By Bruce Berlet

The countdown has reached zero.

The Harvest-Properties.com Whale Bowl arrives Saturday, and the Connecticut Whale and Providence Bruins are more than a little enthused about participating in the second AHL outdoor game before what will be a record AHL crowd at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.

“Excitement is probably the best way to describe our mindset,” said Whale left wing Brodie Dupont, who grew up playing outdoors in the town of St. Lazare, Manitoba, population 265, where his father is mayor. “Guys are excited about something different, and a lot of them haven’t played outdoors for a while. Going there for practice (on Tuesday morning) was kind of cool, and I didn’t think the wind made that big of a difference, though you could feel it out there.

“But the guys have talked about the game for a while. It’s not often you get to do something on a stage like this. We’ve all played outdoors, but not on this kind of a stage. The boys obviously watch all the outdoor games, whether it’s the NHL Classics or college, because it’s usually a pretty big event. Playing before so many people is probably going to be a record for everyone, and looking at the weather forecast, it’s going to be nice, so the crowd is going to have fun.

“It’s all part of the atmosphere. I think people coming to watch will be there more for the atmosphere than to watch a good, high-quality hockey game. The fans will be excited, so I’m sure both teams will be able to build off of it. It’s going to be cool for both teams.”

Cool, indeed, though not as cool as much of this often gruesome winter during which there was record snowfall in January. Three weeks ago, it would have been hard to fathom that there would be a concern about rain and the weather being too warm, but with temperatures forecast for the mid-30s to 40 Saturday, it should be a grand day to play six – games, that is – starting at 7:30 a.m. with the Avon Youth Peewees against the Springfield Pics 99 EHF.

Farmington High faces the Newington/Berlin co-op team at 10 a.m., and then Army plays American International College at 1 p.m. Those games precede the Harvest-Properties.com Whale Bowl – a group of celebrities mixing in with Hartford Whalers and Boston Bruins legends teams at 4 p.m., followed by the Whale and P-Bruins at 7 p.m. A cthockeyleague.com game scheduled to start at 10:15 p.m. caps the day’s activities. With 28,500 tickets having been sold by early Friday afternoon, the crowd will shatter the AHL record of 21,508 that watched the host Syracuse Crunch beat the Binghamton Senators 2-1 at the New York State Fairgrounds on Feb. 20, 2010.

The practice Tuesday really got a buzz running through the Whale players and staff.

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“Since we skated the other day, talk about the game picked up a little more,” Whale right wing Dale Weise said. “We kind of got a feel for what it was like and the lay of the land, so it’s pretty exciting. Everyone knows it’s going to be the biggest crowd any of us has ever played in front of.

“We (had) a game Friday night (in Glens Falls, N.Y.), but we’re not afraid to say we’re pumped up (for Saturday). Nobody here has played outdoors in years and definitely not at the pro level.”

The Whale prepped for the game against the resurgent Adirondack Phantoms, then bused home and waited to be one of the featured attractions in the historic 12-day Harvest-Properties.com Whalers Hockey Fest 2011. The largest event in Connecticut hockey history was the brainchild of Whalers Sports and Entertainment chairman and CEO Howard Baldwin, who has begun to revive hockey interest in the area with the long-range goal of bringing the NHL back to Hartford.

Baldwin’s wishes got a shot in the arm in August, when WSE hosted the Whalers Reunion and Fan Fest that included a golf tournament, a dinner to benefit the Arthritis Foundation and a Fan Fest at Rentschler Field. Baldwin hoped 1,500 to 2,000 would show for the Fan Fest, but the number was about 5,000, many of whom waited as long as three hours to get autographs from 22 former Whalers.

Since the Hartford Wolf Pack was renamed and rebranded as the Connecticut Whale on Nov. 27, attendance at the XL Center has nearly doubled, and Baldwin hopes the Hockey Fest continues to build interest and enthusiasm.

Whale coach Ken Gernander said he noticed an increased vigor in everyone after the practice at Rentschler.

“I think the guys enjoyed it and worked hard,” he said. “We had a good practice; nothing by any means that was a ‘muffin’ or ‘friends and giggles.’ It was a good day, but I think the guys enjoyed being outside and a change of scenery, and I’m sure they’re looking forward to the game.”

The P-Bruins had scheduled a practice at Rentschler Field on Monday night, but coach Rob Murray canceled it because the team played three games in three days last weekend and then had to travel to Portland on Tuesday, when they lost their seventh consecutive game 7-0, their largest margin of defeat this season. Instead of The Rent, they practiced on the Bank of America outdoor skating rink in downtown Providence, a few strides from the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.

“This is going to be cool, it’s going to be fun, there’s supposed to be a big crowd,” Bruins right wing Kirk MacDonald told the Attleboro (Mass.) Sun Chronicle. “Growing up in Victoria (British Columbia), we didn’t have any outdoor rinks. This is going to be a lot different than from a normal game. To get to experience something that not too many other people get a chance to do is going to be cool. Of course, it’ll be more fun if we win.”

The Whale is 4-2-0-0 against the Bruins (23-28-3-1), who hosted Portland on Friday night. They were outscored 34-10 in the seven consecutive losses but should be helped by the return of forwards Zach Hamill and Jordan Caron from the parent Boston Bruins. But center Joe Colborne, the Bruins’ first-round pick in 2008 and the P-Bruins’ third-leading scorer (12 goals, 14 assists), was part of a trade Friday in which the parent club acquired defenseman Tomas Kaberle from the Toronto Maple Leafs. The P-Bruins’ leading scorers are All-Star center Jamie Arniel (15, 17), Hamill (3, 25), MacDonald (11, 15) and center Maxime Sauve (13, 6), who had two goals in each of the Bruins’ two wins over the Whale. Rugged left wing Lane MacDermid, son of former Whalers right wing Paul MacDermid, has four goals, seven assists and 117 penalty minutes. Michael Hutchinson (7-7-0, 3.11, .898, no shutouts) rejoined the Bruins on Thursday, switching places with fellow rookie Matt Dalton (7-9-0, 3.20, .894, two shutouts), who was returned to Reading of the ECHL after allowing seven goals Tuesday. Hutchinson was the P-Bruins’ Player of the Month in November thanks largely to a seven-game unbeaten streak from Oct. 31 to Nov. 24 before losing five of six starts and being sent to Reading. He was 9-5-3 with a 2.85 GAA and .917 save percentage with his first pro shutout with Reading. Hutchinson and Dalton originally swapped places on Dec. 29. Veteran Nolan Schaefer is 9-15-1, 3.14, .897, no shutouts.

Goalie Cam Talbot (high ankle sprain), center Todd White (concussion), wings Chad Kolarik (hamstring) and Chris McKelvie (foot surgery) and defenseman Tomas Kundratek (flu) missed the Phantoms game, but Kundratek could return against the Bruins. Center Kris Newbury, the Whalers’ second-leading scorer (8, 33) to All-Star right wing Jeremy Williams (24, 19), was called up by the Rangers on Wednesday as a possible replacement for Wojtek Wolski (rib cage) but was a healthy scratch for a 4-3 shootout victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night. Newbury rejoined the Whale on Friday.

Despite the AHL attendance record assured of being broken, officials of Whalers Sports and Entertainment, which runs the Whale’s business operations and is handling the event, hopes to sell out the 38,000 seats to keep intact all the outdoor NHL and college games having sellouts. The only day that tickets are not general admission is Saturday.

There were two high school games Friday night, and Enfield native Craig Janney, who is playing for the Boston Bruins legends, dropped the ceremonial first puck before the game between Enfield High, his alma mater, and Northwest Catholic-West Hartford. A reception for the legends and celebrities in the Whale Bowl opener was held at The Rent as the Enfield-Northwest Catholic game wound down and the Wethersfield High-East Catholic-Manchester game was played.

Tickets ($20 to $85) for Saturday can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com, online and printed immediately at Ticketmaster.com, or by calling the Whale at 860-728-3366.

Hall of Fame defensemen Brian Leetch, a Cheshire native, and Brad Park headline the Bruins legends team. Other commitments are Janney, former captain Rick Middleton, Reggie Lemelin, Don Marcotte, Rick Smith, Bob Sweeney, Lyndon Byers, Cleon Daskalakis, Jay Miller, Bob Miller (no relation), Bruce Shoebottom, Tom Songin and Ken “The Rat” Linseman, a member of the Whalers for a few moments as he passed through in a multi-player trade with Philadelphia and Edmonton that included Mark Howe leaving Hartford for the Flyers. Derek Sanderson, Ken Hodge and Gary Doak will coach the Bruins team.

Commitments for the Whalers team are WHA Hall of Famer and all-time leading scorer Andre Lacroix, Blaine Stoughton, Pat Verbeek, John Anderson, Garry Swain, Bob Crawford, Chris Kotsopoulos, Jim Dorey, Jordy Douglas, Ray Neufeld, Nelson Emerson, Mark Janssens, Bill Bennett, Jeff Brubaker, Fred O’Donnell, Terry Yake, Scott Daniels, Ed Hospodar, Yvon Corriveau, the brother tandems of Dave and Wayne Babych and Doug and Gordie Roberts, and former Wolf Pack player Todd Hall of Hamden. John McKenzie, whose retired No. 19 hangs in the XL Center rafters, former captain Russ Anderson, Norm Barnes and Paul MacDermid will coach the Whalers team.

Celebrities Cameron Bancroft, Michael Buie and Neal McDonough will play with the Bruins team, while the Whalers side will include Bobby Farrelly, David Henrie and the Hanson brothers – Steve, Jeff and Dave –  who were the comedic linchpins of the iconic movie “Slap Shot.”

Paul Stewart, a Boston native and the only American to referee more than 1,000 NHL games in a 13-year career, will officiate the game. He also officiated at the Canada Cup in 1987 and 1991 after an eight-year playing career with teams in the NAHL, AHL, NEHL, CHL, WHA and NHL.

“The Zambonis,” the most popular sports-rock band in North America from Bridgeport, will perform at the Rentschler Field entrance before the legends and AHL games. The 100 percent hockey-rock band performed two big shows at the recent NHL All-Star Game, the latest triumph in a career that dates to being formed by “defenseman/guitarist/singer” Dave Schneider in 1991.

The official charity of the Hockey Fest is “Sam’s Race for a Place,” a fund-raising effort spearheaded by West Hartford resident Samantha Udolf that benefits the Ronald McDonald House. Since Udolf, a successful competitive skier, founded Sam’s Race for a Place in June of 2008, it has generated donations of more than $43,500.

The Ronald McDonald House is a non-profit charity operating since 1991 that helps hundreds of families and children enjoy the comforts of home while they await treatment at area medical facilities. Udolf became familiar with Ronald McDonald House and its good works while volunteering there, and she conceived Sam’s Race for a Place after learning it is independently-funded and depends on grass-roots campaigns for nearly all of its support.

For more information about Sam’s Race for a Place, visit www.samsraceforaplace.com, where donations can be made. Besides the games, the Hockey Fest will include “Whale Town” featuring exhibitors, games and the Whalers Mobile Hall of Fame.

The schedule of games can be found at www.ctwhale.com. There will be a public skate on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., with eight one-hour sessions for the public and one from 7 to 9 p.m. for Whale season ticket holders and Hockey Fest ticket holders. Tickets ($10) are available at the Rentschler Field and Bushnell box offices. Participants must bring their own skates, and sessions will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Season ticket holders and Hockey Fest ticket holders are encouraged to RSVP by calling Whalers Sports and Entertainment at 860-728-3366.

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.

Entering Friday night’s game against Providence, the Pirates (33-15-4-1) had won four in a row and 15 of 19, including 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 (30) and is third in points (58). He’s followed by defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani (9, 28), left wing Derek Whitmore (20, 13), 2011 All-Star center Luke Adam (15, 17) and left wing Colin Stuart (10, 22). Center Paul Byron (14, 17) is on recall to the parent Buffalo Sabres. 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 18-14-1, 2.83, .910, no shutouts.

The Checkers (30-19-2-4), the new AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes, were on a five-game points streak (4-0-1-0) before a 3-0 loss to the Albany Devils on Tuesday night. Entering a game at Binghamton on Friday night, their leading scorer, All-Star right wing Jerome Samson (26, 28), was on recall to the Hurricanes. The top remaining scorers are left wings Jacob Micflikier (21, 22), Oskar Osala (13, 28) and Chris Terry (20, 20) and center Zach Boychuk (15, 25), who was reassigned to the Checkers on Sunday. The Checkers have gone all season with only two goalies, Mike Murphy (15-9-2, 2.95, .907, no shutouts) and Justin Pogge (15-12-2, 3.04, .908, no shutouts). … The Whale’s intrastate rival, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, finally earned a point Wednesday night in a 4-3 shootout loss at Springfield, ending a nine-game losing streak in regulation. But they still have only one win in 2011 (1-14-2-2), and it won’t get any easier this weekend as they visit Hershey on Saturday night and host the Atlantic Division-leading Manchester Monarchs on Sunday afternoon.

THREE WHALE PLAYERS AMONG PROSPECTS TRADING CARDS

Two Whale players, goalie Chad Johnson and forward Evgeny Grachev, and defenseman Ryan McDonagh, now on recall to the Rangers, are in the 150-card Heroes and Prospects trading card set by In the Game. The three have all played with the Rangers, though Johnson’s five-game stint was last season. They are pictured on those cards in Wolf Pack uniforms.

In the Game has been making its Heroes and Prospects hockey set for several years, and it’s become a must-have for many hockey fans. This year’s 150-card set includes seven Hockey Hero cards, three international prospects, 90 Canadian major junior hockey league players and 50 AHL players. Many of the players have already been drafted, while others are expected to be early picks in upcoming NHL drafts.

There are a lot of memorabilia, autograph, jersey, game-used emblem and AHL 75^th Anniversary cards, including the one of AHL Hall of Famer John Paddock, who coached the Wolf Pack to their only Calder Cup title in his first of three seasons, 1999-2000.

Other notable player cards are Logan Couture and Alex Stalock (San Jose-Worcester), P.K. Subban (Montreal Canadiens-Hamilton Bulldogs), Tyler Ennis (Buffalo Sabres-Portland Pirates), John Carlson (Washington Capitals-Hershey Bears), John Moore (Columbus Blue Jackets-Springfield Falcons), Blake Geoffrion (Nashville Predators-Milwaukee Admirals), Jared Staal (Carolina Hurricanes-Charlotte Checkers) and Linus Omark (Edmonton Oilers-Oklahoma City Barons), as well as Calder Cup champion cards Alexandre Giroux, Chris Bourque, Keith Aucoin, Andrew Gordon and Mathieu Perreault; non-memorabilia insert cards such as Taylor Hall, Cam Fowler and Eric Wellwood; and 75^th Anniversary cards Billy Smith, Brett Hull, Bruce Boudreau, Doug Harvey, Eddie Shore, Emile Francis, Gerry Cheevers, John Slaney, Carey Price, Jason Spezza, Larry Robinson, Les Cunningham, Martin Brodeur, Milt Schmidt, Patrick Roy, Pelle Lindbergh, Terry Sawchuk, Mitch Lamoureux, Willie Marshall and Zdeno Chara.

The card sets cost $94.99 and are available at www.theahl.com. All-Star Game jerseys and merchandise are also available.

ZUCCARELLO, CHRISTENSEN A DYNAMIC DUO

Erik Christensen and former Whale wing Mats Zuccarello have become a dynamic opening combo in shootouts for the Rangers. In fact, they’ve been an almost perfect 9-for-10, usually from the leadoff spots. They were again Thursday night against the Los Angeles Kings’ Jonathan Bernier, enabling the Rangers to get a much-needed 4-3 victory and helping give goalie Henrik Lundqvist his 200^th career win.

Zuccarello, the “Norwegian Hobbit” with the terrific hands, usually skates in at 33 rpm and then makes a quick shifty move at the end, leaving him an almost open net to deposit the puck.

“Sometimes you don’t play that much, but you still have to be focused and be positive if you get the chance to take it,” Zuccarello, who played a team-low 8:24, told reporters after the game. “You keep wanting to be the guy, so you’re nervous, but what’s the worst thing that can happen – you miss a penalty shot?”

Zuccarello has always been successful with the same move. He failed against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 1, switching because he thought he had become too predictable.

“Eventually, it will be (too predictable) and I will have to change, but for now I’m staying,” Zuccarello said. “Maybe you shouldn’t put that in the newspapers. Maybe there shouldn’t be any video.”

Christensen improved to 4-for-4 this season and 22-for-39 in his career with a nifty forehand-backhand move. He started on the fourth line and was bumped to the first line in place of Vinny Prospal, getting 4:52 of his 10:11 in the third period.

“I have a lot of experience in (shootouts), starting with the minors,” said Christensen, who has used a variety of moves. “I always know what I’m going to do when I pick up the puck. There’s less chance of screwing up that way.

“I’ve had times where I played five minutes in a game and scored, so that’s not an issue for me. It’s not like your skill goes away.”

No, fortunately for the Rangers, the skills of Christensen and Zuccarello have come to the forefront at the most critical time.

And as usually is the case, Zuccarello wasn’t the only former Wolf Pack/Whale player to make a major contribution for the Rangers. Right wing Ryan Callahan, seemingly destined to succeed Trumbull native Chris Drury as team captain, had a goal and an assist, giving him five goals and two assists in seven games since missing six weeks with a broken hand.

Former Wolf Pack center Artem Anisimov scored the Rangers’ third goal with 3:08 left in regulation when he deflected Dubinsky’s shot past Bernier, but he was deprived of the game-winner when Dustin Brown, always a thorn in the Wolf Pack’s side while playing for the Manchester Monarchs and the game’s No. 3 star, scored his second goal of the game on a bank shot off Lundqvist’s head only 47 seconds later. Former Wolf Pack Dan Girardi and All-Star Marc Staal continue to be the Rangers’ No. 1 defensive duo, and the rookie pairing of Ryan McDonagh and former Wolf Pack defenseman Michael Sauer was plus-3. Sauer also had an assist on Marian Gaborik’s goal when he poked the puck along the boards to send the speedy wing racing down the right side for a knuckle ball from the circle that beat Bernier to the far side.

The Kings, meanwhile, extended their points streak to 11 games (8-0-3) a night after winning a shootout at Columbus behind Milford native Jonathan Quick, who stopped all three shots in a 4-3 victory to improve to 7-0 in the skills competition. Thursday night was the Kings’ eighth game on a 10-game road trip and continued a dramatic improvement from a 2-10-0 stretch last season from Dec. 29 to Jan. 20 as they try to secure a playoff spot in a wacky Western Conference race.

“You knew they weren’t going to give up or let up,” said Callahan, the game’s No. 1 star. “It’s a good team over there. They’ve got a lot of speed, they work hard and it’s really tough to get through the neutral zone on them. But we kept at it, kept with the game plan and it paid off in the end. It’s really big. We showed some character through it.”

New York, February 18, 2011 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that forward Kris Newbury has been assigned to the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Newbury, 28, did not dress in a 4-3 shootout win vs. Los Angeles last night after being recalled from Connecticut on Wednesday.  He has registered one assist and 35 penalty minutes in eight games with the Rangers this season.  He made his Blueshirts debut at Montreal on January 15, and recorded his first point as a Ranger with the primary assist on the game-tying goal in a 3-2 shootout win at Atlanta on January 22.  Newbury returns to Connecticut, where he has recorded eight goals and 33 assists for 41 points, along with 98 penalty minutes in 49 games this season.  He leads the team and is tied for seventh in the AHL in assists, ranks second on the Whale in points and fourth in penalty minutes. Newbury registered three points in two games this past weekend, including a two-point performance in a 4-1 win at Providence on Sunday (one goal, one assist).  He has now registered a team-high, 11 multi-point performances this season, including two separate streaks of three games with multiple points – November 13 vs. Springfield to November 19 at Springfield (six assists), and December 3 at Providence to December 11 vs. Manchester (one goal, six assists).  The 5-11, 213-pounder established a career-high with an eight-game assist streak from November 28 vs. Adirondack to December 17 vs. Worcester, recording three goals and 12 assists over the span.

The Brampton, Ontario native was originally San Jose’s fifth round pick, 139th overall, in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.  He was acquired by the Rangers from Detroit in exchange for forward Jordan Owens on March 3, 2010.

Photo credit: Getty Images

By Bruce Berlet

CROMWELL, Conn. – The Connecticut Whale bus wouldn’t get into gear after a practice in suburban Syracuse during the team’s only venture into Canada this season to Toronto and Hamilton last week.

But Johnny Davis, a bus driver for 25 years and the team’s chauffeur since the birth of the Hartford Wolf Pack in 1997, solved the problem in 90 minutes after calling his boss at Dattco.

“I got instructions on the phone,” Davis recalled Thursday as he waited for the Whale to finish practice so he could usher them off to Glens Falls, N.Y., for a game Friday night against the resurgent Adirondack Phantoms. “I fixed the gear box, the pressure gauge controller for the cruise control, and off we went.”

Ken Gernander, who also has been with the franchise since Day 1 as a player/captain, assistant coach and head coach, said it was the first time the bus broke down since his first season as the main man behind the bench (2007-08).

“We were going to Hamilton or Toronto that time, too, and the bus broke down just outside of Springfield,” Gernander said. “But Johnny fixed it this time. They walked him through it, just like (the action-adventure series) MacGyver.”

Fortunately for the Whale, they don’t have any more trips north of the border this season. And hopefully this bus snafu is the Whale’s last major obstacle to a playoff berth, though it’s doubtful there will be any clear sailing with so many teams bunched for the final spots.

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Atlantic Division pacesetters Manchester (72 points) and Portland (71 with three games in hand) appear to be locks for the postseason, while the Whale (59), Worcester (58) and Springfield (54) are vying for the third and possibly only other automatic berth. The Whale is one point ahead of Worcester, which has three games in hand, and five in front of the Falcons, who also have played 55 games.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (80) and Hershey (72) appear shoo-ins in the East Division, with Charlotte (66), Norfolk (65) and Binghamton (62) in line for the other playoff berths. If the postseason began Friday, fifth-place Binghamton in the East Division would hold the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot ahead of fourth-place Worcester in the Atlantic Division.

The Whale (26-22-2-5) was helped earlier this week when Worcester, Charlotte and Norfolk lost. Prior to that, Worcester, Charlotte, Norfolk and Binghamton were on a combined 16-0-2-1 run. Meanwhile, Manchester and Portland have won a combined six consecutive games and are 15-3-0-3 in their last 21 starts, capped by the Pirates’ 7-0 rout of Providence on Wednesday night, the Bruins’ seventh consecutive loss, worst of the season and only three days after the previous worst, 8-2 to Springfield.

The Whale has rebounded from a 9-2 loss in Toronto on Feb. 9 that tied the franchise records for most goals allowed and worst margin of defeat with road victories over Hamilton (3-2) and Providence (4-1). That gives the Whale four wins in six starts, but they’ve lost ground in the playoff race. Now after four days off, the Whale left on their second trip to Glen Falls, N.Y., and an attempt to complete a four-game sweep of the Phantoms before a ride home for the Harvest-Properties.com Whale Bowl against the Bruins on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the second outdoor game in AHL history at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.

The Phantoms (18-30-3-3) have lost 3-0, 4-3 and 6-4 to the Whale but have improved dramatically since a horrific 4-26-1-1 start before their first back-to-back wins Dec. 17-18. They’re 14-7-1-3 since then, including 12-7-1-3 since Joe Paterson took over as coach on Dec. 20, replacing former Wolf Pack coach John Paddock, the interim coach after replacing Greg Gilbert on Nov. 8. The Phantoms, who have occupied the East Division cellar all season, are now tied with Syracuse for seventh place and only one point back of sixth-place Albany.

The Phantoms are led by veteran left wing Denis Hamel (17 goals and 15 assists in 40 games after not signing until Nov. 1), All-Star defenseman Erik Gustafsson (5, 27), who ended an 18-game goal-scoring drought in a 1-0 victory over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Saturday night, defenseman Danny Syvret (6, 18), right wing Ben Holmstrom (9, 13) and left wings Michael Ryan (15, 6) and Eric Wellwood (11, 10). Former Wolf Pack captain Greg Moore has six goals and 10 assists after not scoring until the 33^rd game on Dec. 28. But much of the Phantoms’ improvement can be traced to Hamel and the arrival of goalie Michael Leighton (4-6-1-1, 2.37 goals-against average, .918 save percentage), who led the Philadelphia Flyers to the Stanley Cup finals against the champion Chicago Blackhawks in June but was back in the minors after he cleared waivers on Jan. 3 as the parent club went with Brian Boucher.

The Whale is 4-2-0-0 against the Bruins (23-28-3-1), whose seven-game losing streak has dropped them into sixth place. They’ve been outscored 33-10 in that stretch, but they’ve been bolstered by the return of forwards Zach Hamill and Jordan Caron from the parent Boston Bruins. The P-Bruins’ leading scorers are All-Star center Jamie Arniel (15, 17), Hamill (3, 25), center Joe Colborne (12, 14), right wing Kirk MacDonald (11, 15) and center Maxime Sauve (13, 6), who had two goals in each of the Bruins’ two wins over the Whale. Rugged left wing Lane MacDermid, son of former Hartford Whalers right wing Paul MacDermid, has four goals, seven assists and 117 penalty minutes. Michael Hutchinson (7-7-0, 3.11, .898, no shutouts in 18 games) rejoined the Bruins on Thursday, switching places with fellow rookie Matt Dalton (7-9-0, 3.20, .894, two shutouts), who was returned to Reading of the ECHL after allowing seven goals Tuesday night. Hutchinson was the P-Bruins’ Player of the Month in November, enjoying a seven-game unbeaten streak from Oct. 31 to Nov. 24 before losing five of six starts and being sent to Reading. He was 9-5-3 for Reading, with a 2.85 GAA and .917 save percentage with his first pro shutout. Hutchinson and Dalton originally swapped places on Dec. 29. Veteran Nolan Schaefer is 9-15-1, 3.14, .897, no shutouts.

The Whale is 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 Feb. 24 and 26. They finally return to the XL Center on March 2 to face Springfield. Their ensuing home game is March 11 against defending Calder Cup champion Hershey, ending a brutal stretch of 10 road games in 12.

The Pirates (33-15-4-1) have won four in a row and 15 of 19, including a 3-2 victory over the Whale at the XL Center on Feb. 6 that enabled them to tie the season series at 3 in the teams’ fifth one-goal game. The Pirates are led by right wing Mark Mancari, who leads the AHL in goals (30) and is third in points (58). He’s followed by defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani (9, 28), left wing Derek Whitmore (20, 13), All-Star center Luke Adam (15, 17) and left wing Colin Stuart (10, 22). Center Paul Byron (14, 17) is on recall to the parent Buffalo Sabres. David Leggio (15-4-0, 2.49, .919) has been a nemesis against the Whale, including his first of two shutouts, 3-0 in Portland on Jan. 14. Jhonas Enroth is 18-14-1, 2.83, .910, no shutouts.

The Checkers (30-19-2-4), the new AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes, were on a five-game points streak (4-0-1-0) before a 3-0 loss to the Albany Devils on Tuesday night. 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 (21, 22), Oskar Osala (13, 28) and Chris Terry (20, 20) and center Zach Boychuk (15, 25), who was reassigned to the Checkers on Sunday. The Checkers have gone all season with only two goalies, Mike Murphy (15-9-2, 2.95, .907, no shutouts) and Justin Pogge (15-12-2, 3.04, .908, no shutouts).

Goalie Cam Talbot (high ankle sprain), center Todd White (concussion) and forward Chris McKelvie (foot surgery) are out indefinitely for the Whale, though Talbot has resumed full workouts and could return soon. The Whale called up defensemen Lee Baldwin and Blake Parlett from Greenville of the ECHL on Wednesday and Thursday. Center Kris Newbury, the Whalers’ second-leading scorer (8, 33) to All-Star right wing Jeremy Williams (24, 19), is on recall to the Rangers but was scratched Thursday night in a 4-3 shootout victory over the Los Angeles Kings when wing Wojtek Wolski was able to play after sustaining a rib cage muscle pull in a 5-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday that ended the Rangers’ season-high, six-game losing streak (0-5-0-1). Erik Christensen and former Whale wing Mats Zuccarello scored in the shootout to improve to 9-for-10 combined, and Henrik Lundqvist had 25 saves in regulation and overtime and stopped two of three shootout attempts. With the Rangers not sustaining any injuries, Newbury could rejoin the Whale in Glens Falls.

The Rangers didn’t have to face Milford native Jonathan Quick (26-14-2, 2.10, .923, six shutouts), who stopped all three shots in a shootout Wednesday night as the Kings beat the Columbus Blue Jackets, 4-3. Quick won his seventh game in eight starts and improved to 7-0 in shootouts as the Kings extended their points streak to 8-0-2, longest since 1980. The shootout loss in the eighth game of a 10-game trip extended that streak to 11 games and gave the Kings points in nine straight road games (6-0-3), their best run since 1984.

“We could have stumbled here on the road trip, but we also could have had a homestand last month that went differently,” said Quick, who had 21 saves against the Blue Jackets. “It’s starting to even out, but we’re still fighting for that playoff spot. It’s a real tight conference right now and we have to battle every night.”

HARVEST-PROPERTIES.COM WHALE BOWL TO BREAK AHL ATTENDANCE RECORD

More than 26,000 tickets have been sold for Harvest-Properties.com Whale Bowl, assuring the Whale and Bruins will shatter the AHL attendance record of 21,508 that watched the host Syracuse Crunch beat Binghamton 2-1 at the New York State Fairgrounds on Feb. 20, 2010. But officials of Whalers Sports and Entertainment, which runs the Whale’s business operations and is handling the event, hope to sell out the 38,000 seats to keep intact all the outdoor NHL and college games having sellouts. Saturday is the only day that tickets are not general admission.

There are two high school games Friday, and Enfield native Craig Janney, who will play for the Boston Bruins legends against the Hartford Whalers legends Saturday at 4 p.m., will drop the ceremonial first puck at 5 p.m. before the game between Enfield High, his alma mater, and Northwest Catholic-West Hartford. The legends and celebrities in the Harvest-Properties.com Whale Bowl opener will attend a reception at 6:30 p.m., and Wethersfield High plays East Catholic-Manchester at 7:15 p.m.

About a dozen celebrities will mix in with the Whalers and Bruins legends, who play after Army meets American International College at 1 p.m. Tickets ($20 to $85) can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and the Bushnell box office in Hartford on 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.

Hall of Fame defensemen Brian Leetch, a Cheshire native, and Brad Park headline the Bruins legends team. Other commitments are Enfield native Craig Janney, former captain Rick Middleton, 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, a member of the Whalers for a few moments as he passed through in a multi-player trade with Philadelphia and Edmonton that included Mark Howe leaving Hartford for the Flyers. Derek Sanderson and Gary Doak will coach the Bruins team.

Commitments for the Whalers team are WHA Hall of Famer Andre Lacroix, John McKenzie, whose No. 19 is retired in the XL Center rafters, Blaine Stoughton, Pat Verbeek, John Anderson, Garry Swain, Bob Crawford, Chris Kotsopoulos, Jim Dorey, Jordy Douglas, Ray Neufeld, Gordie Roberts, Darren Turcotte, Nelson Emerson, Mark Janssens, Bill Bennett, Jeff Brubaker, Fred O’Donnell, Terry Yake, Scott Daniels, Ed Hospodar, Yvon Corriveau and the Babych brothers, Dave and Wayne. Norm Barnes and former captain Russ Anderson will be among the coaches.

Among the celebrities scheduled to play with one of the legends teams are filmmaker Bobby Farrelly, writer/director of such hit films as “Dumb and Dumber”, “There’s Something About Mary”, “Kingpin”, “Me, Myself and Irene”, “Outside Providence”, “The Heartbreak Kid”, “Stuck on You”, and “Shallow Hal”; and actor David Henrie, from “Wizards of Waverly Place” and “That’s So Raven”.

Paul Stewart, a Boston native and only American to referee more than 1,000 NHL games in a 13-year career, will officiate the game. He also officiated during the Canada Cup in 1987 and 1991 after an eight-year playing career with teams in the NAHL, AHL, NEHL, CHL, WHA and NHL.

“The Zambonis,” the most popular sports-rock band in North America from Bridgeport, will perform at the Rentschler Field entrance before the legends and AHL games. The 100 percent hockey-rock band just performed two big shows at the recent NHL All-Star Game, the latest triumph in a career that dates to being formed by “defenseman/guitarist/singer” Dave Schneider in 1991.

The official charity of the Hockey Fest is “Sam’s Race for a Place,” a fund-raising effort spearheaded by West Hartford resident Samantha Udolf that benefits the Ronald McDonald House. Since Udolf, a successful competitive skier, founded Sam’s Race for a Place in June of 2008, it has generated donations of more than $43,500.

The Ronald McDonald House is a non-profit charity operating since 1991 that helps hundreds of families and children enjoy the comforts of home while they await treatment at area medical facilities. Udolf became familiar with Ronald McDonald House and its good works while volunteering there, and she conceived Sam’s Race for a Place after learning it is independently-funded and depends on grass-roots campaigns for nearly all of its support.

For more information about Sam’s Race for a Place, visit www.samsraceforaplace.com. Donations also can be made through that web address. Besides the games, the Hockey Fest will include “Whale Town” featuring exhibitors, games and the Whalers Mobile Hall of Fame.

A schedule of games can be found at www.ctwhale.com. There will be a public skate on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., with eight one-hour sessions for the public and one from 7 to 9 p.m. for Whale season ticket holders and Hockey Fest ticket holders. Tickets ($10) are available at the Rentschler Field and Bushnell box offices. Participants must bring their own skates, and sessions will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Season ticket holders and Hockey Fest ticket holders are encouraged to RSVP by calling Whalers Sports and Entertainment at 860-728-3366.

KUDOS TO THE CURADIS

Former Junior Wolf Pack standout Luke Curadi of Cheshire is following in his parents’ footsteps of helping and serving others.

The 6-foot-6, 250-pound Curadi, a defenseman on the United States Hockey League’s Dubuque Fighting Saints, had his flaming red hair shaved off last Friday night at center ice after a 3-2 loss to the Waterloo Black Hawks.

Curadi, who was born at West Point and is going to RPI in September, raised nearly $10,000 for cancer research for the firefighter and police officer group “Cuffs and Hoses” with the help of the Fighting Saints and the special assistance of Curadi. The money, to be credited to Cuffs and Hoses Relay for Life efforts, was raised through a ticket fundraiser with the team, raffle sales at the game, T-shirt sales, a fundraising competition between the firefighters and police officers, and firefighters “passing the boot” at the game.

Curadi agreed to shave his head after the game if fans contributed more than $2,000. When the boots were emptied and the money counted, Curadi was sent to the barber’s chair with $63.15 to spare.

After having a few days to take in his new hairdo, Curadi said he wasn’t quite used to it.

“It’s a bit of an adjustment,” Curadi said. “I need to use a lot less shampoo in the shower. And I have to wear my winter hat at night because I like the room that I sleep in to be pretty cold, but my head’s just not used to it yet.”

Curadi will wear a slightly smaller helmet this Friday night, when the Fighting Saints play the Des Moines Buccaneers.

Curadi’s father is a helicopter pilot in the Marines who has returned from Iraq. He was also cut from the “Miracle on Ice” 1980 U.S. Olympic team coached by Herb Brooks, a roommate of former Whalers right wing Tim Sheehy on the 1971 team. Curadi’s mother is a former First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

RANGERS TOP PROSPECT STRIKES AGAIN

The Rangers’ No. 1 prospect, sophomore left wing Chris Kreider of the top-ranked Boston College Eagles, has added another notch to his ever-growing victory belt.

Kreider, the Rangers’ first-round pick (19^th overall) in 2009, was named MVP of the Beanpot Tournament after scoring twice in a 7-6 overtime victory over Northeastern in the title game Monday night. He previously won a gold medal with Team USA in the 2010 World Junior Championship and an NCAA title as a freshman as the Eagles scored a 5-0 victory over the Wisconsin Badgers, whose standouts included Rangers center Derek Stepan and defenseman Ryan McDonagh.

Stepan, who is third on the Rangers in scoring (32 points), and McDonagh, a major contributor since his call-up from the Whale on Jan. 3, left school after their sophomore and junior seasons, and Rangers coach John Tortorella hopes Kreider isn’t far behind.

“I wish he turned pro last year. I hope he turns pro next year. … I hope he’s with us,” Tortorella told reporters in New York. “He’s a sophomore now, and we’re anxious to get him involved in pro hockey because we think he’s got some good stuff to offer and want to get him tracked up here with us as soon as possible.”

The 6-foot-2, 214-pound Kreider has the size to compete against pros and might get some playing time with the Whale before making the jump to the NHL. Rangers All-Star defenseman Marc Staal and others joined the Wolf Pack after completing his junior careers, but Kreider would have to sign a contract and forego his last two years of college.

“It’s definitely something that gives me confidence that (Tortorella) said that, but honestly I feel like that’s so far away,” Kreider, who has nine goals and 11 assists in 26 games this season, told the New York Daily News. “We’re just concentrating on winning another championship. You have to put (turning pro) in the back of your mind, and when the season’s over, it’s something I’ll sit down with my family and my coaches and come to a decision.”

Tortorella won’t be applying any pressure, but his wishes are obvious.

“McDonagh and Step decided to come out, and that’s their call,” he said. “And it’s Kreider’s call also, as far as staying in. I don’t get into personal matters. … I think education’s important, and I think this is a family decision. But from a coach, we want to sink our teeth into him as quickly as possible to get him into a situation where he becomes a Ranger as quickly as possible.”

PARENTEAU RE-SIGNS WITH ISLANDERS

The New York Islanders signed former Wolf Pack right wing P.A. Parenteau to a one-year, $1.25 million contract extension on Thursday.

Parenteau, 27, is tied for second on the Islanders in points with 14 goals and 21 assists in 56 games. He signed a free-agent contract on July 2 after playing 22 of his 27 NHL games with the Rangers last season, when he had three goals and five assists. He also had 20 goals and 25 assists in 35 games with the Wolf Pack. The previous season, Parenteau finished ninth in the AHL in scoring with 29 goals and 49 assists in 74 games. In 2007-08, he was a second-team AHL All-Star after finishing fourth in scoring with career highs in goals (34) and points (81) in 75 games.

“I’m really excited to stay on Long Island,” said Parenteau, a native of Hull, Quebec. “The Islanders organization has given me the chance to prove that I belong in the NHL, and I look forward to being a part of the success that is building in our dressing room for the near future.”

Parenteau was a ninth-round pick of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in 2001 and spent most of his first eight pro seasons with the AHL’s Cincinnati Mighty Ducks, Portland Pirates, Norfolk Admirals and Wolf Pack. He has 166 goals and 237 assists in 450 AHL games.

GET WELL SOON, QUEENEY

The entire Whale family – and all of Hartford hockey for that matter – would like to wish a speedy recovery for former Whalers defenseman Joel Quenneville, coach of the reigning Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks who was hospitalized Wednesday with an gastrointestinal bleeding. He was stabilized, and it was determined on Thursday that the cause of the bleeding was a small ulcer caused by aspirin. In a statement released by the Blackhawks, Quenneville was said to be resting comfortably and expected to make a full recovery and be released in the next few days. That’s great news for sure for the 52-year-old Quenneville, who began feeling discomfort at his home late Tuesday night. Quenneville is 125-66-25 in three seasons with the Blackhawks, ranks 10^th in NHL history with 563 regular-season wins and is one of only two men to coach at least 1,000 games and play 800 in the league. Assistant Mike Haviland was acting coach Wednesday night when the Blackhawks, struggling to make the playoffs, beat the Minnesota Wild, 3-1. Here’s hoping for the speediest recovery possible. There aren’t many better or classier guys than Joel Quenneville.