Established
1972
City
Boston – Hartford – Raleigh
League History
1979 – Present / National Hockey League
1972 – 1979 / World Hockey Association
Team History
1997 – Present / Carolina Hurricanes
1979 – 1997 / Hartford Whalers
1972 – 1979 / New England Whalers
Nickname
Whalers – The New England Whalers have been a beloved hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) since its inception in 1972. The nickname “Whalers” was chosen to represent the region’s long history of whaling, which has become an iconic part of New England culture and heritage.
The origin story behind this unique name dates back to when Connecticut was known as the "Land of Steady Habits" due to its solid Puritan roots. During this time, many people from Connecticut turned to whaling for sustenance and income, leading it to become one of America's first industries. This connection between Connecticut and whales inspired the founders of The Hartford Whalers organization when they chose a nickname for their new NHL team over 40 years ago!
It wasn't until 1997 that professional sports teams began using nicknames with Native American imagery or references as mascots; however, despite being named after whales – an animal native only to water-based environments – The Hartford Whaler still managed to stand out amongst other teams in terms league branding thanks its creative moniker choice! Today fans across New England proudly wear apparel featuring their favorite whale logo while cheering on their beloved hometown hockey heroes at games around North America - cementing "Whaler" as one of the most recognizable names of sport today!
Championship
Stanley Cups 0
2006
Avco Cup 1
1973
Arena
2013 – Present / PNC Arena
2002 – 2012 / RBC Center
1999 – 2002 / Raleigh Entertainment & Sports Arena
1997 – 1999 / Greensboro Coliseum
*Hartford*
1975 – 1978, 1980 – 1997 / Hartford Civic Center
1978 – 1980 / Springfield Civic Center
*Boston*
1974 – 1975 / The Big E Coliseum
1972 – 1974 / Boston Garden
1972 – 1973 / Boston Arena
Owner
2017 – Present / Thomas Dundon
1994 – 2017 / Peter Karmanos, Jr.
1972 – 1993 / Howard Baldwin, John Coburn, W. Godfrey Wood and William Edward Barnes
- 1971
- 1974
-
New England Whalers Team Formation
The Whalers franchise was born in November 1971 when the World Hockey Association awarded a franchise to New England businessmen Howard Baldwin, John Coburn, W. Godfrey Wood, and William Edward Barnes, to begin to play in Boston. -
Move South To Hartford
While in Boston, the club played their home games at the Boston Arena and Boston Garden. However game scheduling at Boston Garden owned by the rival NHL Bruins became increasingly difficult, and the owners decided to relocate the team to Hartford, Connecticut beginning with the 1974 – 1975 season. The area, aside from various minor league teams in New Haven, ...
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
History of the Whalers
The New England Whalers are a professional ice hockey team based in Hartford, Connecticut. The team was founded in 1972 and is currently part of the American Hockey League (AHL). The Whalers have been playing since their inception and have had many successes, including a notable rivalry with the Carolina Hurricanes.
In 1975-76, the New England Whalers won their first division championship by finishing first overall in the North Division with 42 wins, 21 losses, and 7 ties. This success continued into 1976-77 when they made it to the AHL finals for only the second time ever but were defeated by Nova Scotia Voyageurs 4 games to 1. In the 1979-80 season, they finished as league champions after defeating Maine Mariners 4 games to 2 in a best-of-seven series final round matchup. Following this victory, they went on to represent Canada at an international tournament held that year, where they earned bronze medals due to being defeated 3–2 against Czechoslovakia, who took home gold medals from that event.
Throughout its history, New England has consistently remained competitive within its respective leagues while also producing some notable NHL alumni such as Ron Francis, who played 11 seasons with them before moving on to Pittsburgh Penguins, where he would win two Stanley Cups championships; Kevin Dineen who served as head coach for three years during his tenure; Ray Ferraro whose son Landon currently plays for Los Angeles Kings organization; Ulf Samuelsson another former player now serving assistant coaching role under Bill Peters’ Calgary Flames staff name few examples among many others involved over past four decades plus the period associated with franchise’s existence so far both on the ice off it alike!
Sports Fan Products
Retired Number
2 / Glen Wesley
10 / Ron Francis
17 / Rod Brind’Amour
99 / Wayne Gretzky
*Blue is this team’s history