Minnesota. He was originally signed by San Jose as an undrafted free agent on March 3, 2009.

Ferriero, 25, tallied one assist in four games with the Rangers following his recall on January 25. He made his Rangers debut on January 26 against Toronto, and recorded his first point as a Blueshirt with an assist in the next game on January 29 against Philadelphia. Ferriero returns to Connecticut where he has registered one assist in one game, after tallying an assist while making his Whale debut in a 4-1 win on January 25 against Manchester.

The Rangers acquired Ferriero from Pittsburgh in exchange for forward Chad Kolarik on January 24. Prior to the trade, Ferriero registered four goals and 14 assists for 18 points, along with 14 penalty minutes in 34 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL). He ranked third on Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in assists, was tied for fifth on the team in points and ranked second in shots on goal (97) at the time of the trade.

The Boston, Massachusetts native was originally selected by the Phoenix Coyotes as a seventh round choice (196^th overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. He signed as a free agent with the San Jose Sharks on August 23, 2009.

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HARTFORD, February 2, 2013:  AEG Management CT announced that the second largest crowd in Connecticut Whale franchise history was established tonight against the Springfield Falcons at the XL Center.  The crowd of 13,239 represents the most fans to view a Whale/Hartford Wolf Pack game at the XL Center in 15 years. Saturday’s attendance was also the fifth-largest crowd in an AHL building this season.

“We are extremely grateful to the hockey fans of Connecticut, and tremendously proud of this landmark accomplishment,” said AEG Management CT senior vice-president and general manager Chuck Steedman.  “Our sales crew works tirelessly to market the excitement of Whale hockey, and the response tonight was truly over the top.  This is a genuine statement about what a large fan base there is here for the sport, and we are confident that the amazing level of excitement in the building tonight will bring many of those fans back for more.”

New York Rangers assistant general manager/Whale GM Jim Schoenfeld commented, “Having an XL Center filled with supportive fans creates a terrific hockey environment for our players.  Congratulations to Chuck Steedman and his staff for the vision and effort that went into making this event a great success. We are grateful to the many fans who came out tonight with special thanks to those who have supported our team over the years.”

Whale head coach Ken Gernander added, “The atmosphere in the building tonight was incredible.  You can’t help but be pumped up to play in front of a crowd like that, and I know it gave our guys a big lift to come out and see the stands full.  This is a great city to play and coach in, and it was very gratifying to see so many fans turn out for an important game against one of our big rivals.”

AEG Management CT and the Whale thank Saturday evening’s major sponsors, Aetna, The Hartford, Cigna and St. Francis Hospital, whose support was vital to the night’s success.  Also, several large groups combined to account for more than 4,400 tickets sold to Saturday night.  Those include: the Connecticut Rivers Chapter of the Boy Scouts of America, the Town of West Hartford and the 20^th American Gymnastics Invitational.

Following are the ten largest XL Center crowds in Whale/Wolf Pack franchise history at the XL Center:

1.     14,115 – January 24, 1998 vs. Springfield Falcons

2.     13,239 – February 2, 2013 vs. Springfield Falcons

3.     13,098 – November 27, 2010 vs. Bridgeport Sound Tigers (first game as CT Whale)

4.     12,934 – October 4, 1997 vs. Portland Pirates (first-ever franchise home opener)

5.     12,513 – October 7, 2000 vs. Providence Bruins (Calder Cup banner-raising)

6.     12,285 – January 22, 2000 vs. Providence Bruins

7.     12,206 – January 6, 2006 vs. Portland Pirates

8.     12,125 – June 2, 2000 vs. Rochester Americans (Game Five of Calder Cup Finals)

9.     12,069 – January 26, 2002 vs. Albany River Rats

10.   11,527 – February 28, 1998 vs. Syracuse Crunch

The Whale are right back in action at the XL Center this Tuesday night, February 5, wrapping up a six-game homestand against the Albany Devils.  Faceoff is 7:00 PM.

Tickets to all Whale home games start as low as $10 each ($12 each when tickets are purchased on the day of the game), and 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.

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.

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photo credit: Chris Rutsch

By Wil Goldsholl

Hartford, CT, February 1, 2013 – Close but no cigar for the Connecticut Whale on Friday night in Hartford; the home team fell to in-state rival Bridgeport Sound Tigers by a count of 5-4 in overtime. Connecticut was solid for two periods, picking up goals from Kelsey Tessier and Brandon Segal, as well as Mike Vernace and Blake Parlett, the blueliners who have made a sudden yet apparent impact on the scoresheet.

Early in the first, the Whale were sharp; Dylan McIlrath kept the puck in the zone and ultimately found Andrew Yogan. Yogan fed J.T. Miller behind the net and Miller, whose performance has seemingly improved after winning World Junior gold, found Tessier in the slot to get on the board 38 seconds in .

Newcomer Andrew Carroll, up with Connecticut on a PTO from the ECHL Idaho Steelheads, got his stick tangled in Bridgeport’s Matt Donovan’s jersey on the Sound Tigers’ right hash mark. He sat for hooking at 3:13, but the Whale penalty kill unit filled the middle and allowed just one shot. Bridgeport would ultimately finish one for two on the power play.

Connecticut stretched the lead to 2-0 when Vernace fed Kris Newbury on a break-in. Newbury slid the puck across to Segal, who fired short-side from the half boards on Bridgeport backstop Kevin Poulin. Segal’s 13^th of the year came at 5:41.

Bridgeport replied when Kirill Kabanov fed a puck down the wall to Donovan, who steered it right towards the net. Despite being well covered, Matt Watkins got a stick to the inside and tipped it behind Cam Talbot for his eighth goal on the season.

Nathan McIver earned his 193^rd penalty minute of the season with an interference minor at 10:29, but the Whale failed to convert. Poulin made one tremendous save on the kill effort, lunging to protect against a Brandon Mashinter backhand. With 65 seconds left in the period, Poulin made his 10^th save of the game, and the period would end with Connecticut leading 2-1 with an 11-6 shooting advantage.

Twenty-two seconds in to the second, the puck rolled around the half boards of the Sound Tigers’ offensive zone. Ty Wishart collected at the point and stepped to the middle, shooting and getting help from Blair Riley. Riley would tip the puck in the slot for his fifth of the year to tie it up at two.

There would be one fight on the night; after a great deal of jawing back and forth, Mashinter and McIver dropped the gloves right off a faceoff in the Bridgeport defensive end. The two swung heavy fists and sat for fighting at 3:54.

Mark Cantin got his stick in the face of a crashing Tessier two and a half minutes later and it would cost Bridgeport a goal. Vernace let fly a long outlet to Michael Haley, who broke in and pulled a wrister past Poulin at 7:24. Vernace now has six points in the last four games.

Connecticut turned up the pressure midway through regulation.  Miller had a lone chance on another long Vernace feed, and several other forwards took turns with quick one-timer tries.

With just over four to play in the second, Brock Nelson pulled the puck from behind the net to the corner and found Connecticut native Sean Backman. Backman made a quick handle and gave to Jack Combs who potted his own rebound on a dead-angle walk. The game was tied at three apiece.

Bridgeport took a penalty late for too many men and Blake Parlett, who has also has generated some offensive production lately, bagged a one-timer with 25.5 on the clock. Miller faked a slapshot and dished it across to the Bracebridge, Ontario product Parlett for his fourth of the year. Christian Thomas was awarded a secondary assist. The Whale took the 4-3 lead in to the second intermission.

The third opened with a quick Bridgeport flurry of shots. Coach Ken Gernander went on to say in the post-game, “We should have had the upper hand, we were fresh and we didn’t finish. We’re looking for full 60-minute games, not 40 or 52… you’ll see ebb and flow throughout games but you have to generate your own momentum.”

And that’s what Bridgeport would do. Slow and steady pressure from the division rivals earned them seven shots in the first four minutes, to just one for Connecticut.

Newbury found himself in the box at 5:03 for flipping the puck over his defensive glass. On the ensuing man-up, Aaron Ness shot the puck in to traffic from the bench-side point. The puck popped up in the air and John Persson was there to finish at 7:10 with his season’s 15^th. The goal was Bridgeport’s 10^th shot of the period.

Wishart was called for interference 38 seconds after the score, but the Whale power play was highly unsuccessful this time, producing only one shot. The special teams unit finished two for four.

Newbury had time near Poulin’s crease with four minutes to play, but could not seem to get around the 22-year-old netminder, in a moment where all 5,000 in attendance were holding their breath.

Connecticut stayed in the game despite being outshot 18-7 in the third.

The extra period opened with Watkins having a chance on Cam Talbot’s doorstep and Nelson batting the puck at his own goal 92 seconds in, but at 1:57 the teams left the ice when Backman got assists from Persson and Jon Landry for a 5-4 Bridgeport win. Poulin finished with 32 saves on 36 shots against, while Talbot had another busy night holding off 36 of 41.

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Bridgeport Sound Tigers 5 (OT) at Connecticut Whale 4
Friday, February 1, 2013 – XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Bridgeport 1 2 1 1 – 5
Connecticut 2 2 0 0 – 4

1st Period-1, Connecticut, Tessier 8 (Miller, Yogan), 0:38. 2, Connecticut, Segal 13 (Newbury, Vernace), 5:41. 3, Bridgeport, Watkins 8 (Donovan, Kabanov), 7:41. Penalties-Carroll Ct (hooking), 3:13; McIver Bri (interference), 10:29.

2nd Period-4, Bridgeport, Riley 5 (Wishart), 0:22. 5, Connecticut, Haley 5 (Vernace), 7:24 (PP). 6, Bridgeport, Combs 3 (Nelson, Backman), 15:49. 7, Connecticut, Parlett 4 (Miller, Thomas), 19:34 (PP). Penalties-McIver Bri (fighting), 3:54; Mashinter Ct (fighting), 3:54; Cantin Bri (high-sticking), 6:19; served by Niederreiter Bri (bench minor – too many men), 19:18.

3rd Period-8, Bridgeport, Persson 15 (Ness, Wishart), 7:10 (PP). Penalties-Newbury Ct (delay of game), 5:33; Wishart Bri (interference), 7:48.

OT Period-9, Bridgeport, Backman 5 (Persson, Landry), 1:57. Penalties-No Penalties

Shots on Goal-Bridgeport 6-13-18-4-41. Connecticut 11-17-7-1-36.
Power Play Opportunities-Bridgeport 1 / 2; Connecticut 2 / 4.
Goalies-Bridgeport, Poulin 13-10-3 (36 shots-32 saves). Connecticut, Talbot 15-18-0 (41 shots-36 saves).
A-4,952
Referees-Dave Lewis (46).
Linesmen-Brent Colby (7), Kevin Redding (16).

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