Norfolk, VA, January 7, 2011 – The Norfolk Admirals scored three goals in a span of 68 seconds in the third period Friday night at the Norfolk Scope, to break open a 2-2 game and score a 5-2 victory over the Connecticut Whale.

The loss kept the Whale (19-14-2-5, 45 pts.) five points behind the first-place Manchester Monarchs, who lost 3-0 in Providence, in the Atlantic Division, and the Portland Pirates, who beat Springfield at home, 4-1, moved into a second-place tie with the Whale.

The Admirals, who improved to 19-9-6-2 for 46 points on the year, outshot the Whale 19-7 in the decisive third period, in which they got goals from Mike Vernace, Mike Angelidis and Chris Durno.

Norfolk dominated play throughout the period but were held at bay by Whale goaltender Chad Johnson (35 saves) until Vernace scored at 11:22.  The goal came immediately off of a faceoff win by Blair Jones, who beat Tim Kennedy on a draw and got the puck to the center point to Vernace, who beat Johnson high.

Twenty-three seconds later, at 11:45, Angelidis drove to the net and jammed in a centering pass from Jones out of the right-wing corner.  Durno, the Norfolk captain, then completed the quick burst at 12:30, when he gunned a drive from the right-wing circle past Johnson after Marc-Antoine Pouliot fed the puck across the slot.

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The Whale were outshot by a total of 40-26 in the game, and found themselves behind on the first shift, as Johan Harju, the Admirals’ leading goal-scorer, got his 15^th of the year just 17 seconds after the opening faceoff.

After a pinch by Connecticut defenseman Tomas Kundratek failed to get the puck deep on the right-wing boards, the Admirals broke three-on-two, and Harju was able to get behind Kundratek’s partner, Pavel Valentenko, and snapped a shot past Johnson’s stick side.

The Whale took over a lot of the play shortly after that and, after several glittering saves by Norfolk goaltender Cedrick Desjardins, were able to even the score at 8:45, on a goal by Brodie Dupont.

The Admirals’ Pierre-Cedric Labrie attempted to pass across the slot in his own zone and Dupont intercepted.  After Desjardins stopped Dupont’s first shot, Kelsey Tessier worked the rebound back to Dupont in the slot, and his backhand shot eluded Desjardins (24 saves), who was seeing his first action since a callup to parent club Tampa Bay that saw him win both of his first two career NHL appearances.

The Whale built a 14-3 shots advantage at one point, but Desjardins yielded nothing else, and the Admirals got the final seven shots of the session.

The two teams also traded goals in a second period that saw Norfolk outshoot the Whale 11-5.

James Wright put the Admirals back on top at the 10:06 mark, after good work deep in the offensive zone with linemates Matt Fornataro and Paul Szczechura.  Fornataro dug the puck out behind the net and played it to Wright at the left-wing faceoff dot.  Wright fired a high shot into the net behind Johnson, through an effective screen by Szczechura.

The Whale got that one back at the 15-minute mark, though, on the second goal in four Whale games for Jason Williams.  Todd White pushed the puck down the left-wing wall to Williams near the corner.  Williams moved toward the slot and tried to center to Chad Kolarik, but the puck deflected off of Admiral defenseman Scott Jackson and squeaked between Desjardins and the goalpost to his right.

The loss was the Whale’s second in three games, but only their third regulation defeat in the last 19 outings (13-3-0-3).  The Whale and Admirals get together again at Scope on Saturday night at 7:15 PM, and Norfolk has won the first two games of the season series by a combined score of 10-3, having beaten the Wolf Pack 5-1 in the first meeting October 20 in Hartford.  The five goals-against came one game after the Whale and Johnson had shut out the Worcester Sharks, 2-0, in Worcester Wednesday night.

MCDONAGH MAKES RANGERS DEBUT

Rookie defenseman Ryan McDonagh became the third Whale player to make his NHL debut this season with the Rangers on Friday night against the Dallas Stars. McDonagh replaced Michal Rozsival, who aggravated a pulled rib muscle in a 2-1 overtime victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night. Wing Mats Zuccarello, the second Whale player to join the Rangers, won that game with his first NHL goal. Whale wing Dale Weise is on his second recall to the Blueshirts.

McDonagh was paired with Matt Gilroy after exchanging places on the Rangers roster with Michael Del Zotto, a member of the NHL all-rookie team last season who was assigned to the Whale on Monday and set up Tim Kennedy’s winner in a 2-0 victory over the Worcester Sharks on Wednesday night. Gilroy had four assists in five games with the Wolf Pack last season in a successful attempt to rediscover his game, as Del Zotto is trying to do now.

McDonagh, the Montreal Canadiens’ first-round pick (12^th overall) in 2007, was reunited with rookie center Derek Stepan, a teammate for two seasons at the University of Wisconsin, which lost 5-0 to Boston College and top Rangers prospect Chris Kreider in the NCAA championship game in April. Since McDonagh is a left-handed shooter, it allowed Gilroy to move to his natural right side. Steve Eminger, a little more comfortable on the left side, was paired with former Wolf Packer Michael Sauer. The Rangers’ No. 1 pairing was two more former Wolf Pack players, Marc Staal and Dan Girardi.

McDonagh, Stepan, Weise, Zuccarello and Sauer are NHL rookies. Stepan centered Zuccarello and former Wolf Pack forward Brandon Dubinsky, and Weise was alongside center/captain and Trumbull native Chris Drury and Alex Frolov.

Left wing Sean Avery played his first game since an unfortunate 23-game stint with the Stars that was followed by a stint with the Wolf Pack before he joined the Rangers. Avery played with sniper Marian Gaborik and former Wolf Pack center Artem Anisimov.

The Rangers play at St. Louis on Saturday night, then return home to host the Canadiens on Tuesday night.

Wing Jamie Langenbrunner didn’t play for the Stars after being re-acquired from the New Jersey Devils for a conditional third-round draft pick. The conditional pick will become a second-rounder if the Stars win the first round of the playoffs or re-sign the former Devils captain before July 1. If the Stars re-sign him after July 1, the Devils swap their 2012 third-round pick with the Stars’ second-round pick.

The 35-year-old Langenbrunner scored 10 goals in the Stars’ run to the Stanley Cup in 1999. He was traded to the Devils on March 19, 2002 and won another Stanley Cup in 2003. But like the Devils, who have the NHL’s worst record, he struggled this season with four goals, 10 assists and a minus-15 in 31 games and missed eight games with a sore neck. He had only four goals in 20 regular-season games after being captain of Team USA that won a silver medal in the 2010 Olympics. He was a healthy scratch in the Devils’ game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night.

NEW ROAD JERSEYS TO APPEAR NEXT FRIDAY

The Whale has a rematch with the Admirals on Saturday night and then will debut their new blue road jerseys at the end of their four-game road trip next Friday at Portland. The jerseys are available for purchase at the XL Center or The Hartford Store, 45 Pratt Street in Hartford. Prices, including sales tax, are $289 (authentic), $125 (senior replica) and $99 (junior replica). … The Whale returns to the XL Center next Saturday at 7 p.m. to face Providence, the start of a three-game homestand that will include former Boston Bruins standouts Rick Middleton and Reggie Lemelin signing autographs in the XL Center atrium from 6-7 p.m. and then dropping the ceremonial first puck. Middleton, who played 12 seasons with the Bruins after two with the Rangers, and Lemelin will also be playing with the Bruins legends team that will face the Hartford Whalers legends Feb. 19 at 4 p.m. before the Whale plays the Providence Bruins. That doubleheader is part of the “Harvest-Properties.com Whalers Hockey Fest” at Rentschler Field in East Hartford on Feb. 11-23. Early commitments for the Whalers team include Jordy Douglas, Ray Neufeld and Gordie Roberts. Tickets ($20 to $85) for the Legends Game and Whale-Bruins game 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 homestand also will include visits from league-leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (Jan. 16) and Hamilton (Jan. 21), which is a special Family Value Night at which New Britain Rock Cats mascot Rocky will be on hand. There will be a giveaway, a table setup and autograph session, and the New Britain High School marching band will perform the national anthem and during the first intermission. Tickets in the lower level are $16 and include a soda and pizza slice or hot dog. Visit www.ctwhale.com.

DISCOUNTED TICKETS FOR WHALE FANS

Whalers Sports and Entertainment, in association with the XL Center, is offering a discount for “Disney On Ice” shows to Whale fans. For discounted tickets, use the discount code WHALES and save $4. Discounted tickets start at $11 for shows Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday at 4:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the XL Center box office, online at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000. For groups of 15 or more, contact the XL Center group sales office at 860-548-2000.

… Whale mascots Pucky and Sonar will appear at the University of Hartford women’s basketball game against Albany on Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Reich Family Pavilion in West Hartford. It’s Father/Daughter Day as daughters get a free ticket when dad buys a $15 ticket in the lower level. Pucky and Sonar will have a dance-off at halftime with Howie the Hawk, the Hartford mascot. So come and root on coach Jennifer Rizzotti’s team and enjoy some time with Pucky and Sonar.

… WS&E chairman and CEO Howard Baldwin will be the guest speaker at the East Hartford Chamber of Commerce breakfast series sponsored by AT&T Connecticut Tuesday at 8 a.m. at the Sheraton Hartford Hotel on East River Drive in East Hartford. Baldwin will speak about his efforts to revive the local hockey market, the Whalers Hockey Fest and other economic development opportunities.

“I am very excited to have a man of Howard Baldwin’s experience, energy and commitment to Connecticut and the Hartford area speaking at our Chamber event,” Chamber president Ron Pugliese said. “I invite anyone who has the desire to see the Hartford area grow and prosper economically to join us on January 11.” … Howard Baldwin Jr., the new president and COO of WS&E, has a new Twitter account accessible to Whale fans at howardbaldwinjr.

… Former Wolf Pack defenseman Terry Virtue and Hartford Whalers wing Scott Young will be among the first six inductees into the Worcester Hockey Hall of Fame on Jan. 22 at the DCU Center in Worcester. It’s “Salute to the IceCats” Night, in tribute to the franchise that preceded the Sharks in Worcester, and other inductees will be Kelly O’Leary, Eddie Bates, Larz Anderson and Marvin Degon Sr., father of former Wolf Pack defenseman Martin Degon.

… The Whale’s eighth Tip-A-Player Dinner and Sports Carnival, presented by Aetna, will be Jan. 23 at the XL Center from 4-7 p.m. Tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for children, and proceeds benefit Gaylord Specialty Healthcare at Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford. For more information, contact Lori Leniart at 860-728-3366.

ALL-STAR VOTING ENDS SUNDAY

On-line fan voting for the AHL All-Star Classic Jan. 30-31 at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa., runs through midnight Sunday at theahl.com and facebook.com/theahl. Players receiving the most votes by position will earn berths in the starting lineups of the Eastern Conference and Western Conference teams. A committee of AHL coaches will select the remaining All-Stars, and all 30 clubs must be represented. By completing the official ballot, fans are entered to win a grand prize of a team-signed All-Star jersey. Ten more winners will receive an official All-Star Classic T-shirt.

The Hall of Fame Class of 2011, to be inducted Jan. 30 at 11 a.m., is Mitch Lamoureux, Larry Wilson and the late Harry Pidhirny and Maurice Podoloff, who grew up in New Haven and graduated from Yale. AHL Hall of Famer Bruce Boudreau, former coach of the Hershey Bears and now coach of the Washington Capitals, will be the keynote speaker, and AHL graduate and 2008 Foster Hewitt Award winner Mike Emrick will be master of ceremonies.

ORTMEYER SIGNS WITH WILD

Former Wolf Pack and Rangers right wing Jed Ortmeyer signed with the Minnesota Wild and cleared waivers but remained with the AHL’s Houston Aeros, where he signed a professional tryout contract earlier this season.

The gritty 32-year-old Ortmeyer has played 306 NHL games with the Rangers, Nashville and San Jose. He had his best season in 2009-10 when he had eight goals and 11 assists in 76 games with the President Trophy-winning Sharks.

Ortmeyer will continue to provide veteran leadership for the Aeros or take that strength to the Wild and possibility skate on a line with Eric Nystrom, a linemate for two years at the University of Michigan, where he also played with former Wolf Pack goalie Al Montoya.

“Hopefully I can play well enough (in Houston) to get back to playing in the NHL,” Ortmeyer said. “My game is pretty simple, working hard, good on the penalty kill and being an energy guy. Hopefully I can chip in some points and be a good role model for some of the younger guys (in Houston).” … Former Rangers goalie Jason LaBarbera, a two-time AHL goalie of the year with the Wolf Pack and named to the All-Time Wolf Pack team in November, made 34 saves in the Phoenix Coyotes’ 2-0 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night. … Former Wolf Pack and Rangers wing Nigel Dawes had four goals in the Chicago Wolves’ 9-3 victory over the Toronto Marlies on Wednesday night. That same night, Peoria’s Derek Nesbitt had four goals and an assist in a 7-4 victory over the San Antonio Rampage. … The AHL suspended Wilkes-Barre/Scranton right wing Jesse Boulerice for 10 games for his actions in a 3-2 shootout victory over the Charlotte Checkers on Wednesday night. Boulerice was suspended under the provisions of AHL Rule 28.1 (supplemental discipline) after review of a third-period incident in which it was determined Boulerice deliberately applied physical force to an official without intent to injure. He began serving his suspension Friday night against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and will be eligible to return on Jan. 28 against the Albany Devils.

Connecticut Whale 2 at Norfolk Admirals 5
Friday, January 7, 2011 – Norfolk Scope

Connecticut 1 1 0 – 2
Norfolk 1 1 3 – 5

1st Period-1, Norfolk, Harju 15 (Pouliot, Durno), 0:17. 2, Connecticut, Dupont 6 (Tessier), 8:45. Penalties-Mihalik Nor (holding), 1:55; Nightingale Ct (roughing), 15:20; Labrie Nor (roughing), 15:20.

2nd Period-3, Norfolk, Wright 11 (Fornataro, Szczechura), 10:06. 4, Connecticut, Williams 2 (White, Nightingale), 15:00. Penalties-No Penalties

3rd Period-5, Norfolk, Vernace 6 (Jones), 11:22. 6, Norfolk, Angelidis 12 (Jones, Berry), 11:45. 7, Norfolk, Durno 11 (Pouliot, Quick), 12:30. Penalties-DiDiomete Ct (interference, misconduct), 13:09.

Shots on Goal-Connecticut 14-5-7-26. Norfolk 10-11-19-40.
Power Play Opportunities-Connecticut 0 / 1; Norfolk 0 / 1.
Goalies-Connecticut, Johnson 13-13-3 (40 shots-35 saves). Norfolk, Desjardins 13-5-1 (26 shots-24 saves).
A-4,891
Referees-Jeff Smith (49).
Linesmen-Mark Hamlett (81), Scott Pomento (25).

Hartford, CT …  Whalers Sports and Entertainment announced today that brothers Dave and Wayne Babych will be among the 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 Whalers Hockey Fest 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.

Dave Babych, a defenseman, was the all-time Whaler franchise leader in points and assists by a blueliner, with 240 points and 196 assists in 349 games in a Hartford uniform.  Acquired in a trade November 21, 1985 from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for Ray Neufeld, who will also be playing in the Whale Bowl legends game, Dave Babych also ranks fifth overall in franchise history in assists and ninth in points.  His 44 Whaler goals are also tied for second-most all-time among defensemen.

Dave Babych was the second overall pick in the 1980 NHL Draft by the Jets and would go on to amass 1195 games of NHL action in a 19-year career with the Jets, Whalers, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings.  The Edmonton, Alberta native finished with 142 NHL goals and 581 assists for 723 points, along with 970 PIM.

Wayne Babych, a winger and Dave’s older brother by three years, joined Dave for 37 Whaler games in 1985-86, after being acquired in a trade with the Quebec Nordiques January 17, 1986.  He notched 11 goals and 17 assists for 28 points that year, and played four more games with Hartford the nest season, 1986-87, his last as a pro.

That Whaler tenure concluded a career that saw Wayne Babych play 519 NHL games with the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Nordiques and Whalers.  He totaled 192 NHL goals and 246 assists for 438 points, along with 498 penalty minutes.  The Edmonton native’s best season was 1980-81, when he ripped home 54 goals and added 42 assists for 96 points for the Blues, who drafted Babych third overall in 1978.

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

When forwards Ryan Callahan and Vinny Prospal return from long-term injuries in the next few weeks, New York Rangers management will have some interesting decisions to make.

And as Rangers coach John Tortorella said after a stirring 2-1 overtime victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night, much can be traced to the work of Connecticut Whale coach Ken Gernander and assistants J.J. Daigneault and Pat Boller.

After the worst start in the franchise’s 14-year history, the Whale (19-13-2-5) has made an about-face with points in 16 of their last 18 games (13-2-0-3) to vault from last place to second in the Atlantic Division. And Gernander & Co. has accomplished the latter part of that feat despite losing wings Mats Zuccarello and Dale Weise to call-ups to the Rangers.

But goalie Chad Johnson and forwards Evgeny Grachev, Tim Kennedy and Brodie Dupont have picked up their games, youthful defensemen such as Ryan McDonagh (now on recall in New York), Tomas Kundratek, Pavel Valentenko and Jyri Niemi have matured before everyone’s eyes, newcomers Chad Kolarik, Stu Bickel and more recently Todd White and tryout Jason Williams have helped in all areas, feisty Devin DiDiomete, Justin Soryal and Jared Nightingale have provided plenty of protection against overzealous opposition and veterans Wade Redden, Kris Newbury and Jeremy Williams have been guiding lights on and off the ice. Redden proved that again Wednesday night when despite being sidelined with an injury, he drove to Worcester to watch and then congratulate his teammates after a 2-0 victory over the Sharks.

Redden and everyone else saw an overall worthwhile minor-league debut for new defenseman Michael Del Zotto, the Rangers’ No. 1 pick in 2008 who used his speed to get involved in plays, quarterbacked the No. 1 power-play unit and set up Kennedy’s goal with 5:38 left that broke a scoreless tie and led to the Whale’s fifth victory in six starts and fourth shutout this season.

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Grachev continued his more involved play since being added to the list of penalty killers that was epitomized Wednesday night by the use of his size and speed to score his first shorthanded goal and clinch the win.

So for now, Gernander, Daigneault and Boller have to continue to develop the increased youth in the Rangers’ system, something Tortorella commended Wednesday night after Zuccarello roofed a bad-angle shot for his first NHL goal 3:09 into overtime to give the Rangers their victory. The winner was set up by a brilliant rink-length rush and shot by former Hartford Wolf Pack forward Brandon Dubinsky, who has had an All-Star season and is Case I of the young Hartford graduates such as alternate captain Callahan, another All-Star candidate if not for a broken hand that will sideline him for another month, Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Artem Anisimov, Dale Weise and Matt Gilroy, who benefitted from five games and 10 days on Asylum Street 13 months ago and scored the first goal Wednesday night off assists from Zuccarello and Dubinsky.

“All our young kids are maturing,” Tortorella told the media after the playoff-like game Wednesday night. “I think when you bring up a young kid like Zuccarello and players like that who’ve come up here I think the American League coaches have done a pretty good job in their conditioning first of all. I think they’re in really good shape, and it’s been as seamless as it could be as far as call-ups coming in here. That American League job is an important job when you’re trying to develop a group and go with your youth, and I think they’ve done a terrific job.”

Especially with the 5-foot-7, 170-pound Zuccarello, the “Norwegian Hobbit”, who took a few weeks to get acclimated to more physical play and smaller rinks in North America, getting 23 points in 21 games after having only two in first 12 games. His recent play has shown why he was the leading scorer and voted MVP by the players in the Swedish Elite League last season and led to the Rangers signing him to a bonus-laden, two-year $3.5 million contract.

“What can you say? It’s nothing other than unbelievable,” Zuccarello told the New York media after his game-winner, which ended a possible three-game losing streak and drew a triple Tiger Woods fist pump. “I actually scored a couple of those back in Norway. I try to get it high, and the goalies go down. It’s just a great feeling to watch the puck go in. I just saw the puck went in, and it’s an unbelievable rush hearing the fans cheer and seeing my teammates be happy.

“Me being able to secure a win like this for the team is just an unbelievable feeling. I haven’t been here that long (six games), so scoring a goal for me is just a great feeling. … I have been this way for 23 years. I’ve had a long time to practice being small. So I don’t know what to say. I don’t know how it is to be big, so I just have to use being small to my advantage.”

Zuccarello certainly did Wednesday night and then disappeared into a pile of teammates who poured off the bench to engulf a guy who really impressed Tortorella on one important front.

“Good for him,” Tortorella said. “And you know what I liked? I liked, and I like looking at these things on tape, it wasn’t an individual celebration. He got excited, and then he looked right to the bench. He’s a really likeable kid. I don’t know where it all settles here as we get through, but good for him. It must be exciting for him. … He’s a confident kid. He understands, he asks the right questions, he understands, minds his own business and goes about it, and is learning to be a pro in North America here. I don’t think he lacks confidence. Creative people need that. But he should feel good about it. Obviously, it’s a big two points for us, and a big goal for him.”

Zuccarello said he got lucky on the winner, but not Dubinsky.

“Zucs is the kind of guy who’s going to get dirty, get in there and find pucks,” Dubinsky said. “He gets in there, finds a puck and puts it right underneath the bar. You can’t say enough about it. That’s a heckuva shot. He’s got so much talent and ability. If he keeps his legs moving the way he has the last few game, he’s gonna be really special for us.

“The best part about him is he’s always asking questions, he just wants to learn and he’s soaking it all up, making the right plays and doing the right things out there. Nobody ever questioned his talent. That’s an NHL goal for sure, a heck of a shot there.”

Yes, the diminutive Zuccarello was plenty big on one of sports’ biggest stages, sold-old and rocking Madison Square Garden, and he has helped get the Rangers faithful a bit giddy as their favorites reached the midway point of the season 23-15-3 and in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. That hardly would have seemed possible with long-term injuries to Callahan, Prospal, who has yet to play a game after offseason knee surgery, sniper Marian Gaborik and captain/center and Trumbull native Chris Drury.

But others such as rookie center Derek Stepan, Brian Boyle, Brandon Prust, Steve Eminger and tryout signee Ruslan Fedotenko have stepped up, and the Rangers have had to alter their style to be more of a grind-it-out bunch, which they have achieved most nights. Of course, there’s goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who can cover up a multitude of hockey sins with a flick of a pad or glove.

Defenseman Ryan McDonagh, promoted from the Whale on Monday in a switch with Del Zotto to allow the Rangers brass to assess the 21-year-old rookie’s talents, might get a chance to be added to the growing list of Hartford graduates to play for the Blueshirts on Friday in Dallas or Saturday in St. Louis after Michal Rozsival pulled a muscle near his rib cage and missed the final 11:33 of regulation and overtime Wednesday night. So while his former teammates were bussing from Worcester to Norfolk, Va., McDonagh was flying west with his new team.

Meanwhile, Callahan was cleared by doctors Wednesday night to begin light skating on his own, which he will begin Sunday at the team’s practice facility in Greenburgh, N.Y. The rink is being outfitted with an 85^th anniversary logo, so Callahan will be the first to see it and skate on it. But the Rangers want Callahan back in the lineup ASAP because he has symbolized their new look with his hard-charging style that Hartford fans got to see and appreciate before his promotion and selection the U.S. Olympic team last year.

The Rangers again displayed their gritty ways Wednesday and got their biggest lift from their smallest piece.

“Our meetings focused on playing the right way, and when you do that the way we did, you want to be rewarded for it,” Drury said. “I think it was really important for us to come out with the win after we accomplished pretty much everything we talked about.”

The Whale could say much of the same Wednesday night and hope to continue their climb on the road for three more games.

“It was a good first road game with what’s ahead of us,” Kennedy said. “We weathered the storm early, came on hard in the second when we could have had a few (goals) and then got it done in the third. That’s how you have to win some games on the road. They all don’t have to be pretty.”

PIT STOP ON THE WAY TO NORFOLK

After beating the Sharks, the Whale set off for Norfolk, Va., with a pit stop in Voorhees, N.J., to sleep and then practice Thursday at Flyers Skate Zone where the Philadelphia Flyers work out. They reach the midpoint of their season Friday night.

The Whale may face another hot goalie in rookie Cedrick Desjardins, who made 34 saves in leading the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 2-1 overtime victory over the Rangers on Sunday in his second consecutive NHL start. He had a shutout until Gaborik scored a sixth-attacker goal with 45.6 seconds left in regulation, then former Providence Bruins center Nate Thompson ended it just 19 seconds into overtime.

But Desjardins, recalled from Norfolk on Dec. 20, was sent back to the Admirals after the game, when it was announced the Lightning had acquired 41-year-old veteran Dwayne Roloson from the New York Islanders. Desjardins returned to the AHL after allowing only two goals in his first two NHL games, having made 27 saves in a 4-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 30.

The Admirals won the teams’ first meeting 5-1 on Oct. 20, tying the Whale’s worst loss of the season at home. The Admirals are 0-3-1-1 in their last five games but still nine games above .500 (18-9-6-2) and third in the East Division, one point behind Charlotte but only one ahead of Hershey.

Center Marc-Antoine Pouliot, the Edmonton Oilers’ first-round pick (22^nd overall) in 2003 and a veteran of 179 NHL games, leads the Admirals’ balanced attack with nine goals and 19 assists in 26 games. He’s followed closely by centers James Wright (10, 16) and Paul Szczechura (9, 17), left wing Johan Harju (14, 11), center Blair Jones (9, 16) and wings Matt Fornataro (10, 14), Chris Durno (10, 13) and Mike Angelidis (11, 10). Desjardins is 12-5-1 with a 2.63 GAA, .900 save percentage and one shutout.

The Whale was 1-0-1-0 in two visits to Norfolk last season. The Admirals have won only five of the 13 home games this season but have at least a point in 11 of them (5-2-4-2).

The Whale won’t debut their new blue road jerseys until the end of their four-game road trip Jan. 14 at Portland. The new jerseys are available for purchase at the XL Center or The Hartford Store, 45 Pratt Street in Hartford. Prices, including sales tax, are $289 (authentic), $125 (senior replica) and $99 (junior replica).

The Whale returns to the XL Center on Jan. 15 to face Providence, the start of a three-game homestand that will include former Boston Bruins standouts Rick Middleton and Reggie Lemelin signing autographs in the atrium from 6-7 p.m. and then dropping the ceremonial first puck. Middleton, who played 12 seasons with the Bruins after two with the Rangers, and Lemelin will also be playing with the Bruins legends team that will face the Hartford Whalers legends Feb. 19 at 4 p.m. before the Whale plays the P-Bruins as part of the “Harvest-Properties.com Whalers Hockey Fest” at Rentschler Field in East Hartford on Feb. 11-23. Early commitments for the Whalers team include Jordy Douglas, Ray Neufeld and Gordie Roberts. Tickets ($20 to $85) for the Legends Game and Whale-Bruins game 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 homestand also will include visits from league-leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (Jan. 16) and Hamilton (Jan. 21), which is a special Family Value Night at which New Britain Rock Cats mascot Rocky will be on hand. There will be a giveaway, a table setup and autograph session, and the New Britain High School marching band will perform the national anthem and during the first intermission. Tickets in the lower level are $16 and include a soda and pizza slice or hot dog. Visit www.ctwhale.com.

DISCOUNTED TICKETS FOR WHALE FANS

Whalers Sports and Entertainment, in association with the XL Center, is offering a discount for “Disney On Ice” shows this week to Whale fans. For discounted tickets, use the discount code WHALES and save $4. Discounted tickets start at $11 for shows Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday at 4:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the XL Center box office, online at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000. For groups of 15 or more, contact the XL Center group sales office at 860-548-2000.

… Whale mascots Pucky and Sonar will appear at the University of Hartford women’s basketball game against Albany on Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Reich Family Pavilion in West Hartford. It’s Father/Daughter Day as daughters get a free ticket when dad buys a $15 ticket in the lower level. Pucky and Sonar will have a dance-off at halftime with Howie the Hawk, the Hartford mascot. So come on out and root on coach Jennifer Rizzotti’s team and enjoy some time with Pucky and Sonar. Such appearances are an important part of the Whale being active in local communities through numerous fundraising projects and events. The Whale is happy to assist fundraising efforts by donating tickets or autographed items to qualified non-profit organizations. Visit the “Donation Requests” page under the community section at www.ctwhale.com for more information and to download a donation application form. Pucky, Sonar, players, coaches and front office staff are available upon request for community events and speaking engagements. Check out the “Community Events” and “Speakers Bureau” sections for more information. To learn more about the Whale’s community initiatives and how your organization can become involved, contact the Connecticut Whale Community Relations Department at 860-728-3366.

… WS&E chairman and CEO Howard Baldwin will be the guest speaker at the East Hartford Chamber of Commerce breakfast series sponsored by AT&T Connecticut Tuesday at 8 a.m. at the Sheraton Hartford Hotel on East River Drive in East Hartford. Baldwin will speak about his efforts to revive the local hockey market in Hartford, the Whalers Hockey Fest 2011 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford on Feb. 11-23 and other economic development opportunities.

“I am very excited to have a man of Howard Baldwin’s experience, energy and commitment to Connecticut and the Hartford area speaking at our Chamber event,” Chamber president Ron Pugliese said. “I invite anyone who has the desire to see the Hartford area grow and prosper economically to join us on January 11.” … Howard Baldwin Jr., the new president and COO of WS&E, has a new Twitter account accessible to Whale fans at howardbaldwinjr.

… Former Wolf Pack defenseman Terry Virtue and Hartford Whalers wing Scott Young will be among the first six inductees into the Worcester Hockey Hall of Fame on Jan. 22 at the DCU Center in Worcester. It’s “Salute to the IceCats” Night, a tribute to the AHL franchise that preceded the Sharks, and other inductees will be Kelly O’Leary, Eddie Bates, Larz Anderson and Marvin Degon Sr., father of former Wolf Pack defenseman Martin Degon.

… The Whale’s eighth Tip-A-Player Dinner and Sports Carnival, presented by Aetna, will be Jan. 23 at the XL Center from 4-7 p.m. Tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for children, and proceeds benefit Gaylord Specialty Healthcare at Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford. For more information, contact Lori Leniart at 860-728-3366.

DESHARNAIS, JONES AND LACK NAMED AHL’S BEST IN DECEMBER

Hamilton Bulldogs center David Desharnais, Manchester Monarchs goalie Martin Jones and Manitoba Moose goalie Eddie Lack were named Reebok/AHL Player, Rookie and Goaltender of the Month for December.

Desharnais had three goals and 17 assists in 14 games in leading the Bulldogs into the North Division lead. He got at least a point in 12 of 14 games to take over the AHL scoring lead (10 assists, 35 assists in 35 games) before being recalled by the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 31.

The Whale nominated Newbury, who had three goals and 13 assists in 12 games, going without a point in only two games. Other nominees included Bridgeport Sound Tigers center Jeremy Colliton, former Rangers and Wolf Pack wing Petr Prucha (San Antonio), former Wolf Pack forwards Corey Locke (Binghamton), Patrick Rissmiller (Lake Erie) and Jeff Taffe (Rockford) and former Wolf Pack defenseman Corey Potter (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton).

Jones was 7-1-0 with a 1.99 goals-against average and .935 save percentage in nine appearances to help the Monarchs maintain first place in the Atlantic Division. Jones, who turns 21 on Friday, started 2011 with two wins, including a 39-save performance in a 3-0 victory over the Whale on Sunday. He is 13-2-0 and second in the AHL in GAA (1.60) and save percentage (.948).

The Whale nominated Zuccarello, who had four goals and five assists in nine games before being called up for the first time. Other nominees included Sound Tigers right wing Rhett Rakhshani.

Lack was 7-2-0 with a 1.99 GAA and .935 save percentage in leading the Moose from fifth place to second in the North Division. He finished the month with six consecutive victories, stopping 170 of 178 shots over the second half of the month and made 20 saves in his first career AHL shutout against Houston. In his first season in North America, Lack is 13-7-2 with a 1.98 GAA and .930 save percentage in 22 games. Lack, who turns 23 on Wednesday, is a native of Norrtalje, Sweden, played last season for Brynas IF in the Swedish Elite League and signed as a free agent with Vancouver on April 6.

The Whale nominated Johnson, who was 6-1-1 in eight games. Other nominees included Jones and the Sound Tigers’ Kevin Poulin.

ALL-STAR VOTING ENDS SUNDAY

On-line fan voting for the AHL All-Star Classic Jan. 30-31 at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa., runs through midnight Sunday at theahl.com and facebook.com/theahl. Players receiving the most votes by position will earn berths in the starting lineups of the Eastern Conference and Western Conference teams. A committee of AHL coaches will select the remaining All-Stars, and all 30 clubs must be represented. By completing the official ballot, fans are entered to win a grand prize of a team-signed All-Star jersey. Ten more winners will receive an official All-Star Classic T-shirt.

The Hall of Fame Class of 2011, to be inducted Jan. 30 at 11 a.m., is Mitch Lamoureux, Larry Wilson and the late Harry Pidhirny and Maurice Podoloff, who grew up in New Haven and graduated from Yale. AHL Hall of Famer Bruce Boudreau, former coach of the Hershey Bears and now coach of the Washington Capitals, will be the keynote speaker, and AHL graduate and 2008 Foster Hewitt Award winner Mike Emrick will be master of ceremonies. … Wilkes-Barre/Scranton coach John Hynes has earned a spot as one of the co-coaches of the Western Conference All-Star team. He officially clinched the honor Saturday night when the Penguins locked up the best points percentage in the Eastern Conference as of the pre-determined deadline of this Sunday. Wilkes-Barre is 27-8-0-0 (.771) and No. 1 in the AHL. Hynes is in his first season as Penguins coach after spending one year as the assistant to Todd Reirden. The coach whose team has the best points percentage in the Western Conference on Sunday will join Hynes. That race is led by Peoria’s Jared Bednar (.681), followed by Texas’ Glen Gulutzan (.639) and San Antonio’s Ray Edwards (.635). By virtue of Hershey winning the 2010 Calder Cup championship, Bears coach Mark French and assistant Troy Mann will guide the Eastern Conference All-Stars. … Former Whalers wing Alexandre Giroux (129 points), Keith Aucoin (122), Desharnais (119), Jerome Samson (95) and Andrew Gordon (90) were the AHL’s top five scorers in the regular season and playoffs during calendar year 2010. … Greenville Road Warriors coach Dean Stork was named coach of the ECHL team that will play the Bakersfield Condors in the ECHL All-Star Classic on Jan. 26 in Bakersfield, Calif. Stork was chosen because Greenville had the ECHL’s best winning percentage as of Jan. 1 (.750, 23-7-2). Stork will coach the All-Stars with Las Vegas Wranglers coach Ryan Mougenel in his first appearance as a player or coach. The Road Warriors are affiliated with the Rangers and Flyers. … Greenville’s Dov Grumet-Morris was named ECHL Goalie of the Month for December, when he was 9-2-1 with a 1.56 GAA, .942 save percentage and two shutouts in 12 games, leading the Road Warriors to the best record in the league (23-7-2). Grumet-Morris, who played two games with the Whale earlier in the season, allowed two or fewer goals in 10 games and now leads the ECHL in wins (15) and GAA (1.93) and is second in save percentage (.933).

By Bruce Berlet

WORCESTER, Mass. – The Connecticut Whale’s 2-0 victory over the Worcester Sharks had several special features Wednesday night.

Tim Kennedy broke a scoreless tie on a power play with 5:38 left off a brilliant goalmouth pass by Michael Del Zotto, making his minor-league debut after being assigned by the New York Rangers on Monday.

Then with the Sharks pressing for the tying goal on a power play, Kennedy lifted a clearing into center ice, where Evgeny Grachev outraced and outmuscled Matt Irwin to and puck and chipped it through Alex Stalock’s legs for his first professional shorthanded goal with 2:47 to go.

Chad Johnson then capped off the delightful start to a four-game road trip with two of his 27 saves to register a second shutout in his last five starts as the Whale (19-13-2-5) won their fifth game in six starts and have points in 16 of their last 18 games (13-2-0-3). The Whale is 3-1-0-1 in five games against the Sharks (17-13-2-4), but this was the first win in regulation and the only game of the five with Worcester decided by more than one goal.

“There was momentum back and forth the whole game and guys did a good job blocking a lot of shots and let me see the shots when there were chances,” Johnson said. “They have a lot of good players so you have to be ready because they’ll fire pucks from different angles.

“It was hard for us to get good quality chances because they’re so structured the way they play. So you don’t have a lot of opportunities, so you kind of have to make the best of it. It was a tight game, so it was a good win overall.”

It appeared the teams were headed to fourth overtime game when the Whale finally converted on their fifth power play after barely setting up in the Worcester zone on two man advantages early in the third period.

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Stalock made diving save on Kennedy’s jam attempt on the second power play 3:08 into the third period, but he was helpless on the winner, the culmination of a terrific three-way play. Brodie Dupont did an excellent job getting the puck to Del Zotto in the right circle, and the 20-year-old defenseman took two strides and threw a pass to the goalmouth that Kennedy redirected into the open side of the net.

“Doobs made an unbelievable pass on his backhand, and once it came to me I knew everyone was pressuring outside,” Del Zotto said. “I took a look out of the corner of my eye first thing and saw (Kennedy) going to the net. We both kind of locked eyes, and he knew what was going on, but it all started with a great play by Dupont posting up (inside the blueline), drawing everyone and throwing the cross-ice pass. It was a great play overall.”

Kennedy concurred.

“When Brodie stopped up, I kept going down the wall and (Del Zotto) saw me coming across, and we saw each other,” Kennedy said. “I called for the puck, and he put it right on my tape. The puck kind of got tipped (by a Sharks defenseman), but it still a great pass by him and it was an open-net goal. That goal was pretty easy.

“It was a good first road game for us with what what’s ahead of us,” Kennedy added, alluding to a five-hour, after-game bus ride to Voorhees, NJ, the halfway point to Norfolk, Va., where the Whale plays Friday and Saturday night. “We weathered the storm early, came on hard in the second when we could have had a few and then got it done in the third. That’s how you have to win some games on the road. They all don’t have to be pretty.”

But Grachev gave the Whale some vital insurance with one of the prettiest goals of the season as he used his size (6-foot-4, 222 pounds) and speed to score in his sixth game since starting to help kill penalties.

“I saw one guy (Justin Braun) trying to hold the blueline and the second (Irwin) going for me,” Grachev said. “So I just protected the puck, and he (Stalock) probably thought I was going to go high, so I decided to try to smash it in low and it went in. I was lucky.”

Despite missing five injured players, including Whale killer T.J. Trevelyan, and having five players on tryout contracts in the lineup, the Sharks dominated the first 12 minutes with a dump-and-chase approach that helped produce six of the first seven shots. But Johnson made excellent stops on Andrew Desjardins off a Tomas Kundratek turnover at 48 seconds, turned aside Nick Schaus’ point shot through a screen at 1:42 and stopped Desjardins breaking in alone off the right wing at 8:11.

The Whale’s first quality chance didn’t come until Stalock (19 saves) denied Todd White’s shot from 30 feet in the slot off a 3-on-2 at 9:31. Johnson then stopped James Marcou off left wing with 4:37 left in the first period before the Whale got the game’s first power play with only four seconds to go.

Del Zotto had two excellent long-range bids kicked out by Stalock, then moments after the power play ended, Stalock made a sprawling save on Grachev, set up by Jeremy Williams at 2:01.

Johnson made a sterling right-pad save on Tommy Wingels off the right wing with 7:32 left in the period, then got his left pad on Sean Sullivan’s excellent bid from the slot during a 4-on-4 with 4:58 to go. Grachev had another quality chance on a 30-foot shot through a partial screen with 2:32 left.

The Whale had two power plays early in the third period but rarely got set up in the Sharks’ zone except when Stalock had to make a diving save on Kennedy. On an ensuing Sharks power play, Johnson was alert to stop Dan DaSilva’s deflection through a screen at 6:02, then the teams sparred before the decisive late goals.

“They came hard at the start, but we kind of weathered the storm and got stronger as the game went on,” Whale coach Ken Gernander said. “We were kind of stubborn at the start and didn’t want to put pucks deep and go to forecheck. We were trying to throw things cross-ice, but once we got our legs under us, I thought we got better.”

And Gernander could sense the winning goal developing.

“You could see Kennedy going to the net, and that’s generally the case when you see a play developing,” Gernander said. “He’s looking to you to get it to you, and you’re looking for him to put his stick on the ice. It’s not surprising that they made eye contact.”

DEL ZOTTO GENERALLY SATISFIED WITH DEBUT

Del Zotto, a member of the NHL all-rookie team last season, was sent down and replaced on the Rangers’ roster by defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who didn’t play Wednesday night when former Whale wing Mats Zuccarello scored with 1:51 left in overtime to give the Rangers a 2-1 victory over the visiting Carolina Hurricanes. Zuccarello also assisted on the Rangers’ first goal by former Wolf Pack defenseman Matt Gilroy.

Del Zotto played alongside veteran Stu Bickel, acquired from the Anaheim Ducks and Syracuse Crunch for Nigel Williams on Nov. 23. Like the rest of his new teammates, Del Zotto got off to a sluggish start in only his second games in 21/2 weeks. But also like the rest of the Whale, his game picked up, especially during the first power play when he had two excellent scoring chances while manning the point on the No. 1 unit.

“Things are a little different here with a different style, so in the beginning I just wanted to keep myself in it, not get too aggressive and start going crazy,” Del Zotto said. “But once I got in it a little bit I felt a lot better. We have a great group of guys, and my partner Stu and I hit it off right away. We had a lot of talk out there and just took it from there.

“The power play had a lot of chances, especially the first one. Then we got one at the end, and it ended up being the game-winner, so that’s all we wanted and all that matters. No matter how you do it as long as you get the job done. They did a good job pressuring most of the night, but we took what they gave us and got the win.”

The Whale scratched right wing Chad Kolarik and defenseman Wade Redden due to injuries. Redden, who has a league-high 23 assists among defensemen, didn’t make the start of the trip to Norfolk, Va., when the Whale face the Admirals Friday and Saturday night. But again demonstrating his professionalism, Redden drove to the DCU Center to watch the game and was outside the locker room congratulating his teammates after the game. “I had to keep tabs on these guys,” Redden said.

The Whale headed after the game to Voorhees, NJ, where they were scheduled to stop early Thursday morning to sleep and then practice at noon at the Flyers Skate Zone where the Philadelphia Flyers work out before finishing their bus ride to Norfolk.

Redden and Kolarik were injured in a 6-2 victory over Providence on Saturday night and missed a 3-0 loss to Manchester on Sunday and the game Wednesday night. The Sharks scratched Joe Loprieno, Frazer McLaren, Tony Lucia, T.J. Trevelyan and Cam MacIntyre. But defenseman Justin Braun was back after getting one goal and eight assists in 14 games with the San Jose Sharks.

… McDonagh was excited about getting his first call-up but realized it might be awhile before he makes his NHL debut.

“You just gotta work hard in practice and do anything to help the team,” McDonagh told the New York media after his first practice Tuesday. “I’m ready to practice. Hopefully I get into a game down the road, but I’m just here to help this team.”

McDonagh, who was among the Rangers’ final cuts out of training camp, might not play soon because the Rangers have six defensemen they like – former Wolf Pack players Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Michael Sauer and Matt Gilroy, Michal Rozsival and Mike Eminger. Del Zotto hadn’t played in four straight games before Sunday (a 3-0 loss to the Florida Panthers), having been a healthy scratch twice, while Gilroy is getting a chance to be a regular in the top six.

“He can skate like hell, but I have no assessment at all,” Rangers coach John Tortorella said of McDonagh, who had one goal and seven assists while playing in all 38 Whale games. “I can’t tell from practice. It gives us a chance to give a look at him. Whether he plays a game or not, I don’t know, but he is growing little by little.”

Rookie center Derek Stepan played with McDonagh for two seasons at the University of Wisconsin before leaving early after leading the Badgers to the 2010 NCAA championship game, where they lost 5-0 to Boston College and top Rangers prospect Chris Kreider. Stepan and McDonagh are longtime friends who have stayed in touch during the season.

“He is a stay-at-home defenseman,” Stepan said. “He’s a big strong man (6-foot-1, 222 pounds), and he’s gonna be physical and block shots. He’s gonna bring some toughness and do all the things he needs to stay here.”

… Former Wolf Pack defenseman Terry Virtue and Hartford Whalers wing Scott Young will be among the first six inductees into the Worcester Hockey Hall of Fame on Jan. 22 at the DCU Center in Worcester. It’s “Salute to the IceCats” Night, the name of the franchise that preceded the Sharks in Worcester, and other inductees will be Kelly O’Leary, Eddie Bates, Larz Anderson and Marvin Degon Sr., father of former Wolf Pack defenseman Martin Degon.

… Before Del Zotto played and McDonagh watched Wednesday night, three top Rangers prospects battled for the bronze medal in the World Junior Championships in Buffalo, N.Y.

Chris Kreider had two goals and Ryan Bourque an assist as Team USA beat Sweden 4-2 to win the bronze medal in the World Junior Championship in Buffalo, N.Y. It was the first U.S. team win back-to-back medals and first to win a medal on U.S. soil. Kreider, Team USA’s Player of the Game, and Bourque, the youngest son of Hockey Hall of Famer Ray Bourque, were also members of last year’s team that beat Canada to win the gold medal.

Jesper Fasth, another Rangers prospect, scored Sweden’s second goal to finish with four goals and two assists in six games, tying Kreider (four goals, two assists) for most points among Rangers draftees. The Rangers selected Kreider in the first round, Bourque in the third round and Fasth in the sixth round in 2009.

In the gold medal game, Russia scored five goals in the third period for a 5-3 victory over Canada, the biggest comeback in tournament history.

WHALE TO FACE ANOTHER HOT GOALIE

The Whale will face another hot goalie this week in Cedrick Desjardins, who made 34 saves in leading the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 2-1 overtime victory over the Rangers on Sunday in his second consecutive NHL start. He had a shutout until Marian Gaborik scored a sixth-attacker goal with 45.6 seconds left in regulation, then former Providence Bruins center Nate Thompson won it just 19 seconds into overtime.

But Desjardins, recalled from Norfolk on Dec. 20, was sent back to the Admirals after the game, when it was announced the Lightning had acquired 41-year-old veteran Dwayne Roloson from the New York Islanders. Desjardins went back to the AHL despite allowing only two goals in his first two NHL games. He had 27 saves in a 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 30.

The Admirals won the teams’ first meeting 5-1 on Oct. 20, tying the Whale’s worst loss of the season at home. The Admirals are 0-3-1-1 in the last five games but still nine games above .500 (18-9-6-2).

Center Marc-Antoine Pouliot, the Edmonton Oilers’ first-round pick (22^nd overall) in 2003 and a veteran of 179 NHL games, leads the Admirals’ balanced attack with nine goals and 19 assists in 26 games. He’s followed closely by centers James Wright (10, 16) and Paul Szczechura (9, 17), left wing Johan Harju (14, 11), center Blair Jones (9, 16) and wings Matt Fornataro (10, 14), Chris Durno (10, 13) and Mike Angelidis (11, 10). Desjardins is 12-5-1 with a 2.63 GAA, .900 save percentage and one shutout.

The Whale was 1-0-1-0 in two visits to Norfolk last season. The Admirals have won only five of the 13 home games this season but have at least a point in 11 of them (5-2-4-2).

The Whale won’t debut their new blue road jerseys until the end of their four-game road trip Jan. 14 at Portland. The new jerseys are available for purchase at the XL Center or The Hartford Store, 45 Pratt Street in Hartford. Prices, including sales tax, are $289 (authentic), $125 (senior replica) and $99 (junior replica).

The Whale returns to the XL Center on Jan. 15 to face Providence, the start of a three-game homestand at which former Boston Bruins stars Rick Middleton and Reggie Lemelin will sign autographs in the XL Center atrium from 6-7 p.m. and then drop the ceremonial first puck. They also will play in the Bruins-Whalers alumni game at Rentschler Field in East Hartford on Feb. 19 at 4 p.m. That will be followed, in the Harvest-Properties.com “Whale Bowl”, by the second AHL outdoor game between the Whale and P-Bruins at 7 p.m.

DISCOUNTED TICKETS FOR WHALE FANS

Whalers Sports and Entertainment, in association with the XL Center, is offering a discount for “Disney On Ice” shows this week to Whale fans. For discounted tickets, use the discount code WHALES and save $4. Discounted tickets start at $11 for shows Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday at 4:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the XL Center box office, online at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000. For groups of 15 or more, contact the XL Center group sales office at 860-548-2000.

… WS&E chairman and CEO Howard Baldwin will be the guest speaker at the East Hartford Chamber of Commerce breakfast series sponsored by AT&T Connecticut Tuesday at 8 a.m. at the Sheraton Hartford Hotel on East River Drive in East Hartford. Baldwin will speak about his efforts to revive the local hockey market in Hartford, the Whalers Hockey Fest 2011 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford on Feb. 11-23 and other economic development opportunities.

“I am very excited to have a man of Howard Baldwin’s experience, energy and commitment to Connecticut and the Hartford area speaking at our Chamber event,” Chamber president Ron Pugliese said. “I invite anyone who has the desire to see the Hartford area grow and prosper economically to join us on January 11.” … Howard Baldwin Jr., the new president and COO of WS&E, has a new Twitter account accessible to Whale fans at howardbaldwinjr.

… The Whale’s eighth Tip-A-Player Dinner and Sports Carnival, presented by Aetna, will be Jan. 23 at the XL Center from 4-7 p.m. Tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for children, and proceeds benefit Gaylord Specialty Healthcare at Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford. For more information, contact Lori Leniart at 860-728-3366.

ALL-STAR VOTING ENDS SUNDAY

On-line fan voting for the AHL All-Star Classic Jan. 30-31 at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa., runs through midnight Sunday at theahl.com and facebook.com/theahl. Players receiving the most votes by position will earn berths in the starting lineups of the Eastern Conference and Western Conference teams. A committee of AHL coaches will select the remaining All-Stars, and all 30 clubs must be represented. By completing the official ballot, fans are entered to win a grand prize of a team-signed All-Star jersey. Ten more winners will receive an official All-Star Classic T-shirt.

The Hall of Fame Class of 2011, to be inducted Jan. 30 at 11 a.m., is Mitch Lamoureux, Larry Wilson and the late Harry Pidhirny and Maurice Podoloff, who grew up in New Haven and graduated from Yale. AHL Hall of Famer Bruce Boudreau, former coach of the Bears and now coach of the Washington Capitals, will be the keynote speaker, and AHL graduate and 2008 Foster Hewitt Award winner Mike Emrick will be master of ceremonies. … Wilkes-Barre/Scranton coach John Hynes has earned a spot as one of the co-coaches of the Western Conference All-Star team. He clinched the honor Saturday night when the Penguins locked up the best points percentage in the Eastern Conference as of the pre-determined deadline of this Sunday. Wilkes-Barre is 27-8-0-0 (.771) and is No. 1 in the AHL. Hynes is in his first season as Penguins coach after spending one year as the assistant to Todd Reirden. The coach whose team has the best points percentage in the Western Conference on Sunday will join Hynes. That race is led by Peoria’s Jared Bednar (.681), followed by Texas’ Glen Gulutzan (.639) and San Antonio’s Ray Edwards (.635). By virtue of Hershey winning the 2010 Calder Cup championship, Bears coach Mark French and assistant Troy Mann will guide the Eastern Conference All-Stars. … Former Wolf Pack wing Alexandre Giroux (129 points), Keith Aucoin (122), David Desharnais (119), Jerome Samson (95) and Andrew Gordon (90) were the AHL’s top scorers in the regular season and playoffs during calendar year 2010. … Greenville Road Warriors coach Dean Stork was named coach of the ECHL team that will play the Bakersfield Condors in the ECHL All-Star Classic on Jan. 26 in Bakersfield, Calif. Stork was chosen because Greenville had the ECHL’s best winning percentage as of Jan. 1 (.750, 23-7-2). Stork will coach the All-Stars with Las Vegas Wranglers coach Ryan Mougenel in his first appearance as a player or coach. The Road Warriors are affiliated with the Rangers and Flyers. … Greenville’s Dov Grumet-Morris was named ECHL Goalie of the Month for December, when he was 9-2-1 with a 1.56 goals-against average, .942 save percentage and two shutouts in 12 games, leading the Road Warriors to the best record in the league (23-7-2). Grumet-Morris, who played two games with the Whale earlier in the season, allowed two or fewer goals in 10 games and now leads the ECHL in wins (15) and GAA (1.93) and is second in save percentage (.933).

Whale 2, Sharks 0

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

First period: No scoring. Penalties: Soryal, Ct (fighting), 3:25; Lizon, Wor (fighting), 3:25; Lawrence, Wor (hooking), 19:55.

Second period: No scoring. Penalties: Petrecki, Wor (hooking), 14:15; Dupont, Ct (holding), 14:38; Lawrence, Wor (boarding), 19:39.

Third period: 1. Conn, Kennedy 8 (Del Zotto, Dupont), 14:22 (pp). 2. Conn, Grachev 6 (Kennedy), 17:13 (sh). Penalties: Schaus, Wor (delay of game), 1:34; Kennedy, Ct (hooking), 4:15; Petrecki, Wor (delay of game), 12:49; Niemi, Ct (cross-checking), 16:02.

Shots on goal: Connecticut 9-8-4-21. Worcester 9-8-10-27; Power-play opportunities: Connecticut 1 of 5, Worcester 0 of 3; Goalies: Connecticut, Johnson 13-12-3 (27 shots-27 saves). Worcester, Stalock 15-14-2 (21-19); A: 2,438; Referees: Mark Lemelin, Ghislain Hebert; Linesmen: Todd Whittemore, Brian MacDonald.