By Bruce Berlet

The Connecticut Whale proved to be some really good hands people again Sunday.

Instead of trying to shoot, score and bang around the opposition, the Whale players were serving meals, taking tips and challenges and playing games with young and old alike at the eighth annual Tip-A-Player Dinner and Sports Carnival at the XL Center.

There were no last-second heroics, as wing Brodie Dupont pulled last year when he agreed to allow several fans to clip and then shave his head for about $800 in “Puck Bucks” that earned him Server of the Day and led to him being named the Hartford Wolf Pack’s American Specialty/AHL Man of the Year for his outstanding contributions to the Hartford community and becoming one of 29 finalists for the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, honoring the overall winner. It also helped the Wolf Pack raise $41,000 for Gaylord Specialty Healthcare at Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford.

Dupont couldn’t defend his title because he’s one of an astonishing eight Whale players on recall to the parent New York Rangers after wing Evgeny Grachev and defenseman Michael Del Zotto were summoned Saturday night after a 5-1 victory the Springfield Falcons. Dupont’s co-successors were defenseman Jared Nightingale and center Ryan Garlock, who were requested most by fans to participate in various contests.

With fans and teammates kibitzing as they surrounded a table on the floor of the XL Center, Nightingale and Garlock stacked the “Puck Bucks” that they had won into four piles, with Garlock appearing to have the slightest edge. But in a fitting show of teamwork and the signature moment of the evening, Garlock and Nightingale shook hands and mugged for imaginary cameras as a Gaylord official said BOTH players would receive a grand prize: a foursome for golf at The Farms Country Club in Wallingford.

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“This allows us to take advantage of the platform that is given us,” said Nightingale, who has made several trips to Gaylord Hospital with different teammates to visit patients rehabilitating from serious and traumatic injuries. “Seeing the patients at Gaylord Hospital puts life into perspective. Hockey or jobs or your career isn’t everything. There are much more important things in life, and I think we can make an impact by donating our time and money. It’s more rewarding for us.”

Nightingale spoke as Garlock and All-Star right wing Jeremy Williams earned “Puck Bucks” for signing their rendition of the national anthem, which wouldn’t ever be confused with the Tony Harrington version sung for years before Hartford Whalers games. But who cared? It was all in fun and for a good cause.

So, too, was Nightingale participating in a session of “Simon Sez” on a platform in the midst of dozens of tables and displays of free food and desserts supplied by 19 area restaurants. Emily Derick of Wethersfield asked Nightingale to sing “Happy Birthday” as a belated present for her 14^th birthday on Saturday. Nightingale obliged with help from hand-picked Tomas Kundratek and Chris Chappell.

“Jared is my favorite player,” Emily said when asked why she paid for the tune. “He picked the other guys.”

On other fun fronts, Garlock got the fans’ vote over Wade Redden for the best whale noise; goalie Cameron Talbot obliged fans asking for a few bars of “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” by the Righteous Brothers; and Russian defenseman Pavel Valentenko got halfway through the Russian national anthem before stopping to chuckle and say, “I forgot the rest. I know the American national anthem better than the Russian national anthem.”

A smiling Valentenko received rousing ovation from a crowd that had suddenly been respective quiet for the signing of a national anthem.

Then there were marshmallow tosses, dance contests, autograph signings, picture taking, food serving for tips and participation in several games in an adjacent sports carnival, all in the name of adding to the more than $250,000 raised in the first seven years. A final take from the players’ activities and a silent auction could be known on Monday.

The event was the brainchild of former Hartford Wolf Pack officials Joe Flanagan and Mary Lynn Gorman. After the Wolf Pack “Casino Nights” had to be discontinued, Flanagan, the Wolf Pack marketing director who overcame a horrific auto accident thanks to help from Gaylord Hospital, and Gorman, the community relations director, harkened back to the Tip-A-Whaler dinner when the NHL team was in town.

Flanagan felt indebted to Gaylord Hospital for what it had done for him, so he, Gorman and rest of the Wolf Pack family decided the Wallingford facility would be a worthwhile beneficiary.

The event began at the former Coach’s Restaurant partly owned by UConn basketball coach Jim Calhoun but outgrew that facility in three years, enabling Flanagan to fulfill a goal in 2006.

“After a 10-year gap, Joe said he was ready to get back and wanted to get the dinner organized,” said Jim Cullen, president and CEO of Gaylord Hospital. “But he always said his dream was to have this event on the floor of the Civic Center, and he accomplished it.”

Now there are about 70 volunteers connected with Gaylord Hospital, personnel from New Alliance Bank took care of money issues, and officials from the Whale and XL Center.

“This is awesome,” said Howard Baldwin, the chairman and CEO of Whalers Sports and Entertainment, which took over the business activities of the Whale in October. “I didn’t realize how many companies and people were involved. This is terrific.”

Jim Cullen, president and CEO of Gaylord Hospital, shared similar sentiments of an event sponsored by Aetna that is the hospital’s second largest fundraiser to its annual golf tournament at The Farms Country Club. Cullen met with Baldwin and his son, Howard Jr., president and COO of WSAE, in October about continuing the event and to thank him for continued support even with the group hosting the historic “Harvest-Properties.com Whalers Hockey Fest” on Feb. 11-23 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.

“It’s an incredible event, and we’re very, very grateful,” Cullen said. “It’s wonderful to see the fan support, the players, the team and us to be the beneficiary, and (coach) Ken Gernander and his wife Kerby have been at the event every year since when he was a captain of the Wolf Pack.

“It’s friend-raising, as well as fun-raising. It spreads the word of Gaylord Hospital, and the fans of the team have been very supportive. It’s a great combination, and we’re just very, very appreciative.”

So, too, are the Gaylord patients and their families such as Garrett Mendez, who suffered a stroke five years ago but now is an ambassador for the hospital and head of “Strength Over Stroke, Hope Comes in Many Forms.” Mendez played four years at Notre Dame-Fairfield High School before he sustained a brain stem stroke at 19 and needed years of rehabilitation to where he can now skate with his friends and family.

“Every day I tell him, ‘Thank God that I can say that you’re a pain in my butt,’ ” said Mendez’s father, Gary. “I bless God and Gaylord every day for the ability to say that to my son because without these folks, like my son said, they gave him his life back. There isn’t anything that a family can’t do to repay people as wonderful as they are to be able to give a father back his son.”

No use saying any more. Gary Mendez said all that needed to be said about what the Whale does for the local community.

GRACHEV, DEL ZOTTO TO NEW YORK, WEISE TO HARTFORD

While the Whale was again raising money for a wonderful local cause, Grachev and Del Zotto were rejoining the Rangers after being called up Saturday night. At the same time, wing Dale Weise was being reassigned to the Whale after being scratched from the Rangers’ 3-2 shootout victory over the Atlanta Thrashers, in which call-up Mats Zuccarello scored the only goal in the skills competition to improve to 3-for-3 in the NHL.

Grachev and Del Zotto became the seventh and eighth call-ups this season because of injuries to Brandon Prust (foot) and former Hartford Wolf Pack defenseman Dan Girardi (ribcage) on Saturday night. Grachev and Del Zotto flew to Washington, D.C., on Sunday morning and will be eligible to play in the Rangers’ game Monday night against the Capitals.

“I don’t know what kind of lineup we’ll have, but we’ll be there,” Tortorella said.

The same could be said for the Whale on Tuesday night, when they host Providence in the start of a four-game homestand. They will have to make more changes as wing Chris McKelvie will have surgery Monday to repair a sliced toe sustained when he was stepped on in the second period Saturday night. McKelvie was playing his first game since being called up for the second time from Greenville of the ECHL on Thursday.

Grachev, 20, made major strides since he returned to the Whale after not getting a point in six games with the Rangers in mid-November. He continued to struggle when he first got back to Hartford, but his entire game showed why the Rangers made him a third-round pick in 2008 after Gernander started using the 6-foot-4, 222-pound Russian on the penalty kill.

Grachev immediately got more physical and involved in all facets of the game, attributing it to more ice time. He had 11 of his 12 goals and five of his six assists since his first stint on Broadway, capped by his first hat trick as a pro Saturday night. Grachev put the Whale ahead to stay with two goals in 29 seconds late in a first period off a wrist shot to the top corner and a strong move in front for a shot into an open net off a second assist from Tim Kennedy.

“It’s exciting to get called up (again),” Grachev, whose plus-7 rating was second on the team to fellow Russian Valentenko (plus-14), said after the game. “In the few weeks here, I played better and scored some goals.”

Del Zotto, 20, the Rangers’ first-round pick (20^th overall) in 2008, had his good and bad moments with the Whale after changing places with rookie Ryan McDonagh on Jan. 3 so he could get lots of playing time in all game situations and try to eliminate some of the high-risk plays in his game. Del Zotto, a member of the NHL all-rookie team last season, demonstrated his offensive prowess with seven assists in eight games, including setting up winners by Kennedy and Jeremy Williams in his first two games. He also was plus-4 with an assist in a 6-3 victory over the league-leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins after back-to-back losses to Portland and Providence, which is at the XL Center on Tuesday night at 7. His assist on Grachev’s first goal Saturday extended his assist streak to four games, and he left town tied for second among Whale defensemen in assists and third in points (seven). He earlier had two goals and seven assists in 35 games with the Rangers.

“I’m feeling really good,” Del Zotto said, “and I think the biggest thing is playing so many minutes and being put in every situation, playing penalty kill, 5-on-5, 5-on-4, 4-on-4, and every situation I’ve been playing in. I think that is the best way to get your confidence back is playing all situations and just feeling comfortable in every aspect of the game.

“The biggest thing since the day I got here was taking it one day at a time and keep (working) at getting back to where I used to be, and my confidence has been building every single day and I just want to keep it going. It was a bit different at first, and obviously it’s never happened, but I think being down here has been the best thing for me.”

Weise, 22, didn’t have a point in limited ice time in 10 games in two stints with the Rangers after getting seven goals and five assists in 16 games with the Whale. When he was recalled a second time on Dec. 29, he ranked fourth on the Whale in goals and was tied third with four power-play goals despite missing 18 games because of injuries.

Goalie Chad Johnson, gritty wing Devin DiDiomete and newcomer Bretton Cameron also earned high marks Saturday night. Johnson rebounded from three goals allowed on six shots, and being pulled, in 6:02 in a 7-3 loss to Hamilton on Friday night – to a confidence builder that started with two big stops at 45 seconds on his way to 35 saves, an amazing nine off Falcons’ newcomer Kyle Wilson, who scored Springfield’s only goal.

DiDiomete doubled his scoring output this season with the first two-goal game as a pro while playing on a line with Cameron and Garlock, whose assist on DiDiomete’s first goal gave him four points in three games after he had had one assist in 10 games. Much of that could be traced to more ice time in key situations with five forwards already with the Rangers. And Gernander made a classy move when he put DiDiomete on the ice during a late power play, and the wing came within inches of notching a hat trick.

“Anytime guys get called up or there are injuries, I’ll have an increased role on the team,” said DiDiomete, who had two goals on three shots and was plus-2. “It’s nice that (Gernander) trusts me to put me on the ice in situations like that. It’s good to be contributing after (Friday) night obviously was not a good game for us. We kind of blew up a little bit in the first period, but (Saturday night) we bounced back really well.”

Cameron had a solid AHL debut after signing a professional tryout contract to give the Whalers 12 healthy forwards, though Chappell, recalled from Greenville on Jan. 11, was scratched and defenseman Jyri Niemi moved from defense to left wing on a line with McKelvie and Oren Eizenman. Cameron, who was in Whale training camp, played sound defense and got the primary assist on DiDiomete’s first goal when his shot hit off Falcons goalie Gustaf Wesslau and lay near the crease. The trio had that goal playing against the Falcons’ top line of Wilson, Tom Sestito and former Hartford Wolf Pack wing/captain Dane Byers, acquired from the Rangers on Nov. 8 for wing Chad Kolarik, who is on recall to the Rangers.

Cameron had a team-high 13 goals, 10 assists and was plus-10 in 29 games with the Stockton Thunder of the ECHL this season after notching a team-high 40 goals and 27 assists in 68 games with Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League last season. He had one assist, one shot and was plus-2 in his Whale debut.

“I thought (Cameron) did all right,” Gernander said. “It wasn’t the first time we’d seen him, so it wasn’t complete unexpected or a complete shock, and I’m sure he’ll get more and more comfortable as things go on. The part that makes it easier for individuals to join the team and to participate is when everybody is adhering to the structure. You don’t have to adlib or freelance at all.”

Gernander had the line of the night when asked if he thought Tortorella would hand out some more kudos to him and assistants J.J. Daigneault and Pat Boller for developing so many young players ready to help the injury-ravaged Rangers continue their improbable play this season.

“I just want to increase my per diem,” Gernander said, an impish smile filling his face.

LANDON DELIGHTED WITH NEW OWNER

Former New England Whalers goalie Bruce Landon is mainly responsible for keeping hockey alive in Springfield. Now the personable Landon believes he has a real reason for optimism since Charles Pompea took over as majority owner on Dec. 21, though the loss to the Whale before 6,232 at the MassMutual Center wasn’t how Pompea wanted the first game he saw as the big boss to end.

Still, Landon said Pompea is an upbeat retired steel executive who has pumped life into a franchise that has rarely made the playoffs in the last decade. Pompea was has  Masters and honorary doctorate degrees from the University of New Haven, was vice chairman of the board of directors for 15 years and is now on the board in an emeritus position.

Pompea got his first taste of hockey watching New Haven Blades games but got seriously interested in buying into the Falcons on Oct. 10, when he played in a charity golf tournament with Landon, who has remained as the team’s president and general manager.

“This is the cost of going to a movie, and since I bought team, we’ve been up an average of nine percent (in a tough economic climate),” said Pompea, who has an apartment in New York City and spends his summers in Old Saybrook and winters in Jupiter, Fla. “We’re promoting a lot more, and I think the people are excited to know the team is going to stay. The grey cloud is gone, and the more we can get the word out about having a good time at a hockey game, I think the better off we’ll be.”

You could have sworn that you were talking to the Baldwins. They, too, have led a charge to increase player participation in the community in attempt to revive the local hockey market. In fact, Landon joked about the Whale staying out of their territory, then quickly added that both sides can help each other by promoting the game in tough economic times for many people. … Pompea and the rest of the Falcons family was feeling a lot better Sunday after Byers (two goals) and former Wolf Pack goalie David LeNeveu (23 saves) led the home team to a 4-2 victory over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Byers scored the winner in the second period and added an empty-net goal on the Falcons’ only shot in the third period.

New York, January 23, 2011 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that defenseman Michael Del Zotto and forward Evgeny Grachev have been recalled from the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League (AHL), while forward Dale Weise has been assigned to Connecticut.

Del Zotto, 20, tallied one assist in a 5-1 win at Springfield on Saturday night , extending his assist streak to four games (five assists). He has registered seven assists in eight games with Connecticut this season, following his assignment on January 3. Del Zotto is tied for second among Whale defensemen in assists and third in points.

He tallied two assists vs. Hamilton on Friday, and recorded one assist and a plus-four rating vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on January 16. Del Zotto has also registered two goals and seven assists, along with 14 penalty minutes in 35 games with the Rangers this season.

Five of his nine points were recorded on the power play, and he was tied for fifth on the team with two power play goals and three power play assists at the time of his assignment. He also ranked third on the team with 58 blocked shots. Del Zotto made his 100th career NHL appearance at Colorado on November 19.

The Stouffville, Ontario native was originally the Rangers’ first round selection, 20th overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Grachev, 20, registered his first professional hat trick in a 5-1 win at Springfield on Saturday night, extending his goal-scoring streak to three games (six goals) and point streak to four games (six goals, one assist).

He has registered 12 goals and six assists for 18 points, along with 12 penalty minutes and a plus-seven rating in 40 games with Connecticut this season. Grachev ranks fourth on the team in goals, while his plus-seven rating ranks second on the Whale. He is also tied for fifth on the team with three power play goals. Grachev has skated in six games with the Rangers this season, making his NHL debut vs. Carolina on October 29.

The Khabarovsk, Russia native was originally the Rangers’ third round selection, 75th overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Weise, 22, has registered 19 penalty minutes in 10 games over two stints with the Rangers this season. He made his NHL debut on December 18 at Philadelphia. Weise returns to Connecticut, where he has registered seven goals and five assists for 12 points, along with 29 penalty minutes in 16 games. He ranked fourth on the Whale in goals and was tied for third on the team with four power play goals at the time of his recall on December 29, despite missing 18 games due to injury this season.

The Winnipeg, Manitoba native was originally the Rangers’ fourth round selection, 111th overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

By Bruce Berlet

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – After allowing a team season-high seven goals-against in a 7-3 home loss to the Hamilton Bulldogs on Friday, the Connecticut Whale improved all facets of their game in a 5-1 road victory over the Springfield Falcons on Saturday night before 6,232 at the MassMutual Center.

Goalie Chad Johnson, pulled after allowing three goals on six shots in the loss to Hamilton, denied Chris D’Alvise’s semi-breakaway and rebound at 45 seconds after allowing two goals on the first two shots Friday night.

While Johnson was bouncing back with 35 saves, Evgeny Grachev notched his first hat trick and Devin DiDiomete his first two-goal game as the Whale (22-17-2-5) improved to 2-1-1-1 against the Falcons (19-20-1-3), who lost their fifth game in six starts.

“Things like (Friday) night happens, there are going to be games like that, and I can’t worry about, just come out and battle and help the team win games, which is what I wanted to do tonight,” said Johnson, named the game’s No. 3 star. “I just played like (Friday night’s) game didn’t happen and played for today.

“I didn’t worry about what I did positive or negative from the previous day. It’s worrying about preparing for the next game, and that’s kind of what my focus was tonight. It’s important to get that first save. (Friday) night a guy came down, shot through some traffic and beat me, and they kind of had momentum off that. We knew we had to have a good first period, and that definitely meant me having good period, too, and making saves when I had to. There were some bouncing pucks, but you just have to follow through and be smooth and crisp. We got the two points, which is most important.”

Grachev put the Whale ahead to stay with two goals in 29 seconds late in a first period off a wrist shot to the top corner and strong move for a shot into an open net off a second assist from Tim Kennedy.

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“The hat trick was nice, but I want to thank my teammates who shared the moment with me and for sure my linemates (Kennedy and All-Star Jeremy Williams),” said Grachev, who has 11 of his 12 goals and five of his six assists since returning from the Rangers on Nov. 8. “Good teams find a way to come back after a tough night, and we did tonight. And good for Chad. He really came back after a tough night. He’s a pro and knows how to handle stuff. … The last few weeks here, I’ve played better and scored some goals.”

The Falcons nearly duplicated the Bulldogs on Friday night, but Johnson made a terrific stop on D’Alvise breaking down the slot at 45 seconds. Jeremy Williams then had a quality chance off a Wade Redden pass at 4:21, but Swedish rookie Gustaf Wesslau (14 saves) slid across to make the stop in his first appearance against the Whale.

The Whale then allowed only one shot on back-to-back Falcons power plays, but Johnson made an alert save with 8:04 left in the period on a screen shot by Kyle Wilson, reassigned to Springfield by the parent Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday.

Grachev then got his rapid-fire goals for a 2-0 Whale lead. On the Whale’s first power play, Del Zotto got the puck to Kennedy, who burst into the left circle and dropped a pass to Grachev, whose wrist shot beat Wesslau to the glove side with 5:50 left. It extended Grachev’s goal-scoring streak to three games, tying the team high this season.

Off the ensuing faceoff, Kennedy’s bad-angle shot deflected off Falcons defenseman David Savard to Grachev, who picked up the loose puck and it into an open net with 5:21 to go, enabling the Whale to shoot .333 in the first period (2-for-6).

Chris McKelvie, recalled from Greenville of the ECHL on Thursday, nearly gave the Whale a 3-0 lead at 3:48 of the second period, but Wesslau slid across to deny his backhander.

But the Whale did take a three-goal lead at 10:48 off some real hustle work by the line of DiDiomete, Ryan Garlock and Bretton Cameron, signed to a Professional Tryout agreement earlier in the day from the Stockton Thunder of the ECHL. Strong forechecking led to DiDiomete banging in the rebound of Cameron’s shot from 25 feet in the slot at 10:48.

The Falcons got only one shot in the opening 16:23 of the second period, but it was a wraparound goal by Wilson, who had raced down the left wing and got a step on Whale defenseman Jared Nightingale.

Johnson kept the Whale ahead with a nifty right pad stop on Wilson off a pass from Tom Sestito with 3:10 left in the period. Wesslau then made the save of the game to keep the Falcons in the game with 17.7 seconds to go as he denied a wide-open Kennedy from 15 feet in the slot off a brilliant behind-the-back pass from Grachev.

But the Whale got lax in the final seconds of the period, and Johnson was alert to deny Wilson off a pass from Byers, acquired Nov. 8 for wing Chad Kolarik, who was called up by the Rangers on Thursday.

The Falcons got their fourth power play early in the third period, but Johnson made bang-bang saves on Sestito’s shot from the right circle and Wilson’s rebound at 1:28. Johnson then stopped Wilson out of the right corner at 4:29 and D’Alvise off the left wing on a 2-on-1 at 5:06.

Trevor Frischmon drew a goaltender interference penalty for running Johnson at 6:10, but the Whale goalie stayed in and made good stops on Byers and Wilson during the Falcons’ fifth power play.

DiDiomete got his first two-goal game into an empty net with 1:13 left, and Grachev completed his first pro hat trick off a pass from Jeremy Williams with 49.6 seconds to go.

“Everyone recognized who had the tough nights (Friday) night, and the good thing to see was the guys in the room and on the bench acknowledge one another for their ability to come back or the desire to improve upon (Friday) night, which are good signs from team perspective,” Whale coach Ken Gernander said. “I thought there were a lot of good bounce back efforts by a number of people, starting with Chad, who made the big stops early and again in the third when it was 3-1.

“I didn’t show them any film, just addressed one or two individual plays that had a recurring theme. Chad made some good saves, the defense broke up some really good opportunities with plays net-front and active sticks, and I don’t think we allowed as many opportunities via special teams, turnovers, little things like that. Everything was better tonight. And the message is no different (Saturday night) than (Friday) night. There are opportunities for guys for an increase in responsibility and role. The onus is on the guys to take advantage of it.”

DiDiomete led that category as he came within inches of his first pro trick during a last-minute power play that he wouldn’t have been on if so many players hadn’t been called up.

“Anytime guys get called up or there are injuries, I’ll have an increased role on the team, and it’s nice that (Gernander) trusts me to put me on the ice in situations like that (at the end),” said DiDiomete, who doubled his goal output for the season. “It’s good to be contributing after (Friday) night obviously was not a good game for us.  (Johnson) was definitely our best player. He played really well. We needed him, and he was there for us.”

WHALE SIGNS CAMERON TO PTO

Cameron was signed to a professional tryout contract to give the Whale 12 forwards with five on recall to the Rangers. Cameron, who was in Whale training camp, had a team-high 13 goals, 10 assists and was plus-10 in 29 games with the Stockton Thunder of the ECHL. Last season, Cameron had a team-high 40 goals and 27 assists in 68 games with Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League. The Whale again went with seven defensemen, but Jyri Niemi played at left wing alongside McKelvie and Oren Eizenman. The Whale scratched wing Chris Chappell, recalled from Greenville of the ECHL on Thursday, and injured goalie Cameron Talbot and center Todd White.

… One of backup goalie Pier-Olivier Pelletier’s teammates with Laredo of the CHL before he signed a PTO with the Whale on Wednesday was Aaron Boogaard, younger brother of Rangers wing Derek Boogaard. Both are enforcers and own a hockey fighting camp that they do in the summers to teach would-be enforcers how in protect themselves. Derek is one of seven Rangers forwards to be sidelined for significant time this season and why five Whale forwards have been called up. The latest, wing Brodie Dupont, made his NHL debut Saturday against the Atlanta Thrashers on a line with call-up center Kris Newbury and captain/Trumbull native Chris Drury. Dupont replaced Dale Weise, a healthy scratch.

… Wilson made his Falcons debut after being sent down by the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday. Wilson, 26, had four goals and seven assists in 31 games with the Blue Jackets after being a free-agent signing on July 2. He played the past three seasons in the Washington Capitals organization and has four goals and nine assists in 31 NHL games with the Capitals and Blue Jackets. The Falcons scratched Tyler Murovich and injured Mike Blunden, Mike Commodore, Tomas Kana, Kyle Neuber, Michael Ratchuk, Nikita Filatov, Chris Francis and Trevor Smith, who had two goals in three games with Springfield before sustaining a foot injury.

POMPEA SEES FIRST FALCONS CAME AS OWNER

Charles Pompea became the Falcons’ majority owner on Dec. 21. He has undergraduate and Masters degrees from the University of New Haven and used to watch the New Haven Blades. He now spends his summers in Old Saybrook and winters in Jupiter, Fla. He got seriously interested in buying into the Falcons on Oct. 10, when he played in a charity golf tournament with longtime team official Bruce Landon, a former goalie with the New England Whalers who remained president and general manager.

“I met Bruce two years ago, and then we played in a tournament, and I didn’t believe what they said,” said Pompea, a retired steel executive. “The team wasn’t doing very well, but I saw how loyal the fans were. I said this is one of the lowest-drawing fan bases in the AHL, so if we could give them a little excitement and show people how much fun they can have at one of these games, I think we can fill this place up or get 4-5,000 people a game.”

TIP-A-PLAYER DINNER SUNDAY

The Whale’s eighth Tip-A-Player Dinner and Sports Carnival, presented by Aetna, is at the XL Center on Sunday from 4-7 p.m.

Dinner provided by area restaurants will be served by the Whale players, who will be available for autographs and pictures and competing for “tips” to benefit Gaylord Specialty Healthcare at Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford. The event also will include a silent auction and inflatables and games in a carnival setting.

Tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for children, and walk-ins are welcome. For more information, visit www.ctwhale.com.

WHALERS-BRUINS LEGENDS FACE OFF ON FEB. 19

Hall of Fame defensemen Brian Leetch, a Cheshire native, and Brad Park headline the Bruins legends team that will play against the Whalers legends Feb. 19 at 4 p.m. before the Whale faces the Providence Bruins at 7 p.m. The doubleheader is part of the “Harvest-Properties.com Whalers Hockey Fest” on Feb. 11-23 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, where construction of the rink began Monday. In case of bad weather, the Whale-Bruins game will be played Feb. 20 at the XL Center.

Park also will make a special appearance Saturday night before the Whale hosts the Portland Pirates and former Whalers star Kevin Dineen. Park will meet and greet fans and sign autographs in the XL Center atrium from 6-7 p.m. and then drop the ceremonial first puck.

Other early commitments for the Bruins team are former captain Rick Middleton, who played 12 season in Beantown and two with the Rangers, Reggie Lemelin, Ken Hodge, Don Marcotte, Rick Smith, Bob Sweeney, Lyndon Byers, Cleon Daskalakis, Jay Miller, Bob Miller (no relation) and Ken “The Rat” Linseman, who was a member of the Whalers as he passed through in a multi-player trade with Philadelphia and Edmonton that included Mark Howe leaving Hartford for the Flyers. Early commitments for the Whalers team are WHA Hall of Famer Andre Lacroix, former captain Russ Anderson, Blaine Stoughton, Garry Swain, Bob Crawford, Chris Kotsopoulos, Jim Dorey, Jordy Douglas, Ray Neufeld, Gordie Roberts, Darren Turcotte, Nelson Emerson, Mark Janssens, Bill Bennett, Jeff Brubaker, Norm Barnes and the Babych brothers, Dave and Wayne. Emile “The Cat” Francis, a coach and general manager with the Rangers and Whalers, will be back behind the bench again.

Celebrities scheduled to play with one of the legends teams include Michael Keaton, Alan Thicke and David E. Kelley, son of New England and Hartford Whalers coach and general manager Jack Kelley and the writer of the 1999 hit film “Mystery, Alaska,” which was produced by Whalers Sports and Entertainment president and CEO Howard Baldwin and his wife, Karen. “Mystery, Alaska” cast members slated to appear are Michael Buie, Scott Richard Grimes, Jason Gray-Stanford, Kevin Durand, Fred J. Dukes and Cameron Bancroft, along with Neal McDonough, Kevin Zegers and the Hanson brothers – Steve, Jeff and Dave –  who were the comedic linchpins of the classic movie “Slap Shot.”

Tickets ($20 to $85) for the doubleheader can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and the Bushnell box office in Hartford on Monday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m. or by calling the Whale at 860-728-3366. They also can be purchased online and printed immediately at Ticketmaster.com.

WHALE 5, FALCONS 1

Connecticut 2 1 2 – 5
Springfield 0 1 0 – 1

1st Period-1, Connecticut, Grachev 10 (Kennedy, Del Zotto), 14:10 (PP). 2, Connecticut, Grachev 11 (Williams, Kennedy), 14:39. Penalties-Bickel Ct (interference), 8:28; Kundratek Ct (hooking), 11:38; Mayorov Spr (goaltender interference), 13:57.

2nd Period-3, Connecticut, DiDiomete 4 (Cameron, Garlock), 10:48. 4, Springfield, Wilson 1   13:36. Penalties-Soryal Ct (holding), 6:36.

3rd Period-5, Connecticut, DiDiomete 5   18:47 (EN). 6, Connecticut, Grachev 12 (Williams), 19:10. Penalties-Bickel Ct (tripping), 0:14; Frischmon Spr (goaltender interference), 6:10; Del Zotto Ct (tripping), 8:03; Regner Spr (tripping), 19:29.

Shots on Goal-Connecticut 7-4-8-19. Springfield 10-7-16-33.
Power Play Opportunities-Connecticut 1 / 3; Springfield 0 / 5.
Goalies-Connecticut, Johnson 13-14-3 (36 shots-35 saves). Springfield, Wesslau 6-8-1 (18 shots-14 saves).
A-6,232
Referees-Geno Binda (22).
Linesmen-Chris Low (88), Frank Murphy (29).

For the second time this season, former Hartford Wolf Pack/CT Whale forward Mats Zuccarello won a game for the New York Rangers in a shootout. He had the only goal in the shootout to give the Rangers a 3-2 win over the Atlanta Thrashers on Saturday in Atlanta. It was his third shootout goal in as many tries this season.

In 33 games this season for the Wolf Pack/Whale, Zuccarello had 13 goals and 12 assists to go along with 16 penalty minutes.

HARTFORD, January 22, 2011: Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the team has signed forward Bretton Cameron to a Professional Tryout (PTO) agreement.

Cameron, a rookie out of the Western Hockey League, comes to the Whale from the Stockton Thunder of the ECHL. In 29 games with the Thunder this season, the 5-11, 191-pound Cameron has scored a team-leading 13 goals and added 10 assists for 23 points, and has registered 56 penalty minutes. His plus/minus rating of +10 is tied for tops on the team, and Cameron is third on the Stockton club in points.

Last year with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, Cameron paced the team with 40 goals, and also had 27 assists for 67 points, along with 119 PIM, in 68 games. In 179 career games with the Tigers over five seasons, the 21-year-old Didsbury, Alberta native totaled 62 goals and 58 assists for 120 points, plus 261 PIM.

The Whale are back in action tonight, traveling to Springfield to take on the Falcons in a 7:30 PM game (WTIC HD-2, www.ctwhale.com, www.wtic.com). Connecticut’s next home game is this Tuesday night, January 25 against the Providence Bruins at 7:00.

Tickets for all 2010-11 Whale home games are available now at the XL Center box office, through Ticketmaster Charge-by-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at www.ctwhale.com. Tickets start at $7 each at the XL Center ticket office on game day.

For information on Whale ticket packages, group sales and VIP packages, call (860) 728-3366.

By Bruce Berlet

HARTFORD, Conn. – The Hamilton Bulldogs scored on three of their first six shots in the opening 6:02, and then netted the last four goals of the game, in a 7-3 victory over the Connecticut Whale before 6,018 at the XL Center on Friday night.

The Whale (21-17-2-5) rallied from the early deficit to tie on Jason Williams’ 5-on-3 goal 31 seconds into the second period. But the Bulldogs would then score four times in the game’s final 21:58.

Coach Ken Gernander wasn’t about to use having six players, including five forwards, on call-ups to the parent New York Rangers as an excuse.

“This left a bad taste in our mouths,” Gernander said. “I’m a lot disappointed in our start. On the three goals, there were a lot of mistakes, and there were quite a few guys who weren’t ready right from the get-go. When our margin for error is pretty slim right now, you can’t afford that.

“I’m not going to single anybody out, but I was definitely upset with some of the goals and some of our guys’ play. I’m not happy with our team game and obviously our team defense when you give up seven. We’re a better defending team than that, and if there’s any person who’s going to be singled out, I think it was pretty poor from start to finish.”

Gernander also hasn’t happy with some of the Whale’s penalties, which led to an early 5-on-3 on which Brendon Nash produced a 3-0 lead and goaltender Chad Johnson’s quick exit in favor of Pier-Olivier Pelletier, who signed a professional tryout contract on Wednesday after being 6-9-4 with a 3.33 goals-against average in 21 games with Laredo of the Central Hockey League.

Was Gernander’s quick hook because of Johnson or the team?

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

“Both. Both,” Gernander said. “I didn’t like the first two goals, and the third was a 5-on-3. It was a pretty tough game for Pelletier. I thought he did all right for a bit, and then their chances started to come at the end. I’m not going to be as judgmental or critical of his game as Chad because he’s been around all season with us.

“I don’t know what effect the first goal had, but we’ve been a pretty resilient bunch and battled back with some good special teams goals. But when you’re not 100 percent mentally engaged, it kind of lapses. You gather it back in because there’s going to be repercussions if you keep playing like that. We battled back, but then it goes again. There’s a lot of room for improvement, a lot of things that were less than acceptable.”

But having the Rangers’ roster now include defenseman Ryan McDonagh and forwards Mats Zuccarello, Dale Weise, Kris Newbury, Chad Kolarik and Brodie Dupont, scheduled to make his NHL debut Saturday, wasn’t in Gernander’s mind.

“We’re not asking guys to reinvent themselves or create a new game for themselves overnight,” Gernander said. “For the most part, everybody has been here, everybody knows the system, so I think they should just be able to adhere to what we’re asking them to do, play within themselves the best they can, win your one-on-one battles, make sound decisions with the puck. They might sound rather trivial, but that’s all that was asked of them.”

Hamilton coach Randy Cunneyworth, who played five seasons with the Hartford Whalers, said adhering to the system is why the Bulldogs (25-13-1-4) have been able to win four in a row after losing their top two scorers, All-Stars David Desharnais (10 goals, 35 assists) and former New Canaan High and Taft School-Watertown standout Max Pacioretty (17, 15), on recalls to the Montreal Canadiens.

“We’ve had some changes, but what is great about the guys is they’ve bought into the system,” Cunneyworth, whose team beat Rochester 7-0 in its previous outing Tuesday. “They’ve seen how seamlessly guys a few years ahead of them have gone up and worked into Montreal’s system. I think they envision themselves doing the same thing in due time, and that’s really what it’s all about.”

The Whale fell behind 3-0 in the opening 6:02, when the Bulldogs’ Hunter Bishop, Aaron Palushaj and Nash scored on six shots, causing the quick departure of Johnson.

Just 1:40 into the game, Bishop took a drop pass from Gabriel Dumont and beat Johnson high to the stick side. Then on the Bulldogs’ first power play, Nash passed to Palushaj, who got around Whale defenseman Michael Del Zotto and flipped a backhander that trickled in through Johnson’s legs at 3:05. The Bulldogs completed their early burst on a 5-on-3 as Ben Maxwell found Nash in the left circle at 6:02 for a 3-0 lead.

Johnson was pulled in favor of Pelletier, signed to a PTO as a replacement for Cameron Talbot, who sustained high ankle sprain in a 6-3 victory over the league-leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Sunday.

The Whale quickly responded as Ryan Garlock raced down right wing and flipped a seemingly harmless backhander from the goal line extended that somehow got between All-Star goalie Curtis Stanford and the post 49 seconds after Pelletier appeared. The goal ended a 128:31 shutout streak for the veteran Sanford, who came in off back-to-back 22-save shutouts that had lowered his league-leading goals-against average and save percentage to 1.67 and .940.

The Whale got to 3-2 at 14:48 on a 5-on-3 when Evgeny Grachev converted the rebound of a shot by Tim Kennedy, who had peeled himself off the ice after being crosschecked into the boards by Brett Festerling without a penalty being called.

The Whale nearly tied it on their next power play, but Stanford made stellar stops on Jason Williams’ deflection and Garlock’s rebound. On an ensuing Bulldogs rush, Pelletier stopped Dany Masse, but referee Mark Lemelin awarded Masse a penalty shot because of a hook on Tomas Kundratek with 3:29 left. But Pelletier stopped Masse’s shot to keep it a 3-2 game.

“Pelletier’s stop was a rallying point for a window of time,” Gernander said, “but it didn’t sustain us through the course of the game.”

The Whale got a golden opportunity to get even or take the lead when Dumont slammed Devin DiDiomete into the boards, earning a 5-minute major and game misconduct with 3:02 left. Chris McKelvie, recalled from Greenville of the ECHL on Thursday, came to the defense of DiDiomete and got two minutes for roughing and five minutes for fighting.

All-Star right wing Jeremy Williams hit the crossbar with 29 seconds left in the period, but the Whale tied it 31 seconds into the second period as Wade Redden rushed into the offensive zone and dropped a pass to Jason Williams, who beat Sanford to the stick side.

The Whale then had two good chances to take their first lead, but Sanford denied Kennedy in the slot and Jason Williams off the wing. Then at 6:28, Jeremy Williams hit the post.

The Bulldogs nearly regained the lead with 4:04 left in the period, but Pelletier stopped Palushaj’s one-timer and Alexander Avtsin’s rebound. After Sanford robbed Grachev coming out of the right corner, the Bulldogs reclaimed the lead for good when Avtsin found a wide-open J.T. Wyman in front for an easy finish with 1:58 left in the period.

The Bulldogs again displayed their quick striking power with three goals in 5:58 to start the third period.

Masse got inside of Del Zotto and deflected Alex Henry’s shot past Pelletier at 1:03 for his first goal of the season, then the Bulldogs got their second 5-on-3 goal when Ben Maxwell beat Pelletier high to the glove side at 5:20. Then at 7:01, Maxwell deflected in Palushaj’ shot.

Garlock also said missing six players was no excuse for such an effort, which should improve at Springfield Saturday night.

“We had a real good week of practice,” Garlock said. “Maybe there were guys playing in positions they’re not used to, but everybody has to look at it as an opportunity, and we’re all going to have the same opportunity (Saturday) night. It’s an opportunity that guys might wait for all year, myself included. I’m loving all these minutes I’ve been getting, and I know a lot of guys who are feeling the same way.

“We still have a lot of good players in the locker room who are more than capable of winning a lot of games. They’re a team that we don’t see often. We know they’re a real good team, and we just had a few lapses that ended up costing us.”

REDDEN, NIEMI RETURN FOR WHALE

Redden and rookie Jyri Niemi rejoined the Whale defensive corps after missing seven and three games, respectively, with injuries. Redden started the game paired with Jared Nightingale, a new alternate captain since Kris Newbury was called up by the Rangers. Niemi split playing the point on the power play and regular shifts with different partners. The Whale’s only scratches were injured goalie Cameron Talbot and center Todd White. … The Bulldogs, coached by former Hartford Whalers wing Randy Cunneyworth and defenseman/captain Randy Ladouceur, scratched forwards Andrew Conboy, Olivier Fortier and Ian Schultz. … The AHL announced Grand Rapids Griffins forward Ilari Filppula and Peoria Rivermen forward T.J. Hensick have been added to the Western Conference roster for AHL All-Star Classic on Jan. 30-31 at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa. They replace Bulldogs leading scorers Desharnais and Max Pacioretty. … The Whale’s eighth Tip-A-Player Dinner and Sports Carnival, presented by Aetna, is at the XL Center on Sunday from 4-7 p.m. Dinner provided by area restaurants will be served by the Whale players, who will be available for autographs and pictures and competing for “tips” to benefit Gaylord Specialty Healthcare at Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford. The event also will include a silent auction and inflatables and games in a carnival setting. Tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for children, and walk-ins are welcome. For more information, go to the Whale’s official website, www.ctwhale.com.

VIRTUE, HALL RETURN ‘HOME’

Brittany Quish of Bristol had a keepsake special for Terry Virtue and Todd Hall to sign: their pictures on Page 37 of the Hartford Wolf Pack’s fifth anniversary program.

“Which one is which?” said Quish, a longtime Wolf Pack fan.

“I’m the good-looking one,” offered the always impish Virtue.

Turns out Hall was the clean-shaven guy and Virtue had a beard, which resembles the goatee he now wears while an assistant coach of the Ontario Hockey League’s Owen Sound Attack, whose owners include former Hartford Whalers right wing Paul MacDermid.

“It’s scary looking at these old-time pictures,” a smiling Hall said of a photo of him wearing No. 6 in 1997-98 before having No. 19 during his last three seasons.

Hall, an assistant coach with the third-ranked Hamden High hockey team that won the state Division I title the last two years, scored the winning goal in the Wolf Pack’s 4-1 victory over the Rochester Americans in Game 6 of the Calder Cup finals in 2000.

Virtue and Hall were close friends and members of the championship team who were in the XL Center atrium before the game sharing stories and jokes with fans while signing autographs prior to dropping the ceremonial first puck.

Virtue scored the most famous goal in franchise history, an overtime tally in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals that beat Providence and got the Wolf Pack to the finals. One young fan told Virtue that he had just seen a replay of the game, which brought a smile to the former defenseman’s face.

“It’s nice that some of the folks still remember me,” said Virtue, who helped the Wolf Pack win the Calder Cup the year after he did likewise with the Providence Bruins. “I have a goatee like the one on my bobble head with Worcester, and I think I had one at times in Hartford.”

After a game against Barrie on Thursday night, Virtue and his wife and son drove through a blizzard to Rochester, N.Y., stayed overnight and then proceeded to Hartford on Saturday morning. His son, Brayden, wants to see St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford, where he was born, on Saturday, his 10^th birthday, before the family heads for Worcester, Mass., where Virtue will be one of the first six inductees into the Worcester Hockey Hall of Fame on Saturday night at the DCU Center. It’s “Salute to the IceCats Night,” the name of the AHL franchise that preceded the Sharks in Worcester, and Virtue will be inducted with former Whalers wing Scott Young, Kelly O’Leary, Eddie Bates, Larz Anderson and Marvin Degon Sr., father of former Wolf Pack defenseman Martin Degon. … The Whale announced Hall of Fame defenseman Brad Park, who played for the Rangers and Boston Bruins, would be making a special appearance for a Jan. 29 game against the Portland Pirates, coached by former Whalers star and captain Kevin Dineen. Park will greet fans and sign autographs in the XL Center atrium from 6-7 p.m. before dropping the first puck. He also will be playing in the Whalers-Bruins legends game Feb. 19 at 4 p.m. at Rentschler Field in East Hartford as part of the “Harvest-Properties.com Whale Bowl.” That game will be followed by the Whale-Providence Bruins game at 7 p.m.

FORMER WHALERS ARE EVERYWHERE

The Bulldogs are coached by former Hartford Whalers defenseman Randy Cunneyworth and his assistant, former captain/defenseman Randy Ladouceur. Cunneyworth previously coached the Bulldogs and Rochester Americans and was an assistant with the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers. Ladouceur previously was an assistant with the Whalers and Carolina Hurricanes, the head coach of the Ontario Hockey League’s Oshawa Generals and an assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Whale faced two former Whalers a day after their parent club, the New York Rangers, lost 4-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes, who are coached by former Whalers coach Paul Maurice and Hall of Famer Ron Francis, who holds virtually every Whalers offensive records.

KOLARIK GETS POINT IN RANGERS DEBUT

Wing Chad Kolarik picked right up where he left off in his New York Rangers debut Thursday night against the Carolina Hurricanes. Kolarik had the primary assist on Brandon Prust’s goal in a 4-1 loss. Defenseman Ryan McDonagh, called up from the Whale on Jan. 3, also got his first NHL point with the secondary assist. It was the first time two players recorded their first NHL point on the same goal since Nov. 28, 2009, when Edmonton’s Colin McDonald, a Wethersfield native and son of former Hartford Whalers defenseman Gerry McDonald, scored on an assist from Ryan O’Marra at Vancouver.

Kolarik had four shots in his first game since he had two shorthanded goals and two assists in the first period of the Whale’s 6-3 victory over the league-leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Sunday. He set a franchise record for shorthanded goals in a period and tied a team record for shorthanded goals in a game and points in a period. McDonagh has had a plus or even rating in seven of his eight NHL games, recording a plus-7 in that span.

“I’d much rather get a win,” Kolarik told reporters after the game.

Ditto for McDonagh.

“I’d definitely trade it for a win, any day of the week,” McDonagh said. “It’s cool, in and of itself, getting your first milestone, your first point. It’s nice, I guess, but I’d rather get a win – especially against these guys. They’re close, right behind us.”

The Hurricanes, in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, closed to within five points of the Rangers, who are in sixth with 57 points. Carolina has played two fewer games than the Blueshirts, who play Saturday night in Atlanta, where the eighth-place Thrashers trail them by three points after getting a point in a shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night.

The Rangers would have had a much better chance if they counted fights. Prust and Kris Newbury, one of four Whale players on recall, scored unanimous decisions over Jay Harrison and Ryan Carter. Newbury and Kolarik each played 8:48, tying for the lowest total on the Rangers, but they were the two players who most impressed coach John Tortorella. Newbury and Kolarik started on a line with Dale Weise, who is on his second recall from the Whale. Kolarik later replaced captain/Trumbull native Chris Drury on a line with Prust and Brian Boyle, arguably the most improved player in the NHL. Wing Mats Zuccarello played with rookie center Derek Stepan and newcomer Wojtek Wolski.

Wing Brodie Dupont was a healthy scratch after being called up for the first time in his four years in the Rangers organization on Wednesday night. But he had another classic call-up tale. He was at the movies Wednesday night watching “The Dilemma” and could not feel his cell phone vibrating in the pocket of his hoodie. The Rangers finally reached him through his girlfriend, and Dupont caught a 6:45 a.m. flight to Raleigh, N.C. He warmed up for Thursday’s game but didn’t play.

“We have to teach the young players,” Tortorella said. “There are maybe slight differences as far as where they were playing with the minor-league team and us. But it’s not going to change our style. We’ve always tried to defend first. I thought we were sloppy, and it really started with some of our better players. So we have some work to do there, though I liked some of the offense we got going. But we can’t run and gun. We’re not going to run and gun.

“I like Newbury. I like Kolarik. He’s going to get an opportunity. Newbury is going to get an opportunity. Weise has done a pretty good job. Newbury and Kolarik are going to stay in the lineup. Not sure with Dale. We might try Brodie. Again, Dale hasn’t done anything wrong, but I also want to look at Dupont maybe in a role and see where that goes.”

Dupont’s NHL debut during the Rangers’ hectic pre-All-Star stretch of five games in seven days could come Saturday night in Atlanta or Monday night in Washington.

FALCONS FREE OF FORMER TEAMMATE

The Whale visits the Falcons on Saturday night at 7:30 in the latest edition of the always intriguing I-91 series. The Whale is 1-1-1-1 against the Falcons (19-20-1-3), their lone victory being 5-2 at the MassMutual Center in the teams’ last meeting on Nov. 19 as Kolarik got some revenge with two goals and an assist against his former team. It alleviated the angst that Kolarik felt after former Wolf Pack left wing and captain Dane Byers, the man for whom Kolarik was traded eight days earlier, set up the tying goal and scored the clinching shootout goal to give the Falcons a 4-3 victory.

Despite his trade, Kolarik remained popular among his former teammates, many of whom stopped to say hi and offer congratulations as he waited outside his old locker room.

Kolarik has 13 goals, 10 assists and is plus-6 in 25 games since the trade despite being injured for two games.

“I missed a few games, but I’ve actually felt better since I’ve got back (on Jan. 7),” Kolarik said. “If you look at the (five) games that I’ve played since I got back, it’s been a struggle to put up points for myself and we haven’t done that well since I’ve been back (no points and 1-3 until Sunday), but I’ve been getting the chances. I was talking to (Whale play-by-play man Bob Crawford) before the game and he’s like, ‘It’s good that I’m calling your name a lot.’

“It’s a little frustrating, but my feet felt good, the mental side of my game was good and I think the (five) days off might have helped me a little. Things went my way and things went our way (Sunday), so that’s good.”

But not before overcoming a common malady for talented goal-scorers who are barely missing the net instead of burying their chances.

“You grip the stick a little bit tighter,” Kolarik said with a smile. “It’s like squeezing stuff out of a banana.”

But Kolarik squeezed the stuffing out of the AHL’s top team, who came to town on a seven-game winning streak and with a staggering 32-8-0-0 record in the first half of the season.

The Falcons, who ended a four-game losing streak with a 6-5 victory over Charlotte on Friday night, are led by center Trevor Smith (14 goals, 15 assists), who has two goals in four games since being acquired on Jan. 4 from the Anaheim Ducks for defenseman Nate Guenin, the Rangers’ fourth-round pick in 2002, right wing Tomas Kubalik (14, 13) and Byers (8, 17), who has five goals, 11 assists and is minus-2 in 30 games with Springfield. Rookie John Moore leads Falcons defensemen in scoring (2, 14) and will represent the team in the AHL All-Star Classic Jan. 30-31 at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa. Former Wolf Pack goalie David LeNeveu (11-11-2, 3.00 goals-against average, .895 save percentage) is 3-1 against his former team, stopping 106 of 117 shots, including 84 of 90 in the third victories.

WHALERS-BRUINS LEGENDS FACE OFF ON FEB. 19

Park and fellow Hall of Fame defensemen Brian Leetch, a Cheshire native, headline the Bruins legends team that will play against the Hartford Whalers legends Feb. 19 at 4 p.m. before the Whale faces the Providence Bruins at 7 p.m. The doubleheader is part of the “Harvest-Properties.com Whalers Hockey Fest” on Feb. 11-23 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, where construction of the rink began Monday. In case of bad weather, the Whale-Bruins game will be played Feb. 20 at the XL Center.

Other early commitments for the Bruins team are former captain Rick Middleton, who played 12 season in Beantown and two with the Rangers, Reggie Lemelin, Ken Hodge, Don Marcotte, Rick Smith, Bob Sweeney, Lyndon Byers, Cleon Daskalakis, Jay Miller, Bob Miller (no relation) and Ken “The Rat” Linseman, who was a member of the Whalers as he passed through in a multi-player trade with Philadelphia and Edmonton that included Mark Howe leaving Hartford for the Flyers. Early commitments for the Whalers team are WHA Hall of Famer Andre Lacroix, former captain Russ Anderson, Blaine Stoughton, Garry Swain, Bob Crawford, Chris Kotsopoulos, Jim Dorey, Jordy Douglas, Ray Neufeld, Gordie Roberts, Darren Turcotte, Nelson Emerson, Mark Janssens, Bill Bennett, Jeff Brubaker, Norm Barnes and the Babych brothers, Dave and Wayne. Emile “The Cat” Francis, a coach and general manager with the Rangers and Whalers, will be back behind the bench again.

Celebrities scheduled to play with one of the legends teams include Michael Keaton, Alan Thicke and David E. Kelley, son of New England and Hartford Whalers coach and general manager Jack Kelley and the writer of the 1999 hit film “Mystery, Alaska,” which was produced by Whalers Sports and Entertainment president and CEO Howard Baldwin and his wife, Karen. “Mystery, Alaska” cast members slated to appear are Michael Buie, Scott Richard Grimes, Jason Gray-Stanford, Kevin Durand, Fred J. Dukes and Cameron Bancroft, along with Neal McDonough, Kevin Zegers and the Hanson brothers – Steve, Jeff and Dave –  who were the comedic linchpins of the classic movie “Slap Shot.”

Tickets ($20 to $85) for the doubleheader can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and the Bushnell box office in Hartford on Monday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m. or by calling the Whale at 860-728-3366. They also can be purchased online and printed immediately at Ticketmaster.com.

Bulldogs 7, Whale 3

Hamilton 3 1 3 – 7
Connecticut 2 1 0 – 3
1st Period-1, Hamilton, Bishop 1 (Dumont, Nash), 1:50. 2, Hamilton, Palushaj 7 (Nash, Sanford), 3:05 (PP). 3, Hamilton, Nash 3 (Maxwell, Klubertanz), 6:02 (PP). 4, Connecticut, Garlock 2 (Del Zotto), 6:51 (SH). 5, Connecticut, Grachev 9 (Kennedy, Del Zotto), 14:48 (PP). Penalties-Nightingale Ct (interference), 2:12; Bickel Ct (boarding), 4:33; Nightingale Ct (cross-checking), 5:41; St. Denis Ham (hooking), 11:16; Carle Ham (high-sticking), 13:25; Klubertanz Ham (cross-checking), 14:10; Dumont Ham (major – boarding, fighting, game misconduct – boarding), 16:58; McKelvie Ct (roughing, fighting), 16:58.

2nd Period-6, Connecticut, Williams 3 (Redden, Williams), 0:31 (PP). 7, Hamilton, Wyman 12 (Avtsin), 18:02. Penalties-Urquhart Ham (tripping), 5:22; Henry Ham (high-sticking), 12:37; Kundratek Ct (boarding), 14:47.

3rd Period-8, Hamilton, Masse 1 (Henry, Klubertanz), 1:03. 9, Hamilton, Maxwell 7 (Nash, Klubertanz), 5:20 (PP). 10, Hamilton, Maxwell 8 (Palushaj, Festerling), 7:01. Penalties-served by Chappell Ct (bench minor – too many men), 3:46; Garlock Ct (tripping), 3:46; Palushaj Ham (holding), 10:19; Bishop Ham (high-sticking), 13:27.

Shots on Goal-Hamilton 9-7-12-28. Connecticut 14-8-9-31.
Power Play Opportunities-Hamilton 3 / 6; Connecticut 2 / 9.
Goalies-Hamilton, Sanford 17-7-1 (31 shots-28 saves). Connecticut, Johnson 13-14-3 (6 shots-3 saves); Pelletier 0-1-0 (22 shots-18 saves).
A-6,018
Referees-Mark Lemelin (84).
Linesmen-Kevin Redding (16), Derek Wahl (46).

Hartford, CT …  Whalers Sports and Entertainment announced today that Blaine Stoughton and John Anderson will join the group of featured players for the Hartford Whalers legends vs. Boston Bruins legends game February 19, 2011 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.

The legends game comprises part of the “Harvest-Properties.com Whale Bowl,” the featured event of the two-week outdoor Whalers Hockey Fest spectacular at Rentschler Field that will include numerous collegiate, high school, prep school and youth hockey games.  The legends game will face off at 4:00 PM on February 19 and will be followed by the outdoor AHL game between the Connecticut Whale and the Providence Bruins at 7:00 PM.

Stoughton, a forward from Gilbert Plains, Manitoba, played one season for the WHA’s New England Whalers and five more NHL seasons for the Hartford Whalers, including their first season of existence. Stoughton played 36 games for New England during the 1978-79 season, totaling 12 points with nine goals and three assists. In his five NHL seasons with Hartford, Stoughton reached the 100-point mark once, and topped 50 goals twice. In 357 career NHL games with the Whalers, Stoughton accumulated 219 goals, which is third-most in Whaler NHL history behind Ron Francis’ 264 and Kevin Dineen’s 235.  Stoughton also had 158 NHL assists with the Whalers for 377 points, which ranks fourth in Whaler NHL history.

Originally the seventh overall pick in the 1973 NHL Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Stoughton skated in a total of 526 NHL games with the Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers and the Whalers, scoring 258 goals and adding 191 assists for 449 total points, along with 204 penalty minutes. Stoughton is also a veteran of 219 WHA contests, in which he totaled 89 goals and 90 assists for 179 points with the Cincinnati Stingers, Indianapolis Racers and the Whalers.

Stoughton also coached at three different professional levels from 1992-97, serving as an assistant coach for the IHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones, the AHL’s Springfield Falcons and as head coach for the Austin Ice Bats of the WPHL.

Anderson, a left wing and a native of Toronto, Ontario, played four seasons with the Hartford Whalers from 1985-89 as part of a 17-year professional career. His best season as a member of the Whalers came during the 1986-87 season, when he totaled 31 goals and 44 assists for 75 points in 76 games. All told, Anderson skated in 215 games for the Whalers, scoring 72 goals and adding 117 assists for 189 points.

Anderson, the eleventh overall pick in the 1977 NHL Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs, played in a total of 814 NHL games as a member of the Maple Leafs, Quebec Nordiques and Whalers.

He is also the owner of a successful coaching career, heading the Chicago Wolves of the IHL and AHL from 1997-2008 and winning the Turner Cup and Calder Cup twice each. He is the Wolves’ franchise coaching leader with 371 wins behind the bench. Anderson served as the head coach of the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers from 2008-2010, leading the team to a second place finish in the Southeast Division during the 2009-10 season.

Tickets for the February 19 Harvest-Properties.com Whale Bowl, which include admission to both the AHL game and the legends game, are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com, as well as at the Bushnell box office from Monday through Friday, 12 noon-5:00 PM.  Ticket prices range from $20 to $85 and can also be purchased by calling the Connecticut Whale at 860-728-3366.  Tickets purchased online can be printed immediately (via Ticketmaster).

HARTFORD, January 21, 2011: Whalers Sports & Entertainment president and COO Howard Baldwin, Jr. announced today that Hall of Fame ex-NHL defenseman Brad Park will be making a special appearance at the Connecticut Whale’s home game next Saturday, January 29 at the XL Center against the Portland Pirates.

Park will be signing autographs, and meeting and greeting fans, in the XL Center atrium from 6:00-7:00 PM on January 29, and will also drop a ceremonial first puck before the 7:00 faceoff between the Whale and Pirates.

Park is also slated to be among the Boston Bruins legends who take the ice against Whalers legends February 19 at Rentschler Field in the Harvest-Properties.com “Whale Bowl”. The Whale bowl is the featured event of the two-week outdoor Whalers Hockey Fest spectacular at Rentschler Field that will include numerous collegiate, high school, prep school and youth hockey games. The legends game will face off at 4:00 PM on February 19 and will be followed by the outdoor AHL game between the Connecticut Whale and the Providence Bruins at 7:00 PM.

Park, who was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988, was a seven-time NHL All-Star and scored 213 goals and added 683 assists (an NHL record for defensemen at the time of his retirement in 1985) for 896 points in 1,113 career NHL games over 17 seasons. Eight of those years were spent with the Bruins, and Park is fourth all-time in franchise history in points among defensemen. His 417 Bruin points included 100 goals 317 assists, in 501 total games. In addition to his time with Boston, Park also played six-plus seasons with the New York Rangers, who selected him second overall in the 1966 NHL Amateur Draft, and finished his career with the Detroit Red Wings.

Tickets for the January 29 Whale/Pirates contest at the XL Center, and all 2010-11 Whale home games, are available now at the XL Center box office, through Ticketmaster Charge-by-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at www.ctwhale.com. Tickets start at $7 each at the XL Center ticket office on game day.

For information on Whale ticket packages, group sales and VIP packages, call (860) 728-3366.

HARTFORD, January 20, 2011:  Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the team has recalled forward Chris McKelvie from its ECHL affiliate, the Greenville Road Warriors.

McKelvie, a 6-1, 195-pound rookie out of Bemidji State University, has skated in 16 games for the Road Warriors this season and has scored three goals and added three assists for six points, while serving 20 minutes in penalties.  Prior to being loaned to Greenville December 4, McKelvie, 25, also skated in 15 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack/Connecticut Whale this season, totaling one goal and two assists for three points, along with 15 penalty minutes.

McKelvie, a native of New Brighton, Minnesota signed an AHL contract with the Wolf Pack prior to the 2010-11 season. He played six games for the Wolf Pack in the 2009-10 season while on an Amateur Tryout Agreement, after spending four seasons with Bemidji State, where he totaled 18 goals and 15 assists for 33 points in 120 games for the Beavers.

The Whale are back in action tomorrow night, Friday, January 21, hosting the Hamilton Bulldogs in a 7:00 PM game at the XL Center.  Fans can meet ex-Hartford Wolf Pack favorites Todd Hall and Terry Virtue, who will be signing autographs in the XL Center atrium from 6:00-7:00 PM, and being a Friday night, it’s a Guida’s Family Value Night.  Family Value packages start as low as $48 and include three tickets, three hot dogs or pizza slices, three sodas and a Whale souvenir. Guida’s Family Value Night packs are available at the XL Center ticket office and on-line at www.CTwhale.com.

Tickets for all 2010-11 Whale home games are available now at the XL Center ticket office, through Ticketmaster Charge-by-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at www.ctwhale.com.  Tickets start at $7 each at the XL Center ticket office on game day.

For information on Whale ticket packages, group sales and VIP packages, call (860) 728-3366.

By Bruce Berlet

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. – As Howard Baldwin and his son, Howard Jr., walked into the Rentschler Field press box just after noon Thursday, their jaws seemingly dropped to the floor as they spoke as one.

“Awesome,” they said in stereo while getting their first look at the start of the rink that will host Outdoor Harvest-Properties.com Whalers Fest 2011 on Feb. 11-23.

“It’s unbelievable,” said the elder Baldwin, chairman and CEO of Whalers Sports and Entertainment. “I had no idea it would be so visibly attractive, and the sight lines are unbelievable. I was worried when the rink was moved (west toward the luxury boxes), but it’s fantastic.”

Howard Jr., the president and COO of WSE, said this was everything that the organization has been working for since it announced plans to have about 30 outdoor games on June 2.

“I’m just blown away by it,” he said. “I hadn’t seen (the area) in a week and thought the weather would have set us back a little bit. Every time there’s a snowstorm I panic, so I can’t believe what’s been done already.”

Jim Hartnett, the founder and president of EIS Rinks LLC and the man who is supervising the rink installation, said the snow, rain and ice didn’t put a serious crimp in the $300,000 project. Work began Monday, and the 600 feet of lumber for the mini-boards rimming the rink that will hold the water in the freezing process was already down. Hartnett and his 12-person crew also had laid the 25,000 square feet of armor decking that will allow workers to walk and trucks to maneuver around the edge of the rink before players use it to get to the ice surface.

“We lost a day-and-half with snow removal and other things, but for all practical purposes, Stage I is complete,” Hartnett said. “But I kept telling guys that I come from Syracuse where we have winters, and I kept hearing about how mild it is in New England. I’ll never believe that tale again.”

Hartnett, whose company has built more than 400 rinks over 30 years, including for the NHL’s Washington Capitals, said the armor decking is to protect the field and will give everyone great access to the rink. The armor decking was developed by the military mostly for Desert Storm, so they could land planes on it in the desert.

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Hartnett, a rink refrigeration specialist with more than 30 years of experience in the indoor and outdoor rink business in North America, said the wooden box was 93 feet wide and 208 feet long. The ice surface will be 85 feet wide and 200 feet long, so there will be room for the workers and for the Zamboni leafs on the end.

EIS Rinks handled the installation for the AHL’s first outdoor game last Feb. 19 in Syracuse, N.Y., that drew a league-record 21,508 to see the Crunch’s 2-1 victory over the Binghamton Senators on a goal by former Hartford Wolf Pack defenseman Dave Liffiton in the second period. Baldwin, Baldwin & Co. hope to surpass that number on Feb. 19, when the Connecticut Whale faces the Providence Bruins at 7 p.m. after the Hartford Whalers legends play the Boston Bruins legends at 4 p.m. And so far, so good, as more than 13,000 tickets have been sold for the doubleheader.

Hartnett said snow during construction is “just a pain in the neck” but something that has to be dealt with during the loss of time. He said rain or warm weather can be a problem at certain periods.

“My best thing would be that once we get the sand placed, it gets cold and stays cold because then I have a brick-hard surface to work on,” Hartnett said. “Then I can actually take the machines out there and don’t just have to work around the edges. But if it rains when we get all the sand in, we’ll have a bit of a mud pit, and it gets really harder to deal with because you can’t have tracks and footprints. Little shoeprints is fine, but once it’s frozen, it can be a problem.”

Hartnett said 800 tons of sand is scheduled to be placed Friday, but because of a forecast for snow, he will wait until Friday morning to decide whether to go ahead or cancel the trucks and have people remove snow and start placing the sand on Monday. Placing the sand usually takes about six days, depending on weather. To prevent the sand from migrating into the grass field, 25,000 square feet of geotec fabric was laid down

Throughout the sand will lie about 10 miles of refrigeration tubing, which will be attached to a refrigeration unit that has 400 tons of capacity. It will take 30,000 gallons of water (and three days) to make the ice – 10,000 gallons an inch deep – and the dasher boards will be the standard professional hockey league system.

A crew will be doing different projects concurrently with the goal being to complete the work by Feb. 9. Then the ice will be fractured to get rid of the cracks and low spots and then flooded over. Youth teams will play for two days to fracture the ice more before games begin on Feb. 11.

The ice will be groomed to preserve its quality before an opening-night tripleheader: Cushing girls vs. Hotchkiss girls, 4 p.m.; Cushing boys vs. Canterbury boys, 6 p.m.; cthockey.com, 10 p.m.

About 30 games will be played through Feb. 21 involving 18 youth teams, 14 high school teams, 12 prep school teams, 10 college teams, four junior teams and the featured attraction, the Harvest-Properties.com “Whale Bowl”, on Feb. 19. More than a dozen celebrities will play on the legends teams, and with each team having about 25 players, more than 1,700 amateur athletes will be playing in the event over 13 days.

There will be a free open public skate on Feb. 22 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. If teams are still interested in participating, call 860-728-3366.

“The ice is all sold out, so we’re going to have a huge public skating session so everybody around the area can celebrate this, not only if you’re a hockey player,” Howard Jr. said.

Baldwin Sr. said he is a bit amazed that everything has fallen into place in less than eight months since he announced the project and that he will be doing his “snow prayers” for good weather between now and Feb. 23.

“It’s a great thing to see the rink laid out and how hard everybody is working … I wouldn’t kid you. I’m a little overwhelmed,” he said. “It’s going to be a great event, and the whole organization has done such a great job because it’s a much harder and much bigger task than what any of us thought it would be when we sat up there (in the press box) announcing it. It’s a tremendous amount of work, and the ticket sales are great.

“This will be a wonderful moment for hockey in Connecticut and in Hartford, and now everyone can see that this is real.”

Howard Jr. then piped in, “We want to get 38,000 (a sellout). This is a great tribute to my father, and everything that he has done. We’re just pumped up, and it’s exciting because it’s for mites all the way up to the pros. It makes sense to have every person from every level involved. They can celebrate hockey.”

Howard Sr. reiterated Whalers Sports and Entertainment’s main objective is to revive the local hockey market, and the group wanted to have some special events such as the Whalers Summer Festival in August and now the Winter Fest.

“Things just evolved, and we were able to get more and more teams to play after we took over control of the team,” he said. “Then we could get them to play, and it just built up. The ultimate goal is to enjoy the journey, which is just the way we are. The AHL is a great league, and we’re proud to be in it. And there’s great hockey heritage in Hartford, whether it be WHA, NHL and now AHL.

“If the end result is the NHL, which, of course, everyone would love, then great. These are the kind of things that will make the NHL sit up or stand up and take notice and remind them (of what WSE wants to do). We’ve already done it because the attendance has doubled since we did the rebrand (on Nov. 27). So it has already taken effect, and now we just have to keep building it.”

Baldwin said he has invited NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to the Feb. 19 doubleheader.

“I just saw Gary in New York last week, and I think if he can come, he’d love to come,” Baldwin said. “He wants us to do well. The NHL wants hockey to do well. This will be a great event, and Feb. 19 will be a great day for hockey. And remember who said that, my friend Bob Johnson (the NHL Hall of Fame coach and father of former Whalers and Olympic gold medal-winning center Mark Johnson). He always said, ‘It’s a great day for hockey,’ and this will be a great two weeks for hockey.”

In keeping with Johnson’s upbeat theme and nature, it will be “a great day to play two” on Feb. 19 – or any other day for that matter.

WHALE RANGERS GET MORE OLD/NEW FACES

After being called up by the New York Rangers for the first time last week, Whale center Kris Newbury joked the NHL team had become “the Connecticut Rangers.”

Newbury didn’t how right he really would be.

Wednesday brought the call-ups to New York for wings Chad Kolarik and Brodie Dupont, who replaced former Hartford Wolf Pack forward Brandon Dubinsky and wing Ruslan Fedotenko.

Kolarik was summoned when the Rangers learned that Dubinsky, their leader in goals (17) and points (38), would be out 3-to-4 weeks with a stress fracture in his left leg. Kolarik joined the Rangers after he had two shorthanded goals and two assists and was plus-4 in the first period of a 6-3 victory over the league-leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Sunday. He set a franchise record for shorthanded goals in a period and tied team records for shorthanded goals in a game and points in a period. The Whale is 17-7-0-4 since Kolarik was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets and Springfield Falcons for former Wolf Pack captain Dane Byers on Nov. 8.

Dupont got his first call-up in his fourth season in the Rangers’ organization after getting five of his eight goals and three of his 12 assists in the last 11 games. Dupont was the sixth Whale forward to be called up this season, and he and Kolarik rejoin Newbury and wings Mats Zuccarello and Dale Weise. And rookie defenseman Ryan McDonagh changed places with Michael Del Zotto on Jan. 3.

“It has been a little bit unique,” Gernander said of the run of injuries. “But now there’s more opportunity for everyone.”

The loss of Dubinsky and Fedotenko came after injuries to former Wolf Pack right wing Ryan Callahan, Vinny Prospal, Alex Frolov, Erik Christensen and Derek Boogaard. And sniper Marian Gaborik and captain/Trumbull native Chris Drury have returned after lengthy absences early in the season. Frolov is out for the season, Prospal and Boogaard indefinitely, while Callahan and Christensen have resumed skating and are expected to return Feb. 1 for the first game after the All-Star break.

The numerous injuries in New York have also taxed the Whale lineup, but Gernander and assistants J.J. Daigneault and Pat Boller have done a masterful job of rallying the team from last in the Atlantic Division to a solid position to return to the playoffs for the 13^th time in 14 AHL seasons.

And several in the Rangers family took note after a 7-0 home win over the Toronto Maple Leafs Wednesday night.

“You know what?” Rangers coach John Tortorella started. “Kenny and his staff have done a tremendous job, especially with the year we’re going through with injuries, these guys come up and it’s a pretty seamless process as far as their understanding how we play. They try to play very similar to us. They’re in shape, and they come in and produce.

“So not too much is talked about Kenny Gernander and his staff, but they’ve done one hell of a job as to keeping their team afloat while we’re taking half of their club and trying to compete in this league. So they deserve a lot of credit.”

Goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who made 22 saves to notch his league-leading-tying seventh shutout of the season, and wing Brandon Prust concurred with their coach.

“Absolutely,” Lundqvist said if had to like the way the Whale players played. “They’re Rangers guys now (smiling). They’re playing really well. They look comfortable out there. They make good decisions, and you know that’s the only thing you can ask for, so hopefully they can keep going.”

Said Prust: “It’s great. They’ve stepped into the lineup and done a great job for us, and we need that. We got some guys out of the lineup, and it’s about everybody stepping up and making sure we all do our jobs and do our roles well.”

After practice Wednesday, Gernander said he hadn’t heard of Tortorella’s compliments. When told the gist of what Tortorella had said, Gernander said, “That’s nice to hear.”

When the Rangers faced the Hurricanes Thursday night, 11 of their 18 skaters were Hartford graduates: forwards Zuccarello, Weise, Newbury, Kolarik, Dupont and Artem Anisimov (career-high four assists Wednesday night) and defensemen Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Matt Gilroy and rookies McDonagh and Michael Sauer. And that doesn’t count the injured Dubinsky and Callahan.

The promotions Wednesday left the Whale with only 10 healthy forwards and seven defensemen for practice. Veteran Wade Redden and rookie Jyri Niemi, a defensive pairing for much of the season, practiced with the team for the third consecutive day and will be ready for a game Friday night against the North Division-leading Hamilton Bulldogs.

To fill one of the forward openings, the Whale recalled rookie wing Chris McKelvie from the ECHL’s Greenville Road Warriors. McKelvie started the season with Whale and had one goal and two assists in 15 games before being reassigned on Dec. 4. He had three goals and three assists in 16 games with Greenville.

“He’s definitely a good skater who gives us some flexibility because he’s a role player who can kill penalties,” Gernander said.

The newest face with the Whale is goalie Pier-Olivier Pelletier, who was signed to a professional tryout contract to back up Chad Johnson. Pelletier, 23, the Phoenix Coyotes’ second-round pick in 2005 from St.-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!, Quebec, was 10-6-3 with the Laredo Bucks of the CHL and Elmira Jackals of the ECHL last season as a rookie. He was 6-9-4 with a 3.33 GAA, .895 save percentage and one shutout in 21 games with Laredo this season.

Pelletier was needed after Cam Talbot sustained a high ankle sprain when a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton player fell on him in the final minute of Sunday’s game. He has had extensive treatment the last four days with trainer Damian Hess and hopes to return next week.

VIRTUE, HALL VISIT AND SIGN AS WHALE’S HOMESTAND ENDS

The Whale’s three-game homestand ends against the Bulldogs (23-13-1-4) on Friday night, when former Hartford Wolf Pack standouts and close friends Terry Virtue and Todd Hall of Hamden will sign autographs in the XL Center atrium from 6-7 p.m. and then drop the ceremonial first puck. Virtue is an assistant coach with Owen Sound of the Ontario Hockey League, whose owners include former Hartford Whalers right wing Paul MacDermid. Hall is an assistant coach with the third-ranked Hamden High hockey team, which won the state Division I title the last two years.

Virtue will be making a pit stop on his way from his home in Tara, Ont., to Worcester, Mass., where he’ll be one of the first six inductees into the Worcester Hockey Hall of Fame on Saturday at the DCU Center. It’s “Salute to the IceCats Night,” the name of the AHL franchise that preceded the Sharks in Worcester, and Virtue will be inducted with former Whalers wing Scott Young, Kelly O’Leary, Eddie Bates, Larz Anderson and Marvin Degon Sr., father of former Wolf Pack defenseman Martin Degon.

The Bulldogs have won two in a row despite the fact that their top two All-Star scorers, center David Desharnais (10 goals, 35 assists) and former New Canaan High School and Taft School-Watertown star wing Max Pacioretty (17, 15), are on recall to the Montreal Canadiens. The remaining top offensive threats are center Ben Maxwell (6, 19), right wings Aaron Palushaj (5, 17) and J.T. Wyman (10, 9), and defenseman Brendon Nash (2, 17). Center Ryan Russell, the Rangers’ seventh-round pick in 2005 who never played in the organization, has six goals and two assists and is plus-11 in 40 games. Veteran Curtis Sanford (16-7-1), who will make his AHL All-Star debut next week, is No. 1 in the league in goals-against average (1.74) and save percentage (.938), which improved with back-to-back shutouts on Friday night and Tuesday night. He won a classic goaltending duel with Jean-Philippe Levasseur of Syracuse 1-0 in a shootout on Friday, when he made 22 saves in regulation and overtime, while Levasseur had a season-high 46 stops. After surrendering an opening-round shootout goal to former Avon Old Farms standout Nick Bonino, Sanford stopped the Crunch’s next four shooters to notch the win. Ben Maxwell and rookie Alexander Avtsin scored for the Bulldogs as Sanford got his third shutout of the season. Levasseur also got credit for a shutout, his third of the season. Then on Tuesday night, Sanford had 22 saves in a 7-0 romp over the Rochester Americans as Russell had one goal and two assists.

It will be a special Family Value Night and “City of New Britain Night” at which New Britain Rock Cats mascot Rocky will be on hand with Whale mascots Pucky and Sonar. There will be an autograph signing with a Rock Cats player and a Rock Cats giveaway, and the New Britain High School marching band will perform the national anthem, and during the first intermission and before the game. Tickets in the lower level are $16 and include a soda and pizza slice or hot dog. Visit www.ctwhale.com.

The Whale will visit Springfield on Saturday night to play the Falcons (18-20-1-3), who have lost four in a row. Then the Whale will hold their eighth Tip-A-Player Dinner and Sports Carnival, presented by Aetna, at the XL Center on Sunday from 4-7 p.m. Dinner provided by area restaurants will be served by the Whale players, who will be available for autographs and pictures and competing for “tips” to benefit Gaylord Specialty Healthcare at Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford. The event also will include a silent auction and inflatables and games. Tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for children, and walk-ins are welcome. For more information, contact Lori Leniart at 860-728-3366.

WHALERS-BRUINS LEGENDS FACE OFF ON FEB. 19

Hall of Fame defensemen Brian Leetch, a Cheshire native, and Brad Park headline the Bruins legends team that will play against the Hartford Whalers legends Feb. 19 at 4 p.m. before the Whale faces the Providence Bruins at 7 p.m. The doubleheader is part of the “Harvest-Properties.com Whalers Hockey Fest” on Feb. 11-23 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, where construction of the rink began Thursday. In case of bad weather, the Whale-Bruins game will be played Feb. 20 at the XL Center.

Other early commitments for the Bruins team are former captain Rick Middleton, who played 12 season in Beantown and two with the Rangers, Reggie Lemelin, Ken Hodge, Don Marcotte, Rick Smith, Bob Sweeney, Lyndon Byers, Cleon Daskalakis, Jay Miller, Bob Miller (no relation) and Ken “The Rat” Linseman, who was a member of the Whalers as he passed through in a multi-player trade with Philadelphia and Edmonton that included Mark Howe leaving Hartford for the Flyers. Early commitments for the Whalers team are WHA Hall of Famer Andre Lacroix, Garry Swain, Bob Crawford, Chris Kotsopoulos, Jim Dorey, Jordy Douglas, Ray Neufeld, Gordie Roberts, Darren Turcotte, Nelson Emerson, Mark Janssens, Bill Bennett, Jeff Brubaker, Norm Barnes and the Babych brothers, Dave and Wayne. Emile “The Cat” Francis, a coach and general manager with the Rangers and Whalers, will be back behind the bench again.

Celebrities scheduled to play with one of the legends teams include Michael Keaton, Alan Thicke and David E. Kelley, son of New England and Hartford Whalers coach and general manager Jack Kelley and the writer of the 1999 hit film “Mystery, Alaska,” which was produced by Whalers Sports and Entertainment president and CEO Howard Baldwin and his wife, Karen. “Mystery, Alaska” cast members slated to appear are Michael Buie, Scott Richard Grimes, Jason Gray-Stanford, Kevin Durand, Fred J. Dukes and Cameron Bancroft, along with Neal McDonough, Kevin Zegers and the Hanson brothers – Steve, Jeff and Dave –  who were the comedic linchpins of the classic movie “Slap Shot.”

Tickets ($20 to $85) for the doubleheader can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and the Bushnell box office in Hartford on Monday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m. or by calling the Whale at 860-728-3366. They also can be purchased online and printed immediately at Ticketmaster.com.

Note: Artist rendering of Rentschler Field courtesy of Whaler Nation