By Bruce Berlet

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. – The players’ mood was anticipatory and festive, the crowd that shattered the record for an American Hockey League game included some of the greats of hockey and the elements brought everyone back to their roots of skating on frozen ponds from Alaska to the Czech Republic.

But there also were two very important points at stake Saturday night for the Connecticut Whale and Providence Bruins, both fighting desperately to make the Eastern Conference playoffs and coming off stirring shootout victories Friday night, the Bruins’ win over the Portland Pirates ending a season-high, seven-game losing streak.

On a night of “Ice Dreams” on which winds gusted to 30 mph and dropped the wind chill below zero, the proceedings went the limit, with Maxime Sauve continuing to be a nemesis for the Whale as he scored the only shootout goal to give the Bruins a 5-4 victory before 21,673 at Rentschler Field.

About 28,500 tickets reportedly were sold, but many purchasers didn’t brave the frigid elements. Still, those who showed beat the previous record AHL crowd of 21,508 at the first outdoor game in which the host Syracuse Crunch beat the Binghamton Senators 2-1 at the New York State Fairgrounds a year ago to the day, Feb. 20, 2010.

“The weather is out of my control, but it was cold out there,” Whalers Sports and Entertainment chairman and CEO Howard Baldwin said. “But the fact this many people came out in these elements is amazing to me. Now we have to keep going. We’re in the hockey business 12 months a year, so we finish out the season, we get some crowds for the team and the playoffs and sell season tickets (for 2011-12).”

Bruins All-Star center Jamie Arniel’s second goal of the game with 6:08 left in regulation sent the game to overtime. The Whale had the only shot of the five-minute extra session before the Bruins won another skills competition.

Sauve then did in the Whale again, as he did with two goals in each of the Bruins’ two wins at the XL Center.

“It was just like indoor,” Sauve said of his shootout winner. “You have to play the same. Do the same thing you would do in an indoor rink. Control the puck.”

Whale goalie Dov Grumet-Morris stopped all four shootout attempts in a 2-1 victory over Adirondack on Friday night but gave Sauve credit for the winner.

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“He took a shot fake and with a quick move went to my glove side,” said Grumet-Morris, who had 28 saves in regulation and overtime. “I thought that was the side he was committing to, and he ended up pulling it quickly to the other side. It was a very good move, and he beat me wide. It was unfortunate. Trust me, I wish I could have had it, but I have to tip my cap to him. He made a very good move.”

Meanwhile, Michael Hutchinson denied Tim Kennedy, Dale Weise, Kris Newbury, Kelsey Tessier and Whale All-Star Jeremy Williams, enabling the Bruins (25-28-3-1) to win their second in a row after a seven-game losing streak. Arniel and Zach Hamill scored in the shootout in a 4-3 victory over Portland on Friday night.

“It definitely was different than normal circumstances with all the environmental factors,” said Grumet-Morris, who had 28 saves in regulation and overtime. “The puck was bouncing, so it was a little more like a ground ball situation. The lighting wasn’t too bad, but there weren’t too many high plays from like 100 feet.”

The Whale (27-22-2-6) might have won their fourth in a row since a 9-2 loss at Toronto on Feb. 9 except for a mistake-filled 10 minutes to start the second period that helped the Bruins rally from a 2-0 deficit.

“We had momentum after the first period,” Whale coach Ken Gernander said. “I thought it was one of our better periods. We made some mistakes and took some penalties in the second period and gave them a bit of life. Then you know it’s game on.

“Obviously two points are critical for us, given where we are in the standings and our playoff push, so it was a pretty important point to give up.”

The Whale remained three points ahead of Worcester, a 3-2 overtime loser to Springfield, for the Atlantic Division’s third and final guaranteed playoff spot. The Sharks have three games in hand on the Whale, while the Falcons are four points behind but have played the same number of games.

After the Whale misfired on two power plays, Kennedy gave them a 1-0 lead when he intercepted Matt Bartkowski’s clearing attempt and beat Hutchinson to the stick side at 11:13.

The Whale made it 2-0 with 21.3 seconds left in the period off a nifty three-way play as Tessier made a back pass to Devin DiDiomete, who put the puck through the slot to a wide-open Jyri Niemi, moved from defense to left wing for the second consecutive game.

But the Bruins scored three times in the opening 9:42 of the second period to take the lead.

Sauve scored his fifth goal in three road games against the Whale, getting inside defenseman Pavel Valentenko to deflect Arniel’s centering pass between Grumet-Morris’ legs at 1:21.

Jordan LaVallee-Smotherman then outmuscled Lee Baldwin for the puck, whirled in front and converted Hamill’s rebound at 6:42. The Bruins completed their hat trick as Jeremy Reich deflected in Sauve’s shot at 9:42.

The Whale got even at 12:15 as Williams’ shot deflected off Bruins defenseman Andrew Bodnarchuk for his 25^th goal and 44^th point, both team highs.

The Whale regained the lead as Ryan Garlock found defenseman Jared Nightingale 30 feet out in the slot with 6:44 left in the period.

Hutchinson stopped Dale Weise’s breakaway with 3:08 to go in the period, and it remained tied until Arniel’s second goal late in regulation.

“We have to find a way to kind of close them out,” said Newbury, who turned 29 on Saturday. “When you’re up two goals, you have to shut the door and kind of put them asleep and at the same time not let off the gas and just play our game. But we let them back in the game, and that was the turning point when we let them back in the game.”

Kennedy also bemoaned the second-period lull.

“We would have liked to win the game, but it was a good experience,” said Kennedy, who a goal and an assist on Williams’ goal. “I wasn’t quite sure how it was going to go with the wind, but it really wasn’t a factor. Each team got kind of a fluky goal, and the shootout is kind of a crapshoot. Sometimes you win like (Friday) night, sometimes you lose.

“It’s just tough when you think you should have got the two points because the goal they scored in the third was kind of fluky through bodies, but that’s how it goes sometimes. We had some mistakes in the second period not taking care of the puck and they found a way to get it in the back of our net. Then we had a breakdown here or there, and there’s your little stretch of time that really kill us.”

Despite losing the shootout, Grumet-Morris applauded those who put together the historic night.

“It was definitely a carnival atmosphere,” he said. “It looked like it took a lot of people a lot of work, and even today people working all day and through the night tonight they’re going to be working. We don’t, as players, get to see a lot of that, so we’re definitely appreciative of everything that everyone put into it, from our ownership group all the way down to the guys who are cleaning the stuff in the stands and try to make sure it’s warm in our locker room.

“And our trainers have slept about two hours in the last 48, so there are a lot of people who work behind the scenes and we do appreciate it.”

KUNDRATEK OUT AGAIN

Whale rookie defenseman Tomas Kundratek missed his second game with the flu.

Other Whale scratches were goalie Cam Talbot (high ankle sprain), center Todd White (concussion) and wings Chad Kolarik (hamstring) and Chris McKelvie (foot surgery). The Bruins scratched right wing Brian McGrattan and defenseman Sean Zimmerman. … All 30 AHL teams played Saturday night, and it was only the third time that occurred in the first season that each team was affiliated with a NHL team.

WHALE CONTINUES TO BE ROAD WARRIORS NEXT WEEK

The Whale is back on the road at Portland on Monday at 1 p.m. and then will play their first two games in Charlotte, N.C., against the Checkers, their former ECHL affiliate, on Thursday and Saturday. They finally return to the XL Center on March 2 to face the Springfield Falcons. Their ensuing home game is March 11 against the defending Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears, ending a brutal stretch of 10 road games in 12.

The Pirates (33-16-4-2) had won four in a row and 15 of 19 before a 4-3 shootout loss to the Bruins on Friday night and a 5-4 loss to Manchester on Saturday night that dropped them three points behind the division-leading Monarchs. The four straight wins included a 3-2 victory over the Whale at the XL Center on Feb. 6 that tied the season series at 3 in the teams’ fifth one-goal game. The Pirates are led by 2010 All-Star right wing Mark Mancari, who leads the AHL in goals (31) and is third in points (59). He’s followed by defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani (9, 29), left wing Derek Whitmore (20, 13), 2011 All-Star center Luke Adam (15, 18) and left wing Colin Stuart (10, 22). David Leggio (15-4-0, 2.49, .919) has been tough on the Whale, including his first of two shutouts, 3-0 in Portland on Jan. 14. Jhonas Enroth is 18-14-2, 2.83, .910, no shutouts.

The Checkers (30-20-2-4), the new AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes, have lost two in a row after a five-game points streak (4-0-1-0). Their leading scorer, All-Star right wing Jerome Samson (26, 28), is on recall to the Hurricanes. The top remaining scorers are left wings Jacob Micflikier (22, 23), Chris Terry (20, 22) and Oskar Osala (13, 28) and center Zach Boychuk (15, 25). The Checkers have gone all season with only two goalies, rookie Mike Murphy (15-9-2, 2.95, .907, no shutouts) and Justin Pogge (15-13-2, 3.13, .906, no shutouts).

GORDIE HOWE’S NUMBER TO BE RE-RETIRED

Hall of Famer Gordie “Mr. Hockey” Howe will have his No. 9 re-retired and retired March 26 before the Whale hosts the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at the XL Center.

Howe is one of six players with his number in the XL Center rafters, the others being 2 (Rick Ley), 5 (Ulf Samuelsson), 10 (Ron Francis), 11 (Kevin Dineen) and 19 (John McKenzie). Connecticut Whale coach Ken Gernander’s No. 12 is the only number to be retired in the 14-year history of the AHL team.

“I think we’ll have a big crowd,” Whalers Sports and Entertainment president and COO Howard Baldwin Jr. said. “I love Ronnie Francis (the Whalers’ only Hall of Famer), but Gordie is the one who put the team on the map. He needs to have the respect of the people coming out to see him, and it’ll be a great opportunity for it.”

Howe and his sons, Mark and Marty, played together for the first time with the Houston Aeros in 1973 before they came to Hartford and signed with the World Hockey Association’s New England Whalers in 1977. Howe ended his legendary 32-year career in the Hartford Whalers’ first NHL season (1979-80), when he had 15 goals and 26 assists in 80 games and was named a NHL All-Star for the 23^rd time while helping the Whalers make the playoffs at 52 years old.

HELMER JOINS 1,000 CLUB

Oklahoma City Barons defenseman Bryan Helmer became the seventh player in the AHL’s 75-year history to skate in his 1,000^th regular-season game Friday in a 3-1 victory over the Abbotsford Heat. Former Wolf Pack wing Alexandre Giroux scored the winner with 1:06 left off an assist from fellow All-Star Colin McDonald, son of former Whalers defenseman Gerry McDonald.

Others to reach that milestone include Willie Marshall (1,205 career games), Fred Glover (1,201), Harry Pidhirny (1,071), Mike Nykoluk (1,069), Jody Gage (1,038) and Bruins coach Rob Murray (1,018). Marshall, Glover, Pidhirny, Nykoluk and Gage are members of the AHL Hall of Fame.

A 38-year-old native of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, Helmer was undrafted after playing Junior A hockey and made his professional debut with the AHL’s Albany River Rats on Oct. 8, 1993. He played five seasons with the River Rats and then moved on to the Worcester IceCats (1998-2000), Manitoba Moose (2001-03), Springfield Falcons (2003-04), Grand Rapids Griffins (2004-06), San Antonio Rampage (2006-08) and Hershey Bears (2008-10), where he captained the team to back-to-back Calder Cup titles. He signed with Oklahoma City on Jan. 7.

Helmer is the AHL’s all-time leader among defensemen in games played, assists (402) and points (526), and he has played more Calder Cup Playoff games (138) than any player in AHL history. He was a First Team AHL All-Star in 1997-98 and a Second Team AHL All-Star in 2005-06. Helmer also has played in 146 NHL games with Phoenix, St. Louis, Vancouver and Washington.

BRUINS 5, WHALE 4 (SO)

Providence     0 3 1 0 – 5
Connecticut    2 2 0 0 – 4

First period: 1, Connecticut, Kennedy 12   11:13. 2, Connecticut, Niemi 2 (DiDiomete, Tessier), 19:38. Penalties-Roussel Pro (roughing), 5:16; DiDiomete Ct (roughing), 5:16; Alexandrov Pro (hooking), 6:21; Whitfield Pro (delay of game), 8:10; Reich Pro (roughing), 8:49; Newbury Ct (roughing), 8:49.

Second period: 3, Providence, Sauve 14 (Arniel, Ling), 1:21. 4, Providence, LaVallee-Smotherman 7 (Hamill, Roussel), 6:25. 5, Providence, Reich 12 (Arniel, Hamill), 9:42 (PP). 6, Connecticut, Williams 25 (Redden, Kennedy), 12:15 (PP). 7, Connecticut, Nightingale 2 (Garlock, Grachev), 13:14. Penalties-McIver Pro (fighting), 7:14; Grachev Ct (hooking), 7:14; Nightingale Ct (fighting), 7:14; Valentenko Ct (hooking), 9:06; Alexandrov Pro (high-sticking), 11:37.

Third period: 8, Providence, Arniel 16   13:52. Penalties-No Penalties

Overtime:  No scoring. Penalties-Valabik Pro (roughing), 1:52; Dupont Ct (slashing), 1:52; Penner Pro (holding), 3:50.

Shootout: Providence 1 (Hamill NG, Arniel NG, Whitfield NG, Sauve G), Connecticut 0 (Kennedy NG, Weise NG, Newbury NG, Tessier NG, Williams NG).

Shots on goal-Providence 8-14-10-0-1-33. Connecticut 13-12-6-1-0-32.
Power Play Opportunities-Providence 1 / 2; Connecticut 1 / 4.
Goalies-Providence, Hutchinson 9-7-0 (32 shots-28 saves). Connecticut, Grumet-Morris 4-2-1 (32 shots-28 saves).
A-21,673
Referees-Ghislain Hebert (49).
Linesmen-David Spannaus (8), Luke Galvin (2).

By Bruce Berlet

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. – Hall of Famer Brian Leetch had just one regret.

“It went too fast,” the Cheshire native said.

Just one regret, too, for Enfield native Craig Janney, playing with Leetch for only the second time since the 1988 Winter Olympics.

“I had Brian for the winner at the end, and I screwed up,” Janney said with a smile. “I had him creeping in (off the point). It would have been a good Connecticut moment if I could have hit him with pass, but I’m a little rusty. I hit the side of the net with the darn thing.”

Instead, the fun-filled, 50-minute exhibition appropriately ended in a 4-4 tie between the Leetch/Janney Boston Bruins legends and Hartford Whalers legends in the opener of the Whale Bowl, the featured attraction of the historic “Harvest-Properties.com Whalers Hockey Fest 2011” at Rentstchler Field on Saturday.

Yvon Corriveau and Pat Verbeek gave the Whalers a 2-0 lead before Janney got the Bruins on the board. Ray Neufeld restored the Whalers’ two-goal lead, but Kenny Linseman scored twice and actor Cameron Bancroft gave the Bruins a 4-3 lead before Corriveau scored his second goal with 3:30 left. Corriveau could have won it on a penalty shot with 1:56 to go, but Cleon Daskalatis made a sprawling save to preserve the desired result.

For this was a day of stories and memories, mic’d-up referee Paul Stewart offering running commentary while telling jokes, talking to the players and “fighting” with the comical Hanson Brothers trio of “Slap Shot” fame who played in the second half.

Leetch and Hanson Brothers were the last players to exit the ice before the Connecticut Whale and Providence Bruins played the second outdoor game in the AHL’s 75-year history.

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Did Leetch want to soak up as much of a rare charity appearance as he could?

“No, I was taking pictures with a lot of the people who were working out there and signing some autographs,” Leetch said.

Not surprising for arguably the best American hockey player in history. He was a main attraction, received a standing ovation when introduced before starting on defense alongside fellow Hall of Famer Brad Park.

“I feel a connection to Connecticut and so many experiences, so it was nice to get such a reception,” Leetch said. “When you go from six to 16 (in hockey), there are a lot of changes. Each year seems like an eternal at that time, so I always feel Connecticut is where I grew up.

“It was so much fun, and I kept looking up and saying, ‘I can’t believe that’s all the time that’s left.’ It was great coming to Connecticut at an outdoor rink with guys you looked up to and played with and against as you were growing up.”

What about that final score?

“I didn’t know how it was going to work, but I know all the Bruins wanted to win because they were yelling at the end,” Leetch said with a laugh. “And the Hartford guys were at home, so you know they wanted to win, so it was good at Cleon made that save at the end.”

Leetch said it was only his fourth skating appearance in 14 months. He played in the NHL Winter Classic Legends Game at Fenway Park in Boston at the start of 2010, played with Janney in the Boston College alumni game a month ago and participated in Wayne Gretzky’s Fantasy Camp in Las Vegas last week.

“Other than that, I haven’t done anything other than skate with my friends here and there,” Leetch said. “This is a rare occasion, but as soon as you get asked to one of these outdoor things, you say yes.”

Leetch had played in a few charity events with celebrities but never outdoors, so he said he had a little trouble holding onto his light stick in winds gusting to 30 mph. But all was forgotten when the Hanson Brothers showed up in the locker room at intermission.

“When they were sitting there in their gear, everyone had big grins on their faces,” Leetch said with a wide grin. “It was awesome.”

Leetch said it took a while to figure out which number he and Park would wear. Park had No. 2 with the New York Rangers before being traded to the Bruins, where he took No. 22. When Leetch joined the Rangers after being the ninth overall pick in the 1986 NHL draft, he wore No. 2 and then went to No. 22 when dealt to the Bruins.

“Park has been good to me for a lot of years,” Park said, “but he was saying, ‘You’re taking my numbers wherever you go.’ When (Bruins captain) Rick Middleton called and asked what number I wanted, I said, ‘What’s Brad doesn’t want is the one I’m going to take.’ He told Brad, and he said, ‘No, he’s wearing the same number as I am.’ So I thought that was pretty cool. He’s been a very nice guy to me since I just started in the league.”

The 42-year-old Leetch, who retired in 1986 after his one season with the Bruins, said thoughts of a comeback, especially to run the Rangers’ suspect power play, usually vanish quickly.

“I always say I’ve been out just long enough to actually think I can come back and play,” Leetch said with a smile. “You forget how hard it is and how good everybody is. If I could still do, I’d be out there.”

Leetch, who had 247 goals and 781 assists in 1,205 NHL games, grew up playing outdoors a quarter-mile from his home in Cheshire. He now coaches 10-year-old son Jack’s squirts hockey team and does some TV work with NESN and MSG but didn’t know if he would coach adults.

“I don’t know what’s in the future, but I certainly like being involved a little bit in TV,” Leetch said. “I’d like to stay involved, but I also enjoy being home with my kids. Coaching is more time than playing. You have to be there before the players and after the players and still doing all the same traveling, so you have to be ready for it if you’re going to do it.”

After a reception Saturday night, Leetch is scheduled to fly to Deerfield Beach, Fla., on Sunday night to rejoin his wife and children, who are on vacation from school in Boston this week.

Meanwhile, Janney will be returning to Phoenix, Ariz., where he has lived since he retired in 1999.

But Janney had more memories than any of the 44 players, having his No. 15 unexpectedly retired before he dropped the ceremonial first puck before his alma mater, Enfield High School, played Northwest Catholic-West Hartford on Friday in the opener of a doubleheader.

“It was really neat and a total surprise,” Janney said. “I had no clue it was going to happen, but it was a really nice gesture. And someone said my number hadn’t been worn since I left school.”

Janney played three years at Enfield High before attending Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Mass. He then played two years at Boston College before joining the United States national team program and competing on the 1988 U.S. Olympic team that finished seventh in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Janney was the Boston Bruins’ first-round pick (13th overall) in 1986 after being passed over by his favorite team, the Whalers, who chose Boston University wing Scott Young with the 11th pick. Two selections earlier, the Rangers had selected Leetch.

“I wanted to be a Whaler bad, but it worked out for everyone,” said Janney, who played in the 1991 Canada Cup for Team USA with Leetch and lost in the finals to unbeaten Team Canada, led by Wayne Gretzky. “Brian went on to a tremendous career in New York, Scottie Young had an unbelievable career, and I had a lot of fun in Boston, so it worked out well.”

Janney had 188 goals and 563 assists in 760 NHL games with the Bruins, St. Louis Blues, San Jose Sharks, Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders before ending a 12-year pro career in 1999 because blood clots had formed throughout his body. The Enfield Raiders could have used some of Janney’s patented passes Friday as they lost 2-0 despite a 24-11 shot advantage. Sophomore Jeff Greenwood, a first-year high school player, scored both goals, and brother Matt Greenwood made 24 saves for the Indians (8-7-2).

Janney scored Saturday but was happier about being around his former teammates.

“As cliché as it may be, what you miss about the game is the camaraderie in the locker room and nights like (Friday) night going to the banquet,” Janney said. “Those are the things you miss, and you love when you get back together like this.”

Janney, who skated for only the third time in two years, joked Leetch “had one up on all of us after a training camp for a week,” alluding to him participating in Gretzky’s Fantasy Camp.

The final score?

“Alumni games are always good when they end in a tie,” Janney said with a smile. “Everyone goes home happy and less sore.”

Janney and Leetch both lauded the efforts of former Whalers owner Howard Baldwin, chairman and CEO of Whalers Sports and Entertainment, for his efforts to get the NHL back in Hartford.

“I think it’s great what the Baldwins did allowing youth hockey, high school teams and college teams to play in this,” said Janney, who has been a NESN commentator on Hockey East games since 2008. “It just made it a true jamboree of hockey, and I think it can only be a real positive, positive thing, especially hopefully for the grassroots of hockey. I know it has been a little struggle lately, especially youth hockey-wise. Maybe this will give it a shot in the arm and get it going again.”

Leetch commended Baldwin for “doing a heck of a job.”

“He has made it clear that he’s going to do all he can to show that Connecticut is a hockey market,” Leetch said, “and if the NHL comes, it comes. But he’s just going to pump the interest of hockey. It’s awesome.”

ARMY BEATS AIC AGAIN

In the preliminary game, Mark Dube, Danny Colvin and Bryant Skarda scored in a 3:17 span of the second period as Army broke a scoreless tie and beat American International College 4-1 in an Atlantic Hockey Association game.

Dube scored off Mike Hull’s rebound on a power play at 10:33, and the Black Knights (10-18-4, 8-12-4 AHA) rode the 31-save performance of Jay Clark to their second win in less than 24 hours over the Yellow Jackets (7-20-1, 7-17-1). Army beat AIC 6-4 Friday night.

Colvin scored the winner unassisted at 13:07, then Skarda capped Army’s outburst off a pass from Mike Hull 43 seconds later. Skarda scored his second goal 51 seconds into the third period. Richard Leitner spoiled Clark’s shutout bid when he converted a goal-mouth pass from Nick Grasso with 9:31 left.

Ryan Kerpan had 29 saves for AIC.

Earlier, Farmington High School defeated the Newington/Berlin co-op team, 2-1. The day started with the Avon Youth Team beating the Springfield Pics, 6-5.

Gov. Daniel P. Malloy signed a proclamation proclaiming Feb. 11-20 as Whalers Hockey Week in the State of Connecticut.

YALE’S HUGHES FINALIST FOR NATIONAL HUMANITARIAN AWARD

Aleca Hughes, a junior forward on the Yale women’s ice hockey team whose efforts to help save lives have been inspired by teammate Mandi Schwartz’s battle with cancer, has been named a finalist for the 2011 BNY Mellon Wealth Management Hockey Humanitarian Award. The 16th winner will be introduced in a ceremony on April 8 as part of the NCAA Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minn.

Hughes is the fifth Yale women’s hockey player to be named a finalist for the award, which recognizes male or female players at the Division I or Division III levels who give back to their communities in the true humanitarian spirit. She is one of eight finalists who were selected from 25 nominees nationwide.

Schwartz’s ongoing battle with cancer has inspired many people, especially those in the hockey community, but Hughes has gone far above and beyond the call of duty. Her efforts to raise awareness of the need for bone marrow and cord blood donors, along with raising funds for Schwartz and her family, have been instrumental in Mandi’s battle and will help save the lives of countless patients with life-threatening illnesses. And Hughes has done it all while excelling in many other areas. A part of Yale’s top scoring line, Hughes has been among the Bulldogs’ leading scorers each season. She also excels in the class room, posting a 3.50 cumulative GPA, and will earn her third ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team selection this season.

Schwartz has been battling cancer for more than two years, having been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in December 2008. Chemotherapy initially got her into remission in the spring of 2009, and she was able to return to Yale in January 2010. But when she relapsed that spring, it became clear that she would need a stem cell transplant – essentially, a new immune system – to survive. Schwartz, like 70 percent of patients seeking donors, was unable to find a genetic match for her transplant among family members. So she had to turn to the public registries, and for several months it appeared she did not have an appropriate genetic match. It is estimated there are 16,000 patients diagnosed with leukemia each year who cannot find matching donors.

Hughes has started several community service initiatives. She and her teammates have already been a part of organizing two record-setting bone marrow donor drives at Yale that added more than 1,600 potential donors to the National Marrow Donor Program’s “Be The Match” registry. So far, at least four genetic matches for patients in need of life-saving transplants have been identified through those drives. The drives take place annually, and the 2011 drive is April 21.

Once it became clear last summer that Schwartz was in urgent need of a stem-cell transplant, Hughes became part of a worldwide effort to raise awareness of the need for bone marrow donors and umbilical cord blood donors. Schwartz’s story was featured on ESPN, ABC News and CBS News, among others. Hughes distributed literature to OB-GYNs at various places she visited throughout the summer, educating expectant parents about the need for umbilical cord blood donors. She also contacted media outlets to get stories printed that raised awareness of the need. She then took her involvement one step further by working with the Dana Farber Cancer Institute to start a bone marrow donor testing drive and a fundraiser for Schwartz based around the Chowder Cup hockey tournament in Massachusetts.

Once school was back in session in the fall, Hughes followed up her work from the summer by organizing the women’s hockey team’s “White Out for Mandi” fundraiser in November that attracted a record crowd of more than 1,000 people to Ingalls Rink for Yale’s game against RPI. Hughes got special T-shirts designed, printed and sold for the event; promoted the event through the media, including NHL.com; and organized a silent auction that included items from teams (New York Rangers, Boston Red Sox) and players (Bobby Orr, Mark Recchi, Patrick Kane). The two fundraisers that Hughes organized have raised more than $22,000 for Mandi and her family.

Those events are only part of what makes Hughes a finalist for the award. She also helps coach a Yale Youth Hockey team and participates in numerous other community service initiatives. She and her teammates recently “adopted” a nine-year old girl, Giana, who is recovering from surgery for a brain tumor. Hughes regularly takes time to visit Giana, who recently returned to school as a fourth grader. Giana is the first adoptee in the recently created program known as “Bulldog Buddies” that pairs Yale athletic teams with young brain tumor patients.

Yale’s previous Hockey Humanitarian Award finalists are Julianna Schantz-Dun (Class of 2000), Deanna McDevitt (2003), Kristin Savard (winner in 2007) and Crysti Howser (2009). No other school has had more finalists. Hughes has been involved in many team-organized events such as Youth Days, Skate with the Players and ECAC Hockey’s 2008-09 “Pink at the Rink” fundraiser for cancer research. She is her team’s representative for Yale Athletics’ Thomas W. Ford ’42 Community Outreach Program, coordinating events such as a holiday gift-giving initiative for underprivileged families in the New Haven area. She is also a member of Athletes in Action, a group of Christian student-athletes that meets weekly and performs various community service initiatives.

Recognizing her leadership potential, Hughes also had taken part in Yale Athletics’ Kiputh Leadership Academy, which develops Yale student-athletes to be world-class leaders in athletics, academics and life. As part of their participation, student-athletes work closely with peer groups to learn, develop and practice skills associated with successful leadership qualities.

On the ice, Hughes has been among Yale’s top four in goals, assists and points in each of her first three seasons, and she has 26 goals and 19 assists in her career. She has not missed a game, and last year she earned Yale’s Bulldog Award for team spirit. Hughes also has been a part of the USA Hockey program, attending the Open Olympic Tryouts in the summer of 2009.

Hughes is a graduate of Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, where she was team captain and All-New England. She also played for the Connecticut Stars, earning one silver medal and two bronze at nationals, and comes from a family of hockey players. Her father, George, played for Harvard and is seventh on the Crimson’s career scoring list. Her uncle, Jack, played for Harvard and the NHL’s Colorado Rockies. Her mother, Allison, played for Boston University. Her older brother, George, plays at St. Lawrence, and her younger brother, Gunnar, has committed to play at St. Lawrence.

An American studies major, Hughes hopes to go to law school after graduation.

Here’s hoping Aleca gets to go and has a Hockey Humanitarian Award with her.

Photo credit: Tia Ann Chapman – Hartford Courant

Glens Falls, NY, February 18, 2011 – After trailing for much of the game, the Connecticut Whale tied the score late in the third period, and then pulled out a 2-1 shootout win over the Adirondack Phantoms Friday night at the Glens Falls Civic Center.

The game was the Whale’s last tuneup before Saturday night’s historic Harvest-Properties.com Whale Bowl outdoor game at Rentschler Field against the Providence Bruins.

The only goal for much of the game was a second-period tally by Adirondack’s Mike Testwuide, but Kris Newbury scored with only 2:49 remaining in the third period to tie it at one.  Dov Grumet-Morris then stopped all four Adirondack shooters in the shootout, and Newbury and Tim Kennedy bested Phantom goaltender Johan Backlund to secure the win.

The victory was the Whale’s third straight and fifth in their last seven games, and fifth in their last six road games.  With a record of 27-22-2-5 for 61 points, the Whale, who are in third place in the AHL’s Atlantic Division, moved three points ahead of fourth-place Worcester, which lost 5-4 in Albany.

The Whale and Phantoms battled through a scoreless first period, despite a total of five power plays being awarded by referee Mark Lemelin.  The Whale, which had three man-advantages in the period, managed only six shots, while Adirondack had nine.

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The Whale was outshot 10-5 in the second period, and gave up a goal at 6:43, when they allowed multiple good chances in quick fashion around Grumet-Morris’ crease.  A rebound came to Ben Holmstrom in the slot and Grumet-Morris made a sharp save on Holmstrom’s point-blank try, but Testwuide was able to pick up the rebound at the left side of the crease.  Testwuide just managed to jam the puck between Grumet-Morris and the post, for Testwuide’s seventh goal of the season.

Backlund (22 saves) appeared headed for a shutout, before Newbury buried a rebound of a Stu Bickel shot at 17:11 of the third.  Dupont got the puck out of the corner to Bickel at the top of the circles, and Bickel’s shot went wide.  The rebound came off the boards to Newbury at the left side of the slot, though, and Newbury was able to put it into the net before Backlund could recover.

The Whale had a golden opportunity to win it late in regulation, when Lemelin awarded them a five-on-three power play for 55 seconds, but they could not convert.  The power play carried over into overtime, and after the Phantoms killed the penalty Dale Weise was hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct minor, but the Phantoms could not take advantage either.

The shootout victory was only the Whale’s third in eight trips to the post-overtime penalty-shot contest, and it was Grumet-Morris’ first trip to the shootout in a Whale uniform.  In addition to going four-for-four in the shootout, Grumet-Morris (4-2-0) stopped 28 out of 29 shots in regulation and overtime, for his fourth win in his last five appearances.

Saturday night’s Harvest-Properties.com AHL outdoor game between the Whale and Providence faces off at 7:00 PM at Rentschler Field.  The AHL contest will be preceded at 4:00 by a Whalers legends vs. Boston Bruins legends game.

Connecticut Whale 2 (SO) at Adirondack Phantoms 1
Friday, February 18, 2011 – Glens Falls Civic Center

Connecticut 0 0 1 0 – 2
Adirondack 0 1 0 0 – 1

1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Gustafsson Adk (delay of game), 0:35; Garlock Ct (slashing), 7:42; Rinaldo Adk (interference), 10:57; DiDiomete Ct (fighting), 13:04; Rinaldo Adk (fighting), 13:04; Soryal Ct (tripping), 15:59; Bordson Adk (hooking), 17:59; Niemi Ct (roughing), 20:00; Holmstrom Adk (roughing), 20:00.

2nd Period-1, Adirondack, Testwuide 7 (Holmstrom, Ryan), 6:43. Penalties-Rinaldo Adk (high-sticking), 8:14; Tessier Ct (hooking), 14:46.

3rd Period-2, Connecticut, Newbury 9 (Bickel), 17:11. Penalties-Niemi Ct (tripping), 2:59; Grachev Ct (delay of game), 6:16; Newbury Ct (fighting), 17:11; Rinaldo Adk (fighting), 17:11; Walker Adk (roughing), 18:07; Kalinski Adk (tripping), 19:11.

OT Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Weise Ct (unsportsmanlike conduct), 1:50.

Shootout – Connecticut 2 (Kennedy G, Williams NG, Newbury G), Adirondack 0 (Ryan NG, Hamel NG, Moore NG, Pither NG).
Shots on Goal-Connecticut 6-5-11-1-1-24. Adirondack 9-10-9-1-0-29.
Power Play Opportunities-Connecticut 0 / 6; Adirondack 0 / 6.
Goalies-Connecticut, Grumet-Morris 4-2-0 (29 shots-28 saves). Adirondack, Backlund 7-13-3 (23 shots-22 saves).
A-3,012
Referees-Mark Lemelin (84).
Linesmen-Robert St. Lawrence (10), Steeve Lemay (64).