By Bruce Berlet

You can’t help but root for Scott Tanski to make the Connecticut Whale.

The day before the New York Rangers opened camp, Tanski was preparing to leave on a road trip with his Carleton University team in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, when he got a call saying he had four hours to pack his bags and catch a flight to LaGuardia Airport in New York.

The Rangers had sustained several injuries and defections during and after finishing second in a prospects tournament in Traverse City, Mich., and needed a few more healthy bodies for the start of their training camp in Greenburgh, N.Y.

“I had tried to get Tanski in to camp twice before, but it didn’t work out,” Rangers director of player personnel Gordie Clark said Friday night before the Whale’s 2-1 loss to the Worcester Sharks at TD Bank Sports Center on the campus of Quinnipiac University in Hamden. “When (Rangers assistant general manager) Jeff Gorton called saying he needed a few players, the guy that I thought of was Tanski. I knew I could rely on him to come in and play hard.”

So with Tayler Jordan getting injured and Randy McNaught and Jordan Hickmott opting to attend school rather than Rangers camp, the SOS went out to Tanski, who was stunned but delighted finally to get a chance to join the Blueshirts after playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets in the past two prospects tournaments.

“It was kind of funny because I actually knew I was coming to Connecticut camp, but I had no idea I was going to main camp,” Tanski said. “I thought going to Connecticut camp would be an unbelievable opportunity, but my agent called (Carleton) and they said, ‘Get off the ice, go get a suitcase and pack your bag.’ ”

When Tanski arrived at LaGuardia, he took a shuttle to the hotel where the Rangers were staying in White Plains, N.Y. He got the training camp itinerary the next morning and was soon on the ice experiencing the torturous skating tests of Rangers coach John Tortorella while rubbing shoulders with the likes of Henrik Lundqvist, Brad Richards, Marian Gaborik and Rangers captain and former Hartford Wolf Pack right wing Ryan Callahan.

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“It was definitely exciting being with some of the best players in the world,” Tanski said with a smile. “I had had a little (pro) experience in Columbus’ main camp, but I definitely was shocked at the intensity of Torts’ camp. It was really tough. No matter how hard you work coming into camp, you’re not prepared for that. But I’ve definitely got into shape and tried to put my best step forward. I want to try to show the coaches what I can bring to the team. Hopefully I’ve done that and continue to do that.”

After a so-so start in the Whale’s 3-1 loss to the Albany Devils on Tuesday night, Tanski scored twice in a 4-2 victory over the Springfield Falcons the following night. First, he jammed in Tommy Grant’s centering pass from the left wing at 8:16 and then one-timed Grant’s pass from behind the net with 1:24 left in the second period. By game’s end, the line of Tanski, Grant and Kelsey Tessier combined for three goals and four assists.

Friday night, Tanski nearly had his third goal of the preseason off the opening faceoff, but Tyson Sexsmith came out to rob him in the slot after a nifty pass from Tessier only 43 seconds into the game. Tanski had another good bid denied with 12:25 left, and only defenseman Jared Nightingale could beat Sexsmith (21 saves) with 4:49 left. It wasn’t enough to offset Ryan Del Monte’s power-play goal on the rebound of Adam Zulyniak’s shot that went off the pad of Chad Johnson (15 saves) and skate of defenseman Jyri Niemi at 3:36 of the second period and Nick Petrecki beating Johnson high to the stick side 26 seconds later after a Whale turnover.

Tanski was headed to Carleton University after finishing four years with Brampton of the Ontario Hockey League, where he had 53 goals and 80 assists in 219 games. But the hockey gods then intervened, giving Tanski a shot he never anticipated. He said he hopes to make the Whale roster and would have to confer with his agent and family if he had to choose between going to Greenville of the ECHL on a two-way contract or returning to Carleton University.

“I came to camp not knowing what to expect, not having even talked to anybody, so I have just kind of gone on the ice every day and gone to work trying to sell myself,” Tanski said. “I’ve been given an opportunity, so I know I have to take advantage of it. You only get a few chances to play with guys like Tessier and Grant, so I have to make the most of it and definitely show myself.

“My game is getting in on the forecheck, using my speed, providing energy, playing the body, doing whatever it takes. I’ve been looking at this for 18, 19 years of my life, and this is what I want to do, so I’m not going to stop at nothing to try and achieve it, so I hope to catch someone’s eye. If something happens, it would be a dream come true, but I’m not going to think about it too much because it’s not for me to decide.”

Whale coach Ken Gernander will certainly be part of the decision, and he gave Tanski a ringing endorsement Friday night, sounding after if he was describing himself as a player.

“If you want to watch a game and watch a guy who’s going to play straight-line hockey, start-stop hockey, a real meat-and-potatoes type of hockey, that’s what he has been giving us,” Gernander said. “I think, to a large extent, that’s kind of created success for him. If you’re going to take short cuts and high-risk plays, sometimes you get rewarded, but often times it doesn’t bode well for you. So if you want to keep it simple and really work hard at it, you’re going to get rewarded through diligence.

“He also likes to finish hits, and what he does on breakouts and different things like that, he gets to where he needs to be early. He works hard to get there, so when the puck gets there, he’s got options and is going in the right direction, whereas you have some guys that want to come back and maybe not work as much, and when the puck gets to them, the opportunity is lost or they’re in poor position to make plays. Scott is a straight-line guy who plays hard, and as long as you do that, you’re going to be effective.”

Tanski has been effective enough to earn another shot at making the team in its preseason finale Sunday at 2 p.m., a rematch with the Sharks at Champions Skating Center in Cromwell ($5 admission benefits Junior Wolf Pack youth hockey).

GOOD START, POOR FINISH

The Whale started well Friday night but failed to convert on five consecutive first-period power plays, including a 5-on-3 for 26 seconds, as they went 0-for-7 with the man advantage. The early power plays helped the Whale to a 7-1 shot advantage in the opening 20 minutes, but the bang-bang goals by Del Monte and Petrecki swung the momentum in the Sharks’ favor and the Whale rarely sustained an attack the final 30 minutes.

“I’m not going to get very critical of (the power play) when some of our power-play personnel isn’t here and we haven’t been working on it for months and months at a time,” Gernander said. “That’s where you are; it’s preseason. But I thought we had a lot of forechecking pressure and shots, but not necessarily (quality) chances in the first period. Then they capitalized on their chances. It’s a game of inches or momentum swings or whatever you want to call it, but early on we had good pace and tempo to our game and got shots and pressure while they didn’t really generate a lot.

“But then they get two quick goals, and it looks pretty good for them. And at the end of the game, we tried too many high-risk plays. Instead of maybe getting it deep when you could see they were backing off and defending, we were too stubborn to put it in behind (the defense) and forecheck to go get it.”

After the Whale got to 2-1 when Andreas Thuresson’s pass from behind the net went through a maze of players in front to Nightingale at the right point for a 40-foot laser past Sexsmith, they were short-circuited when Andre Deveaux got a checking to the head penalty with 4:01 left.

“That was tough, especially because we had power-play opportunities early where we didn’t capitalize, and you know there’s swings in the game and we don’t want to give them power-play opportunities,” Gernander said. “So it’s got to be addressed and taken care of.”

Gernander likely did it Saturday, when Rangers All-Star defenseman Marc Staal again skated with the Whale as he continues to try to recover from lingering headaches from post-concussion syndrome from being hit by his brother, All-Star center Eric Staal, in a game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 22. Staal sustained a concussion but passed baseline neurological tests and missed only three games. But headaches manifested themselves in the summer and have forced Staal to miss most of training camp, including all of the Rangers’ five preseason games, two of them wins in Europe.

The Rangers had hoped Staal could fly to the Czech Republic on Thursday so he could rejoin his teammates at the opener of a six-game European run, which will be capped by their first two regular-season starts against the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks on Friday and Saturday in Stockholm, Sweden. But instead of being on hand for the Rangers’ 2-0 victory over HC Sparta and 4-2 win over Frolunda, the former team of Lundqvist, Staal was prepping for and participating in workouts with the Whale. Staal, part of the Rangers’ top defensive pairing with former Hartford Wolf Pack defenseman Dan Girardi, hopes to travel to Stockholm, but that will depend on how he reacts to being back skating and eventually participating in contract drills.

RANGERS, WHALE MAKE ROSTER MOVES

The Rangers made a third round of cuts Saturday, assigning defensemen Tim Erixon and Blake Parlett and forwards Kris Newbury, John Mitchell, Dale Weise and rookies Carl Hagelin and Ryan Bourque to the Whale and assigning defenseman Dylan McIlrath to Moose Jaw of the Western Hockey League. Newbury, Mitchell and Weise have to clear waivers before they could join the Whale, but all of the players will be flying back to the United States on Sunday.

The biggest surprise was defenseman Stu Bickel making the roster less than a year after being acquired from the Anaheim Ducks for Nigel Williams. Bickel is a hard-nosed, team player who was the first to come to Andre Deveaux’s defense Monday night when Deveaux was run face-first in the boards by the Philadelphia Flyers’ Tom Sestito, who was suspended four games (two preseason, two regular season) by the NHL. But the penalty was reduced by a game by AHL president Dave Andrews after Sestito was assigned to the Adirondack Phantoms.

Bickel, 24, has never played in a NHL regular-season game, but he could be in the lineup Friday if Staal and former Wolf Pack defenseman Michael Sauer (sprained shoulder) can’t play.

“This kid Bickel has stood in there for us,” Rangers coach John Tortorella said. “He’s a guy that is involved and has had a very good camp. We’ve been pretty impressed with how Bickel has stood in there because I knew nothing about him when he came in here. He’s a big guy who gets in the way. He’s beginning to learn how to use his stick. He has improved daily and that’s why he is here.”

Hagelin and Bourque were expected to be sent down for more seasoning, but Erixon was a bit of a surprise, though the Rangers have to hope veteran defenseman Wade Redden and assistant coach J.J. Daigneault, who works with the defense, can work their magic with the Calgary Flames’ first-round pick in 2009 as they did with Ryan McDonagh last season.

With an overload of players, the Whale made their first cuts, assigning goalies Jason Missiaen and Jerry Kuhn and forwards Chris Chappell, Kale Kerbashian, Jeff Prough and Connor Shields to Greenville of the ECHL. The Whale still have two goalies (Johnson, Cam Talbot), 11 defensemen (Redden, Erixon, Parlett, Niemi, Tomas Kundratek, Pavel Valentenko, Jared Nightingale, Lee Baldwin, Collin Bowman, T.J. Fast, Sam Klassen) and 19 forwards (Newbury, Mitchell, Weise, Bourque, Hagelin, Tanski, Andre Deveaux, Andreas Thuresson, Kelsey Tessier, Chad Kolarik, Jonathan Audy-Marchessault, Tommy Grant, Jason Wilson, Max Campbell, Chris McKelvie and tryouts Jordan Owens, Brendan Connolly, Tayler Jordan and Matt Rust). Jordan is injured, and Kolarik will have surgery Wednesday to repair a torn ACL in his left knee and will be sidelined at least six months.

The Whale will make more cuts after Sunday’s preseason finale so Gernander and assistants Daigneault and Pat Boller have workable numbers to form their lines and defensive pairings for four days of preparation for the opener Saturday night at 7 against the Phantoms in Glens Falls, N.Y. The Whale then plays at Wilkes-Barre, Pa., on Oct. 9 and at Albany, N.Y., on Oct. 14 before their home opener on Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. … Lundqvist was understandably emotional about being back home and delighted that his 30 saves helped the Rangers win Friday night in his homeland. “I have been thinking about this day almost every hour the past few days, and I wasn’t sure how I’d react to it,” he told reporters. “It was very emotional. I didn’t cry, but I was close. I started following (Frolunda) since I was five when my dad took me to my first game ever here. It’s been my dream to play here, and then I did from when I was 16. Then (tonight) I realize I am playing my twin brother, against Frolunda, with the New York Rangers, and then I get (the tribute and great fan reaction) before the game. It was just a lot to take in all at once. I am so thankful for it.”  … Information on Whale season tickets and all of the ticketing options can be obtained by calling 860-728-3366 or visiting www.ctwhale.com. Individual tickets are on sale at Public Power ticket office at the XL Center. The Whale will play 90 percent of their 38 home games on weekends and during vacation and holiday breaks. Tickets, starting at $14 for adults and $12 for youth, are available at the box office Monday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m. or online at www.ctwhale.com and through TicketMaster charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000. … J.T. Miller, the Rangers’ first-round pick (15^th overall) in June, scored his first OHL goal at 11:45 of the third period to snap a 2-2 as the Plymouth Whalers rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa 67’s on Friday night. The Whalers have won two in a row to improve to 2-1-0-0.

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HARTFORD, October 1, 2011:  Connecticut Whale general Manager Jim Schoenfeld today announced the following changes to the team’s training camp roster:

Assigned to the Whale by the NY Rangers:

Defensemen (2): Tim Erixon, Blake Parlett

Forwards (5): Ryan Bourque, Carl Hagelin, John Mitchell, Kris Newbury, Dale Weise

Reassigned by the Whale to Greenville (ECHL):

Goaltenders (2): Jerry Kuhn, Jason Missiaen

Forwards (4):  Chris Chappell, Kale Kerbashian, Jeff Prough, Connor Shields

With those changes, the Whale now have 32 players in training camp:

Goal (2): Chad Johnson, Cameron Talbot

Defense (11):  Lee Baldwin, Collin Bowman, Tim Erixon, T.J. Fast, Sam Klassen, Tomas Kundratek, Jyri Niemi, Jared Nightingale, Blake Parlett, Wade Redden, Pavel Valentenko

Forwards (19):   Jonathan Audy-Marchessault, Ryan Bourque, Max Campbell, Brendan Connolly, Andre Deveaux, Tommy Grant, Carl Hagelin, Tayler Jordan, Chad Kolarik, Chris McKelvie, John Mitchell, Kris Newbury, Jordan Owens, Matt Rust, Scott Tanski, Kelsey Tessier, Andreas Thuresson, Dale Weise, Jason Wilson

The Whale wrap up their preseason action tomorrow, Sunday, October 2, against the Worcester Sharks at Champions Skating Center, which is located at 6 Progress Dr. in Cromwell, CT.  That game will face off at 2:00, and a $5 admission charge will benefit Junior Wolf Pack youth hockey.

The Whale’s regular-season home opener is coming up Saturday, October 15, a GEICO Connecticut Cup game vs. the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.  Tickets to that game, and 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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By Brian Ring

Hamden, CT, September 30, 2011 – The Connecticut Whale were defeated by the Worcester Sharks, 2-1, Friday night in AHL preseason action at the TD Bank Sports Center at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT.

Despite outshooting their opponent by a sizable margin for the majority of the game, the Whale could not convert many of their chances.

A two-goal flurry by the Sharks’ Ryan Del Monte and Nick Petrecki in the early stages of the second period sank the Whale, who fell to 1-2 in preseason contests this season. Jared Nightingale scored the only goal of the game for Connecticut.

“Early on, we had a good pace to our game, good tempo,” said Whale head coach Ken Gernander. “We got shots, not necessarily lots of chances but pressure, and (the Sharks) didn’t really generate a lot. But then they get two quick goals and it looks pretty good for them.”

The Whale and the Sharks played to a scoreless first period, despite Connecticut being afforded five power-plays by Worcester and outshooting their opponent, 7-1.

Worcester came out with more attack in the second, as they scored twice within a span of less than a minute to take a 2-0 lead. Del Monte was given credit for the Sharks’ first goal, which hit off a skate trickled past Whale goaltender Chad Johnson (15 saves) on Worcester’s first power-play of the night at 3:36.

“The one power-play goal was tough,” said Gernander. “It was a rebound that went off our defenseman’s skate, then we had a turnover in the middle of the ice for two quick goals.”

Just 28 seconds after Del Monte’s goal, Petrecki beat Johnson for the 2-0 lead with an unassisted score, as he picked up a Whale turnover.

“It is what it is, you capitalize on your chances. It’s a game of inches, or there’s momentum swings,” said Gernander, of the quick lapse.

The Whale finally broke through at 15:11 of the third period on a slap shot by defenseman Jared Nightingale, which went through a crowd in front of the net and eluded Worcester goaltender Tyson Sexsmith (21 saves).  A penalty taken immediately after the goal, however, seemed to dull Connecticut’s momentum and they could not come up with the equalizer.

The Whale will conclude their preseason slate with a game against the same Worcester Sharks, Sunday at Cromwell’s Champions Skating Center (2:00). Connecticut will begin the regular season on Saturday October 8, when they head to Glens Falls, NY to face the Adirondack Phantoms.

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Worcester Sharks 2 at Connecticut Whale 1
Friday, September 30, 2011 – TD Bank Sports Center

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

1st Period- No Scoring. Penalties-Livingston Wor (hooking), 1:08; DeAngelis Wor (hooking), 4:27; Levesque Wor (hooking), 6:38; Del Monte Wor (high-sticking), 8:13; Petrecki Wor (cross-checking), 10:34.

2nd Period-1, Worcester, Del Monte 1 (Zulyniak, Acolatse), 3:34 (PP). 2, Worcester, Petrecki 1   4:02. Penalties-Petrecki Wor (interference), 0:23; Tanski Ct (goaltender interference), 1:51; Thuresson Ct (interference), 9:04; Petrecki Wor (interference), 9:34; Gogol Wor (fighting), 12:20; Wilson Ct (fighting), 12:20; Petrecki Wor (fighting), 15:25; McKelvie Ct (fighting), 15:25; Perdicaro Wor (fighting), 18:39; Deveaux Ct (interference, fighting), 18:39.

3rd Period-3, Connecticut, Nightingale 1 (Thuresson, Audy-Marchessault), 15:11. Penalties-Grant Ct (hooking), 5:27; Prough Ct (high-sticking), 11:30; Deveaux Ct (checking to the head), 15:59.

Shots on Goal-Worcester 1-7-9-17. Connecticut 7-8-7-22.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 1 / 6; Connecticut 0 / 7.
Goalies-Worcester, Sexsmith 1-0-0 (22 shots-21 saves). Connecticut, Johnson 2-1-0 (17 shots-15 saves).
Referees-Tim Mayer (19).
Linesmen-Brent Colby (7), Derek Wahl (46).

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By Bruce Berlet

The Connecticut Whale is the focus of Whalers Sports and Entertainment’s business game, and the brainchild of former Hartford Whalers owner and managing general manager partner Howard Baldwin is making a major push to improve its position for its first full season and in the hockey world.

WSE has doubled its season ticket staff from three to six and added Dean Zappalorti and Jenna Miller-Wassell to oversee corporate sponsorships while working with former Whalers center Garry Swain.

And don’t be surprised if you hear Howard Baldwin, Jr., WSE’s president and chief operating officer, calling to ask for your support as WSE continues to try to increase interest in the local AHL team with an eye toward getting Hartford hockey back to the NHL.

“This is a huge year for us,” Baldwin, Jr. said as the WSE staff preps for the franchise’s 15^th season home opener at the XL Center on Oct. 15 against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. “There’s a big emphasis on this year, and we had a big summer to plan, so we’re excited about what’s happening.

“And if we’re ever going to get on another map, a map of the big picture here, we need to continue to sell some more tickets and get everybody behind us. The New York Rangers put on a great product here, and we are determined to keep getting more fans to the games.”

The Whale’s attendance did improve about 50 percent after WSE re-branded the team the Whale on Nov. 27. And a huge impression was made by an AHL-record crowd of 21,673 that saw the Whale host the Providence Bruins at Rentschler Field in East Hartford in the Harvest-Properties.com Whale Bowl on Feb. 19.

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The foundation of any team business is season tickets, and Baldwin said WSE has ramped up its already extensive efforts to make season ticket holders feel special.  That includes giving those who sit along the plexiglass a green-and-white Whale golf shirt. And before the Oct. 21 game against the Manchester Monarchs, there will be a season ticket holder forum in the XL Center directors’ suite. If there’s an overflow crowd, the event will be moved across the street to the Hilton Hotel.

“Our season ticket-holders are our biggest customers, and we never stop trying to make sure they know how much we value them,” Baldwin said.

Baldwin said 85 percent of last year’s season ticket holders have renewed, and he and WSE’s increased staff are constantly calling those who haven’t renewed, as well as prospective new season ticket holders.

“Myself and others call all the non-renewals, about 30-40 a week,” Baldwin said. “My dad has called a few, but he works on the corporate and I work on the individuals.  We want it to be a personal appeal, so that the people we are calling know how very important they are to us.”

Season ticket sales have reached about 900, which is about twice what the former Hartford Wolf Pack had when WSE assumed business control of the franchise last September. Baldwin hopes WSE can reach 1,000 season ticket holders before the Whale face the Sound Tigers in mid-October.

The Whale will have improved radio coverage on WCCC-FM, and there will be televised games for the first time since the 2006-07 season in a package to be announced soon.

The WSE personnel will be out in force to try to reach their ticket-sales goal at the “Whale Blue & Green Block Party” season Face-off event Saturday from 6-9 p.m. at Blue Back Square in West Hartford. It will resemble a pep rally, with introductions of the Whale players and coaching staff, who will be signing autographs.

“We’re pretty pumped up about that,” Baldwin said.  “It will be a great way to welcome the players and coaches back, and to get excited about the start of the season.”

The Face-off Fan Experience will feature live music by Hartford hockey legendary national anthem singer Tony Harrington & Touch, food specials available from local restaurants, Whale merchandise showcasing the latest apparel, an outdoor movie, “Pucky” joined by other mascot friends in the Autograph Zone, prizes and the introduction of the new CT Whale Slap Shot Cage sponsored by XFINITY, where fans can test their puck-shooting skills. Fans also can enter to win tickets to the home opener Oct. 15 against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers or a Connecticut Whale replica jersey.

Admission is free and the event will be in the area of Blue Back Square known as “The Square” on Isham Rd. next to Barnes & Noble.

Individual tickets are on sale at the Public Power ticket office at the XL Center. The Whale will play 90 percent of their 38 games at the XL Center on weekends and during vacation and holiday breaks. Tickets, starting at $14 for adults and $12 for youth, are available at the box office Monday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m. or online at www.ctwhale.com and through TicketMaster charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000. For information on season seats and mini-plans, call 860-728-3366 or visit www.ctwhale.com.

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