Day Two: Hartford

Hartford Whalers
Currently: Carolina Hurricanes, Formerly: New England Whalers
Existed 1972-1997
Stanley Cups: 0

When the WHL merged with the NHL in 1979, the Hartford Whalers had already relocated in 1974, from Boston Massachusetts.  The Whalers shared space with the Boston Bruins and were finding it difficult to compete.  Then in 1979, as the Whalers were joining the NHL, the Bruins gave them a hard time with their name, demanding that they drop the “New England” part of their name.  With a new name, a new league, and a new season, the Whalers struggled until 1985-86, making their first playoff appearance against the Quebec Nordiques. The remaining eleven seasons were a bit of a roller coaster for the Whalers, with them finally relocating to Raleigh, North Carolina for the 1997-98 season.

The Whalers may be best known for Gordie Howe and Brass Bonanza, but the club is not without scandal.  In 1991, the franchise traded away beloved player, Ron Francis to the Pittsburgh Penguins.  The Whalers sent Ulf Samuelsson and Grant Jennings along with Francis, and in return received what was, in theory, a financially and more talented end of the deal.  The result of the trade worked out much better for the Penguins, with Francis and Samuelsson leading the Penguins to back to back Stanley Cups, with the Whalers being left with very little talent (especially since two weeks after the trade, the newly acquired Jeff Parker injured his knee and ended his career).

The aforementioned Brass Bonanza:

And the love of my life, as I’ve proclaimed on Twitter many times (once even calling him a sexy mofo), Mr. Hockey himself:

Day Twenty One: Carolina

Carolina Hurricanes
Formerly: New England Whalers, Hartford Whalers
Founded in: 1972, relocated to Carolina in 1997
Stanley Cups: 1
Original Six Status: No

The Carolina Hurricanes have made the trek from the hockey obsessed New England states to the slightly less interested state of North Carolina and have managed to make a name for themselves.  The Hurricanes are currently battling it out to gain a coveted spot in the Eastern Conference playoff position and with just 9 games left in the season, every game matters.  The Hurricanes are always working to repeat their success of the 2005-2006 season (in which they won the Stanley Cup).  Maybe the Hurricanes could use a bit of help from their former Right Winger Gordie Howe (who yes played for the Hartford Whalers, but I just love the man).

Two facts today, one for the Whalers and one for the Hurricanes.  The Hurricanes are the second club in NHL history to fail to make the playoffs the two seasons following a Stanley Cup win.

The Whalers had a theme song, “Brass Bonanza”:

Notable Players:

Jeff Skinner

Erik Cole