HARTFORD, December 20, 2011:  Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the parent New York Rangers have reassigned defenseman Sam Klassen to the Whale from its ECHL affiliate, the Greenville Road Warriors.

A second-year pro out of the Western Hockey League, Klassen has skated in 23 games with the Road Warriors this season, registering one goal and four assists for five points, along with 26 penalty minutes.

Klassen, who stands 6-2, weighs 199 pounds and hails from Watrous, Saskatchewan, played three games with the Whale last year, going scoreless with four penalty minutes.  In 66 ECHL games as a rookie with Greenville, Klassen posted three goals and 14 assists for 17 points, plus 80 PIM.  He tied for second among Road Warrior blueliners in assists and ranked third among team defensemen in points.  Klassen’s plus/minus of +16 was good for a tie for tops on the club for a defenseman, and tied him for fifth overall on the team.

Klassen signed as a free agent with the Rangers July 27, 2009, after four WHL seasons with the Saskatoon Blades.

The Whale return to action tomorrow night, Wednesday, December 21, at the XL Center for their last game before Christmas, a 7:00 contest against the Adirondack Phantoms. That is “Ugly Holiday Sweater Night”, as fans who wear an ugly holiday sweater to the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center can get a 50% discount on upper-level seats, and lower-level end-zone seats.

Tickets to all 2011-12 Whale home games, are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, as well as on-line at www.ctwhale.com and through TicketMaster Charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000.

Save on your tickets, and get the best seats, with a ticket plan for the Whale’s 2011-12 AHL campaign, which are on sale now. For information on season seats and mini plans, visit www.ctwhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 728-3366 to talk with an account executive today.

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HARTFORD, CT – December 20, 2011:  Whalers Sports & Entertainment and Comcast today announced the launch of “Whale TV” on Xfinity On Demand, which will be available at no additional cost to Comcast digital cable customers throughout New England. The content will be accessible beginning December 26 under the “Get Local” section of Comcast’s signature Xfinity On Demand service.

Through the “Whale TV” Xfinity On Demand offering, Xfinity TV customers will be able to access a wide variety of exclusive and regularly updated Connecticut Whale features, including a weekly “Whale Watch” TV show with game highlights, interviews and other feature material.  Additionally, Comcast Xfinity TV customers will be able to enjoy “CT Whale All Access,” a behind-the-scenes look at life in the AHL.  There will also be an option to view various CT Whale special events throughout the season.

A “Whale Game of the Week” re-broadcast will also be a staple of the ”Whale TV” Xfinity On Demand offering.  These games will be edited to 90 minutes in length and will be accessible for one week.

The following CT Whale games will be available exclusively on Xfinity On Demand:

January 21 vs. Norfolk        (Available beginning Jan. 25)

February 7 vs. Syracuse     (Available beginning Feb. 11)

February 28 vs. Worcester  (Available beginning March 4)

March 17 vs. Springfield      (Available beginning March 21)

March 18 vs. Portland          (Available beginning March 22)

March 24 vs. Providence     (Available beginning March 29)

April 1 vs. Providence          (Available beginning April 5)

According to WSE President Howard Baldwin, Jr., “We are delighted to be partners with Comcast on this exciting venture.   This is one more example of ways we can expose our outstanding on-ice product to the great hockey fans of Connecticut.”

Added Mark Willand, WSE senior vice president of business operations, “This partnership with Comcast provides an opportunity for our fans to enjoy original Whale TV programming and exclusive features available only to Xfinity TV customers.  The relationship with Comcast brings the total number of CT Whale games on TV (live and re-broadcast On Demand) to 30 and gives our fans the first-ever weekly highlights show in Whale/Wolf Pack history.”

“We’re excited to partner with the CT Whale to deliver exciting and exclusive CT Whale content to die-hard hockey fans, any time of the day or night,” said Mary McLaughlin, Senior Vice President of Comcast’s Western New England Region, which is based in Berlin, CT.  “Comcast is committed to being the number one destination for sports fans to catch all the hometown action, and we are thrilled to leverage our popular Xfinity On Demand service to offer this captivating content to the Whale’s passionate fans.”

The “Whale TV” Xfnity On Demand content will be accessible in the “Get Local” folder of Comcast’s On Demand service and will be available to Xfinity TV customers throughout New England.  Customers can watch Xfinity On Demand whenever and as often as they like with the ability to rewind, fast forward and pause programs viewed through Xfinity On Demand.  The CT Whale content adds to the Xfinity On Demand library, which already offers up to 25,000 programs at any time, the vast majority of them for no additional charge.

On Demand is available to Comcast’s digital Xfinity TV customers. For more information about Comcast’s products and services, call 1-800 COMCAST or visit www.comcast.com.

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New York, December 19, 2011 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that defenseman Tim Erixon has been recalled from the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League (AHL) on an emergency basis.

Erixon, 20, has registered one goal and 11 assists for 12 points, along with 12 penalty minutes in 14 games this season.  He leads all Whale defensemen and is tied for third on the team in assists, and is tied for first among team defensemen and seventh on Connecticut in points.  He also ranks fifth on the team in average points per game (0.86).  Erixon registered seven points in a five-game span (one goal and six assists), beginning with his first career AHL goal on November 12 at St. John’s and culminating with a career-high, three assists on November 23 vs. Portland.  He also tallied an assist while making his AHL debut on November 2 at Bridgeport.

The Port Chester, New York native returns to the Rangers where he has skated in nine games this season.  He began the season on the Rangers opening night roster, and has posted a plus or even rating in six of his nine contests.  He made his NHL debut on October 7 against Los Angeles in Stockholm, Sweden, as part of the 2011 Bridgestone NHL Premiere.

Erixon was acquired by the Rangers along with a fifth round selection in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft (Shane McColgan) from Calgary, in exchange for Roman Horak and two second round picks in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft (Markus Granlund, Tyler Wotherspoon) on June 1, 2011.  He was originally selected by the Flames in the first round, 23rd overall, in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

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HARTFORD, Conn. – December 19, 2011 – Cigna, the Connecticut Whale and the YMCA of Greater Hartford are teaming up to bring hockey to the streets of Hartford and East Hartford for boys and girls ages 6 to 12 years.

The Cigna Hockey in the Streets leagues kick off with a series of one-hour Connecticut Whale player clinics, beginning at five p.m., Monday, December 19, at The Wilson-Gray YMCA Youth and Family Center on 444 Albany Ave., Hartford.  While the YMCA of Greater Hartford is the first to host the program, Cigna Hockey in the Streets is open to groups and venues throughout the region.

“By teaming up with The Whale and the YMCA, we’re introducing hockey to Greater Hartford children who might not otherwise be able to benefit from learning the fundamentals and fun of the game,” said Mark Boxer, Cigna executive vice president and chief information officer.  “The fact that they will be picking up valuable tips for working as a team, developing leadership skills and an overall health and fitness foundation from future National Hockey League players makes this an especially exciting program.”

Cigna, a global health service company headquartered in Bloomfield, Conn., is a proud sponsor of the Connecticut Whale and major supporter of the team’s goal of restoring to the Hartford hockey market the vibrancy it once enjoyed.  Cigna is also a primary supporter of the Greater Hartford YMCA, and its programs to develop the health and fitness of local youths.

“Goal one of The Connecticut Whale is to make a positive difference in our community. We are excited to team up with Cigna to launch this new comprehensive community outreach program that helps all kids have a shot at hockey,” said Howard Baldwin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Whalers Sports & Entertainment, which operates the Connecticut Whale. “

“The YMCA of Greater Hartford is delighted to be collaborating with Cigna and the Connecticut Whale.  When community organizations work together, the possibilities of helping to develop our youth are endless,” said James Morton, President and Chief Executive Officer of the YMCA of Greater Hartford.  “The Hockey in the Streets program will not only teach our kids the fundamentals of hockey, but, through a mini-lecture series built into the program for participants and their families, will teach them life skills such as team-building, leadership, personal responsibility, healthy eating habits and the importance of giving back.”

In addition to fun and healthy competition, the Cigna Hockey in the Streets will offer greater Hartford kids a Healthy Hat Trick of goals:

1. Live Healthy. Eat right, stay active, and avoid dangerous activity.
2. Be Me. Study hard, respect yourself, and do everything you can to achieve your personal best.
3. Help Others. Spread your healthy outlook to your family, friends, and your community.

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