Hartford, CT … Whalers Sports and Entertainment president and COO Howard Baldwin, Jr. announced today that Cheshire, CT-bred Hall of Famer Brian Leetch, and former Bruin fan favorite, and current media sensation, Lyndon Byers have been added to the Boston Bruins legends roster for the Hartford Whalers legends vs. Boston Bruins legends game February 19, 2011 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer fans the chance to catch two such bigger-than-life icons at the Harvest-Properties.com Hockey Fest,” said Baldwin, Jr.. “Brian Leetch was truly one of the greatest defensemen ever to play the game, and the best player the state of Connecticut has ever produced. And Lyndon Byers, in addition to being as tough as they come on the hockey rink, has legitimately become a crossover star in the media world after his on-ice career.”
The legends game is 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.
Leetch played prep school hockey at Avon Old Farms before going on to Boston College and an 18-year NHL career. Drafted ninth overall by the New York Rangers in 1986, Leetch would go on to become the highest-scoring defenseman, and second-highest-scoring player overall, in Ranger history. Leetch skated in 1,129 games for the Broadway Blueshirts in 17 seasons and totaled 741 assists, a franchise career record, along with 240 goals and 981 points, second only to Rod Gilbert’s 1,021 in Ranger history.
Leetch was captain of the Rangers from 1997-98 to 1999-00, and captured the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 1994, the year the Rangers ended a 53-year championship drought by winning the Stanley Cup. Following his Ranger tenure, and 15 games with Toronto in 2003-04, Leetch finished his career with the Bruins in 2005-06. He was Boston’s leading-scoring defenseman that year, with five goals and 27 assists for 32 points in 61 games.
Leetch was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.
Byers, a native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, played 261 games in a Bruin uniform over nine seasons from 1983-84 through 1991-92, after being selected in the second round of the 1982 NHL Draft. He saw action in 261 games in his Bruin career, totaling 24 goals and 42 assists for 66 points, along with 959 penalty minutes, ninth all-time in franchise history. Byers also played 18 NHL games with the San Jose Sharks in 1992-93, scoring four goals and adding an assist for five points and serving 122 minutes in penalties.
Always a fan favorite in Boston, Byers has achieved even greater fame in the media world in his post-hockey career. He is a co-host of the “Hil-Man Morning Show” on WAAF-FM in Boston and also makes television appearances on NESN. Byers’ non-sports credits include appearances on several episodes of Denis Leary’s “Rescue Me” and film roles in “Shallow Hal”, “Stuck on You”, “Monument Ave.”, “Freedom Park” and “Oxy-Morons”.
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).
