By Bruce Berlet

Don’t ever say hockey players, or even coaches, aren’t some of the toughest hombres in all of sports.

Getting stitched up and returning to the ice by the next period is common for most players, but Worcester Sharks coach Roy Sommer earned special kudos Friday night.

Sommer, whose 13 seasons in the San Jose organization is the AHL’s longest coaching run, sustained a broken nose when a deflected puck hit him in the face during the first period of a 4-3 shootout victory over the Atlantic Division-leading Manchester Monarchs. Sommer immediately went to his knees and was escorted to the locker room, where he was treated by trainer Matt White. Sommer soon returned to the bench with Q-tips sticking out of his nostrils and a piece of tape across his nose for the rest of the game.

“Never saw it coming,” Sommer told Worcester Telegram & Gazette writer Bill Ballou. “Even if I had, I’m not sure I could’ve gotten out of the way, not with the cat-like reflexes I’ve got.”

Sommer said it wasn’t his worst injury behind the bench. An opposing player once tried to tomahawk one of his players and missed.

“I got El-Kabonged,” Sommer said.

Sommer was back behind the bench Saturday night when the Sharks beat Providence 2-0 behind 20 saves from rookie Carter Hutton, who notched his first pro shutout in his 16^th pro game, and first of the season for Worcester, after serving as Antti Niemi’s backup in the San Jose Sharks’ 2-0 victory over the Boston Bruins on Saturday afternoon. Hutton was playing because Worcester’s No. 1 goalie, Alex Stalock, is out for the season after his left knee was injured when it was stepped on by Monarchs forward Dwight King with 31/2 minutes left Friday night.

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Stalock, who set an AHL rookie record with 39 victories last season, has a sliced nerve that will require surgery. His injury came only five days after he picked up a relief win in his NHL debut, a 5-3 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes. He stopped all nine shots he faced after replacing Niemi midway through the game with San Jose trailing 3-0.

“It’s great to get the win (Saturday night), but a shutout’s always a bit of a bonus,” Hutton told Ballou. “We played a really solid game, I thought, and (Providence) didn’t have many good chances until the third period.”

Sommer, his nose still scarred from the puck incident the previous night, said, “Hutton handled the puck well, was aggressive challenging the shooters and made some big saves. He deserves his chance to play. He’s worked his (butt) off all year.”

Hutton had Stalock in the back of his mind after Worcester’s fourth straight victory, its longest winning streak since March.

“Before the third period, I said that we should win this one for Al,” Hutton said. “His injury is a big loss for us, but this was a big win for him.”

The doubleheader sweep by the Sharks organization probably isn’t unprecedented, but it must be rare that the NHL and AHL teams play in the afternoon and at night – and only 40 miles apart.

WHALE START TOUGH ROAD STRETCH

The Whale got a much-needed day off Monday and then left at 7 a.m. Tuesday on the start of a stretch of 10 road games in their next 12. They practiced at Cicero Twin Rinks in suburban Syracuse on Tuesday morning and then finished the bus ride to Toronto for a Wednesday game against the Marlies at 11 a.m. The Whale will be trying to avenge a 4-0 loss at home in the teams’ first meeting on Nov. 9, when rookie goalie Jussi Rynas made 33 saves. The Marlies have the most road points in the league (15-11-0-5, 35 points) but rank 27^th among 30 teams at home (9-9-0-2). They’re the only team that has neither won nor lost in overtime this season.

The Marlies (24-20-0-7), battling for a playoff spot in the North Division, are led by veteran center Mike Zigomanis (eight goals, 24 assists), who had a goal and an assist in the first meeting with the Whale, left wing Fabian Brunnstrom (14, 13), rookie center Nazem Kadri (9, 16) and defenseman Matt Lashoff (7, 18). Rynnas is 9-13-3 with a 2.79 goals-against average, .920 save percentage and one shutout, but the Whale likely will face Jonas Gustavsson, who began a conditioning stint from the Toronto Maple Leafs by stopping 24 of 25 shots in a 3-1 victory over the Rochester Americans on Saturday night. He had a shutout until Bill Thomas scored with 13:19 to go. The Marlies have killed off 29 consecutive shorthanded situations in the last eight games, lifting their overall penalty-killing percentage to second in the AHL (87.1 percent).

It will be a “homecoming” for veterans Kris Newbury and All-Star Jeremy Williams, who played five seasons together in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization – St. John’s and the Marlies in the AHL and the Maple Leafs in the NHL – before signing with the Detroit Red Wings last season and then ending up with the Rangers and Whale this season.

Right wing Dale Weise will return to the Whale lineup after missing three games with an undisclosed illness, but goalie Cam Talbot (high ankle sprain) won’t play, and center Todd White (concussion) and wing Chris McKelvie (foot surgery) didn’t make the trip.

The Whale will complete their only venture into Canada this season with a game at Hamilton on Friday night and then play at Providence on Sunday at 4:05 p.m.

Entering a game against Abbotsford on Tuesday night, Hamilton (28-16-1-4) had lost three of its last four games to fall one point behind the North Division-leading Manitoba Moose, but the Bulldogs were still on a 7-3-0-0 run that included six consecutive wins from Jan. 12 to 26. They won the first meeting with the Whale 7-3 on Jan. 21 at the XL Center, as rookie defenseman Brendon Nash had one of his three goals and three of his 30 assists this season. The Bulldogs’ best player has been veteran goalie Curtis Sanford, who is 19-10-1 with a 1.74 goals-against average, second in the league, .938 save percentage and five shutouts. The Bulldogs’ No. 1 and 3 scorers, All-Stars David Desharnais (10 goals, 35 assists) and former New Canaan High-Avon Old Farms standout Max Pacioretty (17, 15), are on recall to the parent Montreal Canadiens. Hamilton’s current top scorer is center Ben Maxwell (9, 24), followed by right wing Aaron Palushaj (8, 21) and Nash.

Entering a game against Charlotte on Tuesday night, the Bruins (23-23-3-1) had lost their last two games and were tied for fifth in the Atlantic Division with Springfield, five points behind the Whale. The Bruins had lost three in a row on the road and have won five consecutive home games after being 5-13-1-1 at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center and 13-7-2-0 on the road. The Bruins have won the last two games with the Whale at the XL Center after Talbot backstopped three consecutive Whale wins, including his first pro shutout, 3-0 on Oct. 17. Maxime Sauve has two goals in each of the last two games against the Whale, while none of his teammates have scored more than once in the season series.

All-Star center Jamie Arniel (14, 17) leads the Bruins in scoring, followed by center Zach Hamill (3, 25), who is on recall to the Boston Bruins, center Joe Colborne (12, 14), right wing Kirk MacDonald (10, 14) and Sauve (12, 6). Rugged left wing Lane MacDermid, son of former Hartford Whalers right wing Paul MacDermid, has four goals, seven assists and 103 penalty minutes. Matt Dalton (7-5-0, 2.38 GAA, .922 save percentage, two shutouts) has a win and a loss against the Whale. Veteran Nolan Schaefer is 9-14-1, 3.06, .902, no shutouts.

After four days off, the Whale will make a second trip to Glen Falls, N.Y., to face the Adirondack Red Wings on Feb. 18 before a quick bus ride home for the Harvest-Properties.com Whale Bowl game against Providence on Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. at Rentschler Field in East Hartford. That follows the Army-AIC game at 1 p.m., and celebrities mixing in with the Hartford Whalers legends and Boston Bruins legends at 4 p.m. If the Whale-Bruins game is postponed because of bad weather, it will be played Feb. 20 at Rentschler Field at 1 p.m.

The Whale is at Portland on Feb. 21 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 the Springfield Falcons. Their ensuing home game is March 11 against the defending Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears, ending the brutal stretch of 10 road games in a dozen.

BALDWINS TO OPEN HOCKEY FEST 2011 ON THURSDAY AT 3 P.M.

The historic Harvest-Properties.com Whalers Hockey Fest 2011 is scheduled to begin Thursday at 3 p.m. with Whalers Sports and Entertainment chairman and CEO Howard Baldwin and WSE president and COO Howard Baldwin Jr. officially opening the 12-day event with a ceremonial first skate.

The first of 30 outdoor youth, high school, prep school, college, celebrity, alumni and pro games will start at 5 p.m. as the Simsbury High girls play the West Hartford girls, followed by a cthockeyleague.com game at 10 p.m.

“UConn Day” is Sunday, when the alumni plays at 9 a.m., followed by the men’s team facing Sacred Heart at 1 p.m. and the women meeting Providence at 4 p.m. Two days later, Feb. 15, is “Trinity-Wesleyan Day” as the schools’ women’s teams play at 4 p.m., their alumni teams at 6:30 p.m. and the men’s teams at 8 p.m.

The featured attraction is the Harvest-Properties.com Whale Bowl on Feb. 19. 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, who played 12 seasons in Boston and with the Rangers, 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, who was 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 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”.

Tickets ($20 to $85) for the doubleheader can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and the Bushnell box office in Hartford on Monday through 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.

The official charity of the Harvest-Properties.com 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.

SOUND TIGERS’ TAKEOVER OF WEBSTER BANK ARENA STILL IN WORKS

The Bridgeport Sound Tigers have a tentative agreement to take over operations of Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport from Centerplate, and it was referred to the contracts committee during a city council meeting Monday night. Sound Tigers president Howard Saffan, who is also the senior vice president of operations for the parent New York Islanders, said last week that the tentative agreement had been reached after six months of negotiations.

“With the New York Islanders going into the entertainment business with Nassau Coliseum, which we took over the management of last year, we wanted to take advantage of our relationships and pursue the entertainment industry in Fairfield County,” Saffan told Mike Fornabaio of the Connecticut Post.

If the Sound Tigers win approval, they would take over the original lease, which runs until 2021. Mayor Bill Finch’s office said Centerplate will continue to provide food and beverage services while the team will book the arena. A 4-1 loss to the Falcons on Saturday night was the Sound Tigers’ sixth in a row and dropped them to 1-11-2-1 in 2011. … The Springfield Falcons postponed their scheduled game Tuesday night against the Sound Tigers to Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. It was rescheduled to allow crews time to remove snow and ice from the MassMutual Center roof and the surrounding area. The rescheduled date also gives the crews more time to completely execute the changeover from the Disney on Ice Show that occupied the building last week back to the original ice surface. … Former Wolf Pack goalie Al Montoya relieved Matt Climie in the third period, made 13 saves in regulation and overtime and then stopped all five Lake Erie shootout tries to lead visiting San Antonio to a 5-4 victory Saturday night. Defenseman Garrett Stafford scored the only shootout goal as the Rampage won their fourth consecutive game.  The Rampage are on a 6-0-1 run to tie the Milwaukee Admirals for first place in the West Division. … Rookie center Nick Bonino, who excelled at Farmington High and Avon Old Farms, scored twice as Syracuse beat league-leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 4-2 Saturday night. … Former Wolf Pack wing Nigel Dawes scored his 23^rd goal and Stratford native Jaime Sifers had two assists to help the Chicago Wolves beat Peoria 4-2 Saturday night. … The Monarchs (31-16-1-4), who got 26 saves from rookie All-Star Martin Jones in a 4-0 victory at Albany on Saturday night, are 11-1-1-0 against the two Connecticut teams (5-0-1-0 vs. Bridgeport and 6-1-0-0 vs. the Whale) and 20-15-0-4 against the rest of the league.

THREE WHALE PLAYERS AMONG PROSPECTS TRADING CARDS

Two Connecticut Whale players, goalie Chad Johnson and forward Evgeny Grachev, and former Whale 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 the uniform of the Hartford Wolf Pack, which was rebranded as the Connecticut Whale on Nov. 27.

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 Stalock, Logan Couture (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

Hartford, CT … Whalers Sports and Entertainment announced today that Yvon Corriveau and Ed Hospodar will join the group of featured players for the Hartford Whalers legends vs. Boston Bruins legends game February 19, 2011 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.

The legends game comprises part of the Harvest-Properties.com Whale Bowl, the featured event of the two-week outdoor Harvest-Properties.com Whalers Hockey Fest 2011 spectacular at Rentschler Field that will include numerous collegiate, high school, prep school and youth hockey games. The legends game will face off at 4:00 PM on February 19 and will be followed by the outdoor AHL game between the Connecticut Whale and the Providence Bruins at 7:00 PM.

The Whalers legends team already features a roster consisting of players such as Blaine Stoughton, Nelson Emerson, John McKenzie, and Wayne and Dave Babych. They will be taking on a Bruins legends group that includes the likes of Craig Janney, Brian Leetch, Brad Park, Lyndon Byers and Rick Middleton. More legends roster additions are still to be announced.

Corriveau played parts of five seasons with the Whalers from 1989-90 through 1993-94. The Welland, Ontario-born winger’s Whaler tenure totaled 114 games, in which he scored 22 goals and added 15 assists for 37 points and amassed 90 penalty minutes. A first-round draftee (19th overall) of the Washington Capitals in 1985 out of the Ontario Hockey League, Corriveau was acquired by the Whalers from the Capitals for Mike Liut March 6, 1990. After being dealt back to Washington in August of 1992, Corriveau was re-acquired by the Whalers from the San Jose Sharks in October of that year, days after San Jose had claimed him from the Capitals in the Waiver Draft.

Corriveau’s NHL time with the Whalers, Capitals and Sharks totaled 280 games, in which he registered 48 goals and 40 assists for 88 points, along with 310 PIM. Corriveau also saw significant time in the AHL and IHL, as well as in Germany’s DEL, during his 19-year pro career.

Hospodar, a defenseman whose hard-charging, rough-and-tumble style of play earned him the nickname “Boxcar”, played the 1982-83 and ’83-’84 seasons with the Whalers as part of a nine-year NHL career. Hospodar’s 199 penalty minutes in 1982-83 were second-most on the Hartford team, and the Bowling Green, Ohio native also chipped in one goal and nine assists for ten points in 72 games. The next season, Hospodar had nine assists in 59 games with the Whalers and was again second on the club in PIM, with 163.

A second-round pick of the New York Rangers in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft out of the Ontario Hockey League, Hospodar played three seasons with New York before being acquired by the Whalers, and went on to play with the Philadelphia Flyers, Minnesota North Stars and Buffalo Sabres in his post-Hartford career. All told, Hospodar suited up for 450 career NHL contests, scoring 17 goals and adding 51 assists for 68 points and serving 1,314 minutes in penalties.

Tickets for the February 19 Harvest-Properties.com Whale Bowl, which include admission to both the AHL game and the legends game, are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com., as well as at the Bushnell box office from Monday through Friday, 12 noon-5:00 PM. Ticket prices range from $20 to $85 and can also be purchased by calling the Connecticut Whale at 860-728-3366. Tickets purchased online can be printed immediately (via Ticketmaster).

By Bruce Berlet

AHL president and CEO Dave Andrews called last week’s All-Star Classic “awesome” for a number of reasons, starting with two nights of sellout crowds for the skills competition and All-Star Game at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa.

Then there was a record turnout of nearly 1,000 at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony that had free-spirited Hall of Famer/former Hershey Bears coach/current Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau as a major hit as keynote speaker, and AHL grad and legendary announcer Doc Emrick as the emcee. And both the skills competition and All-Star Game drew record television ratings.

“It’s amazing the feedback we got from our fans and guests,” Andrews said about the Eastern Conference’s 11-8 victory over the Western Conference.  “There were just glowing reports from the people who were there. Fans who spent a lot of money to go were all very positive, and we got great response to the throwback uniforms.”

Andrews said the AHL likely won’t do a Fantasy Player Draft as the NHL did for the first time this year.

“I thought (the draft) was pretty neat, but I think it would get old in a hurry,” he said. “I’m not sure it works every year.”

But the AHL is exploring the potential of a change to its format. One idea would be a two-game series against an elite team from a European league, which would play one game each against the Eastern Conference and Western Conference All-Stars.

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“We’re working on it to find out if those federations would allow a team to leave at that time of the year and come over and play,” Andrews said. “I think it would be great for our league and great for our players. I talked to some of the players at the All-Star event, and they thought it was great. It would be a lot of fun and a good challenge for our players. We’re always trying to come up with something new, and it could be like Rendez-vous.”

Andrews referred to Rendez-vous ’87, a two-game exhibition series between the NHL All-Stars and Soviet national team in Quebec City. It replaced the usual NHL All-Star festivities that had been hosted by the Hartford Whalers the previous year. It was a follow-up to the Challenge Cup series in 1979, hoping the NHL All-Stars would turn the tables and beat the Soviet team. This time, the series was two games instead of three.

The games were highlighted by Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux playing on the same line, often with Brian Propp, who ended his 15-year career with the Whalers. The NHL team also included former Whalers star and captain Kevin Dineen. Former Whalers/Philadelphia Flyers standout Mark Howe also was on the team but was injured and couldn’t play.

The teams split the two games, with the NHL All-Stars winning the first 4-3, as Dineen scored and Flyers teammate Dave Poulin got the winner with 1:15 left. The Soviets won the second game 5-3, as former Rangers forward Valeri Kamensky and Vladimir Krutov each scored twice, earning them the overall victory by an 8-7 aggregate score. Gretzky assisted on the NHL All-Star goals by Mark Messier, Doug Wilson and Ray Bourque.

Dineen said he likes the AHL-Europe setup.

“It’s a much better idea than the current format,” Dineen said via email. “It would put the AHL front and center for a few days, so I hope they can put it together. They would be real games and highly entertaining.”

The one-line specialist then couldn’t resist one final funny line.

“Our guys had to bus to the All-Star Game from Hartford (to Hershey), so I hope they don’t make the Euros take a boat,” Dineen said.

Jeremy Williams, the Whale’s lone representative in the All-Star Game, didn’t talk with Andrews but agreed with Dineen that the AHL-Europe series would be a good opportunity for a lot of parties.

“I think it’s a really interesting idea,” said Williams, who had a goal and an assist in his All-Star debut with the winning team. “In one sense, it would probably give everyone a little more time off, and the guys playing in it would benefit most. The season is a tough grind, and having a few extra days off gives guys time to regroup and heal up a little.

“Plus it would be a great experience for guys who never got to play in a World Junior Championship or World Championship. Both sides would be showcased, so it would be great to be on the world stage. Funding is always a consideration, but I think it would be taken care of because of the benefits for everyone.”

WHALE HEADS OFF ON TOUGH ROAD STRETCH

The Whale got a much-needed day off Monday and left at 7 a.m. Tuesday on the start of a stretch of 10 road games in their next 12. They will practice at Cicero Twin Rinks in suburban Syracuse on Tuesday morning and then finish the bus ride to Toronto for a Wednesday game against the Marlies at 11 a.m. The Whale will be trying to avenge a 4-0 loss at home in the teams’ first meeting on Nov. 9, when rookie goalie Jussi Rynas made 33 saves.

The Marlies (24-20-0-7), who are battling for a playoff spot in the North Division, are led by veteran center Mike Zigomanis (eight goals, 24 assists), left wing Fabian Brunnstrom (14, 13), rookie center Nazem Kadri (9, 16) and defenseman Matt Lashoff (7, 18). Rynnas is 9-13-3 with a 2.79 goals-against average, .920 save percentage and one shutout, but the Whale likely will face Jonas Gustavsson, who began a conditioning stint from the Toronto Maple Leafs by stopping 24 of 25 shots in a 3-1 victory over the Rochester Americans on Saturday night. He had a shutout until Bill Thomas scored with 13:19 to go.

It will be a “homecoming” for veterans Williams and Kris Newbury, who played five seasons together in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization – St. John’s and the Marlies in the AHL and the Maple Leafs in the NHL – before signing with the Detroit Red Wings last season and then ending up with the Rangers and Whale this season.

“My fiancee’s family lives in Hamilton, so it’ll be nice to see them,” said Williams, whose future in-laws drove from Hamilton to Hershey for the All-Star Classic. “And my younger sister is flying in from Saskatchewan, so that’ll be nice, too. Plus, I still have a bunch of buddies still in the area.”

Right wing Dale Weise will return to the Whale lineup after missing three games with an undisclosed illness, but goalie Cam Talbot (high ankle sprain), center Todd White (concussion) and wing Chris McKelvie (foot surgery) won’t make the trip.

The Whale will complete their only venture into Canada this season with a game at Hamilton on Friday night and then play at Providence on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. After four days off, they’ll make a second trip to Glen Falls, N.Y., to face the Adirondack Red Wings on Feb. 18 before a quick bus ride home for the Harvest-Properties.com “Whale Bowl” game against Providence on Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. at Rentschler Field in East Hartford. That follows the Army-AIC game at 1 p.m., and celebrities mixing with the Hartford Whalers legends and Boston Bruins legends at 4 p.m. If the Whale-Bruins game is postponed because of bad weather, it will be played Feb. 20.

The Whale is at Portland on Feb. 21 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 the Springfield Falcons. Their ensuing home game will be March 11 against the defending Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears, ending the brutal stretch of 10 road games in a dozen.

BALDWINS TO OPEN HOCKEY FEST 2011 ON THURSDAY AT 3 P.M.

The historic “Harvest-Properties.com Whalers Hockey Fest 2011” is scheduled to begin Thursday at 3 p.m. with Whalers Sports and Entertainment chairman and CEO Howard Baldwin and WSE president and COO Howard Baldwin Jr. officially opening the 12-day event with a ceremonial first skate.

The first of 30 outdoor youth, high school, prep school, college, celebrity, alumni and pro games will start at 5 p.m. as the Simsbury High girls play the West Hartford girls, followed by a cthockeyleague.com game at 10 p.m.

“UConn Day” is Sunday, when the alumni plays at 9 a.m., followed by the men’s team facing Sacred Heart at 1 p.m. and the women meeting Providence at 4 p.m. Two days later, Feb. 15, is “Trinity-Wesleyan Day” as the schools’ women’s teams play at 4 p.m., their alumni teams at 6:30 p.m. and the men’s teams at 8 p.m.

The featured attraction is the Harvest-Properties.com “Whale Bowl” on Feb. 19. 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, who played 12 seasons in Boston and with the Rangers, 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, who was 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 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 and the Babych brothers, Dave and Wayne. Emile “The Cat” Francis, a coach and general manager with the Rangers and Whalers, will be back behind the bench again, and Norm Barnes and former captain Russ Anderson will be assistant 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”.

Tickets ($20 to $85) for the doubleheader can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and the Bushnell box office in Hartford on Monday through 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.

The official charity of the Harvest-Properties.com Whalers Hockey Fest 2011 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.

ADMIRALS GEOFFRION REPEATS AS AHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Milwaukee Admirals center Blake Geoffrion was named Reebok/AHL Player of the Week after getting two goals and five assists and being plus-5 in two games. He became the first AHL player to win back-to-back awards since Pirates goalie Jim Carey on Oct. 30 and Nov. 6, 1994.

After turning 23 on Thursday, Geoffrion had the game-winning goal and three assists in a 4-2 victory over Rockford on Friday night. He then had a goal and two assists in a 6-2 victory over Grand Rapids that kept the Admirals atop the West Division and Western Conference. Geoffrion has 13 points and is plus-8 in four games the last two weeks. He’s a rookie out of the University of Wisconsin, where he won the 2010 Hobey Baker Award as the top player in collegiate hockey while playing with Rangers center Derek Stepan and defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who started the season with the Whale. They led the Badgers to the NCAA title game but lost 5-0 to Boston College and Rangers top prospect Chris Kreider. Geoffrion is the grandson of former AHL coach and Hockey Hall of Famer Bernie Geoffrion and son of former AHL forward Dan Geoffrion.

The Whale nominated right wing Chad Kolarik, who had three goals in two games. Other nominees included Jones, Gustavsson, Hutton and former Wolf Pack wing Jeff Taffe (Rockford).

MILFORD NATIVE QUICK CONTINUES WINNING SHOOTOUT WAYS

Hamden native Jonathan Quick continued to build on a stellar season Saturday night as he stopped five consecutive shootout attempts, two with help from a post, as the Los Angeles Kings beat the Calgary Flames 4-3 to improve to 2-0-1 on a 10-game road trip.

After allowing two goals in the skills competition, the Flames couldn’t score again on Quick, who made a spectacular, falling-backwards glove stop on Curtis Glencross in the fourth round on the way to going 6-0 in shootouts and ending Calgary’s six-game winning streak. Quick (24-14-1, 2.14 goals-against average, .921 save percentage, career-high five shutouts) is only the third goalie in Kings’ history to win 20 games in a season, joining Rogie Vachon and Kelly Hrudey.

Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff also allowed two quick goals and then stopped four shots before Justin Williams beat him after getting a goal and two assists in regulation. It was the Kings’ first win in Calgary in 11 tries since Dec. 21, 2005, and moved them into the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, one point ahead of the Flames.