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Could Hockey Return To Hartford?

R

radiolives

It has been a topic in the news recently. Channel 3 was just talking about it lastnight during sports and tonight theirs going to be more. The reason hockey might return to Hartford is that they might build a brand new arena in Hartford.

Read More On This:
<a target="_blank" href=http://www.wfsb.com/global/story.asp?s=4296922>http://www.wfsb.com/global/story.asp?s=4296922</a>

Now the media part to this. Who might broadcast the NHL team if a team does in really come to Hartford? I don't see NESN or FSN New England broadcasting any games. NESN already has Bruins and FSN New England has Celtics. But what I did have in mind is that FOX 61 and WB 20 could broadcast most of the games. They can still broadcast UCONN Men's Basketball, they would have one channel the UCONN game and the other hockey. This is if both games were at the same time and night. Comments
 
Hockey never left Hartford

Hockey never left Hartford. The NHL left Hartford. Everyone thinks just because the Whalers left, hockey totally left Hartford. Notice the fact there is an AHL hockey team there, the Hartford Wolf Pack. The team is owned and operated by the nearby New York Rangers. It's sad when the Wolf Pack won the Calder Cup in the 1999-2000 season, nobody cared. The people that didn't care about the Wolf Pack's title run were the same people who bitched and moaned about the Whalers leaving. If they liked hockey so much, they should have and still should support the team they do have...even though it's the AHL. Personally, I would rather watch an AHL or UHL game then spend a boat load for NHL tickets...especially after last year's lockout.

Also, why would they want to build a new arena in Hartford, when they are spending a ton of money expanding the current Civic Center? Hasn't anyone noticed the construction that's been going on there for over a year now?

Who aired the Hartford Whalers games when they were around? I wasn't living in New England then, so I wouldn't know.
 
Re: Hockey never left Hartford

> > Who aired the Hartford Whalers games when they were around?

Way back when, in the mid to late 1980s and possibly 1990, the Whalers were on WHCT-TV/18. Not sure if the Whalers were still on WHCT when they went dark or not, but sometime in the late 1980s, I remember receiving Channel 18 under DX conditions in Monmouth County, NJ and they were airing the Whalers-Flyers game. I remember having my choice as to which UHF station to watch the game on- WHCT (which usually did not come in except under DX conditions) or WGBS/57 in Philadelphia, which we got all the time, and was my favorite TV station at the time. Being a diehard Flyers fan, I think I went with Philly 57.

-Mike
 
> It has been a topic in the news recently. Channel 3 was just
> talking about it lastnight during sports and tonight theirs
> going to be more. The reason hockey might return to Hartford
> is that they might build a brand new arena in Hartford.
>
> Read More On This:
> http://www.wfsb.com/global/story.asp?s=4296922
>
> Now the media part to this. Who might broadcast the NHL team
> if a team does in really come to Hartford? I don't see NESN
> or FSN New England broadcasting any games. NESN already has
> Bruins and FSN New England has Celtics. But what I did have
> in mind is that FOX 61 and WB 20 could broadcast most of the
> games. They can still broadcast UCONN Men's Basketball, they
> would have one channel the UCONN game and the other hockey.
> This is if both games were at the same time and night.
> Comments
>

I doubt it. The Hartford WolfPack are content
 
Re: Hockey never left Hartford

People don't care about the Wolf Pack because the Rangers own them. Would you let the Yankees own a farm team in Boston if the Red Sox, for some hypothetical reason, left Boston? No. However that happened in Hartford, sad.
 
> It has been a topic in the news recently. Channel 3 was just
> talking about it lastnight during sports and tonight theirs
> going to be more. The reason hockey might return to Hartford
> is that they might build a brand new arena in Hartford.
>
> Read More On This:
> http://www.wfsb.com/global/story.asp?s=4296922
>
> Now the media part to this. Who might broadcast the NHL team
> if a team does in really come to Hartford? I don't see NESN
> or FSN New England broadcasting any games. NESN already has
> Bruins and FSN New England has Celtics. But what I did have
> in mind is that FOX 61 and WB 20 could broadcast most of the
> games. They can still broadcast UCONN Men's Basketball, they
> would have one channel the UCONN game and the other hockey.
> This is if both games were at the same time and night.
> Comments
>

I'd think they might create their own station, ala the Yankees, Mets, etc. Seems to the be the trend. Perhaps UConn and the Whalers could collaborate.
 
The Bruins and Rangers would not let it happen again. Besides, there are too many franchises right now with stadium, winning and revenue stream problems to put one back in Hartford and worry that they'd be threatening to leave the city again.

As for starting their own cable station, many teams are finding out it's not as easy as it seems. It will work for the big market teams, but the smaller market teams need either 1) to be the hottest ticket and only pro game in town and/or 2) the backing of the local cable giant (guaranteeing cable carrage but possibly putting limits on other aspects of the operation).
 
Re: Hockey never left Hartford

>
> Who aired the Hartford Whalers games when they were around?
> I wasn't living in New England then, so I wouldn't know.
>

SportsChannel New England, now known as Fox Sports New England.

There also were a number of local stations that carried the Whale too.

WTIC carried them on radio.
 
Why in the hell is everybody glossing right over the Hartford Wolfpack? The AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers has been here for six seasons and channel 3, 8 and 30 didn't mention them even once. Neither did the fans they interviewed. WTF? I don't even like hockey but even I agree with my twin brother, who's a die-hard Wolfpack fan (we live in New Britain). What happens to the apartment tower they're building now IF the HCC went bust? These media outlets need to check their facts before they put this crap on the air. What about comments from Bob Crawford, the radio voice of the Wolfpack or somebody who isn't from the Tribune-has-to-own-everything-in-Hartford Courant? In my opinion, we're never going to get the NHL back in Hartford. The attempt with the Patriots didn't work. The U-Conn basketball games rarely sell out anymore. The NHL will NOT happen. End of story!

On a side note, the lot in question near channel 61 looks familiar. Wasn't that one of the sites channel 3 was looking to move to before they decided on Rocky Hill?<P ID="signature">______________
#13 Dan Marino...2005 Football Hall Of Fame Inductee :)</P>
 
Re: Hockey never left Hartford

> Who aired the Hartford Whalers games when they were around?
> I wasn't living in New England then, so I wouldn't know.
>

FOX Sports New England, back when they were SportsChannel. Some games also aired on then-independent WHCT-TV channel 18 of Hartford. Hell, even WVIT-TV (NBC) channel 30 of New Britain/Hartford and PRISM aired games once in the 1980s. My twin brother, who's a die-hard hockey fan and a sports pocket schedule collector, has much evidence of that fact.
<P ID="signature">______________
#13 Dan Marino...2005 Football Hall Of Fame Inductee :)</P>
 
Re: Hockey never left Hartford

> People don't care about the Wolf Pack because the Rangers
> own them. Would you let the Yankees own a farm team in
> Boston if the Red Sox, for some hypothetical reason, left
> Boston? No. However, that happened in Hartford. Sad.
>

Hello? Greter Hartford's sports fan base isn't all one-sided like it might be in Providence or Portland. We have a mix of both Rangers and Bruins fans here. We used to be affected by both clubs with the league's TV blackout rules, whether the Whalers were here or not.
<P ID="signature">______________
#13 Dan Marino...2005 Football Hall Of Fame Inductee :)</P>
 
Re: Hockey never left Hartford

> Way back when, in the mid to late 1980s and possibly
> 1990, the Whalers were on WHCT-TV/18. Not sure if the
> Whalers were still on WHCT when they went dark or not, but
> sometime in the late 1980s, I remember receiving Channel 18
> under DX conditions in Monmouth County, NJ and they were
> airing the Whalers-Flyers game. I remember having my choice
> as to which UHF station to watch the game on- WHCT (which
> usually did not come in except under DX conditions) or
> WGBS/57 in Philadelphia, which we got all the time, and was
> my favorite TV station at the time. Being a diehard Flyers
> fan, I think I went with Philly 57.
>
> -Mike
>

WHCT-TV aired the Hartford vs Buffalo Sabres game, which my twin brother attended with the Hartford Whalers Booster Club, on February 18, 1990. So, yes, they were still on WHCT-TV until at least the spring of 1990.
<P ID="signature">______________
#13 Dan Marino...2005 Football Hall Of Fame Inductee :)</P>
 
Re: Hockey never left Hartford

> > People don't care about the Wolf Pack because the Rangers
> > own them. Would you let the Yankees own a farm team in
> > Boston if the Red Sox, for some hypothetical reason, left
> > Boston? No. However, that happened in Hartford. Sad.
> >
>
> Hello? Greter Hartford's sports fan base isn't all one-sided
> like it might be in Providence or Portland. We have a mix of
> both Rangers and Bruins fans here. We used to be affected by
> both clubs with the league's TV blackout rules, whether the
> Whalers were here or not.
>

There aren't many Rangers or Bruins fans here. Rangers games aren't even shown on TV in most of metro Hartford because of no interest, and if you haven't seen Bruins ratings on NESN.. basically the only reason that channel is here is bc of the Red Sox.
 
Umm TSN, ESPN, and others have picked this up. I think the national (and international) hockey media might have a better clue than you... There is a big chance this will happen.

The Wolf Pack are just another team, similar to a mites team that plays in South Windsor. College hockey is more important than the AHL. So thats why you don't hear any media reports about that. My high school team didn't get much media either. The Wolf Pack might have more talent, but high school hockey is more meaningful than the AHL.
 
> The Bruins and Rangers would not let it happen again.
> Besides, there are too many franchises right now with
> stadium, winning and revenue stream problems to put one back
> in Hartford and worry that they'd be threatening to leave
> the city again.
>
> As for starting their own cable station, many teams are
> finding out it's not as easy as it seems. It will work for
> the big market teams, but the smaller market teams need
> either 1) to be the hottest ticket and only pro game in town
> and/or 2) the backing of the local cable giant (guaranteeing
> cable carrage but possibly putting limits on other aspects
> of the operation).
>

The Bruins and Rangers have no say in this. I'd also imagine the Bruins would WANT Hartford to have a team. A rival might be a shot in the arm of a dying franchise.
 
> It has been a topic in the news recently. Channel 3 was just
> talking about it lastnight during sports and tonight theirs
> going to be more. The reason hockey might return to Hartford
> is that they might build a brand new arena in Hartford.
>
> Read More On This:
> http://www.wfsb.com/global/story.asp?s=4296922
>
> Now the media part to this. Who might broadcast the NHL team
> if a team does in really come to Hartford? I don't see NESN
> or FSN New England broadcasting any games. NESN already has
> Bruins and FSN New England has Celtics. But what I did have
> in mind is that FOX 61 and WB 20 could broadcast most of the
> games. They can still broadcast UCONN Men's Basketball, they
> would have one channel the UCONN game and the other hockey.
> This is if both games were at the same time and night.
> Comments
>
Okay, everyone seems to have forgotten that the NHL has a say in this. And, I seriously doubt that they see Hartford as a key growth market. Ummmm let's see, there's Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Houston - all bigger (most much bigger) and faster growing markets that the NHL would rather be in. And, if Canadian politics intrude, add Hamilton and Winnipeg to that list.

Not to mention that you're within 150 miles of THREE existing teams. And, CT already LOST the Whalers to North Carolina, for lack of interest. They weren't even the first corporate entity to make that move - I might add.

Although the NHL makes great fodder for local news, be happy with the Wolfpack. They are more well suited for the market and feature a lot of great action. No way that Hartford has enough of a market for season ticket holders willing to shell out $65/ticket/game. And, that's what's needed.

Sorry guys, but you can forget it.
 
> The Bruins and Rangers have no say in this. I'd also
> imagine the Bruins would WANT Hartford to have a team. A
> rival might be a shot in the arm of a dying franchise.

The Rangers do. Especially seeing that they own the Wolf Pack. And MSG, who I believe is the part owner of the Rangers, or maybe the owner-in-full, of the Rangers, operates the Hartford Civic Center. They basically have a power hold over the city of Hartford when it comes to Hockey. In order for the NHL to re-create a team in Hartford, they would need to find a place that a) has enough seating to support a NHL team, b) income to provide profit to the team locally (read: advertisers in the stadium), and c) the sufficent inferstructure surrounding the location of the team. (easy access off of the highways, parking, local buisness income, a city with somewhat of a sound financial base). Hartford only meets critera 'c' in my scenario there as of right now.

Now back to TV....
 
> The Rangers do. Especially seeing that they own the Wolf
> Pack. And MSG, who I believe is the part owner of the
> Rangers, or maybe the owner-in-full, of the Rangers,
> operates the Hartford Civic Center.
>
The Rangers, Wolf Pack, Knicks, Liberty, MSG Network and MSG are owned by Cablevision. Cablevision also has controlling interest in FSN New England, which is why you'll occasionally see Wolf Pack games pop up there. And you are correct - MSG operates the Civic Center.
 
Re: Hockey never left Hartford

Sports Channel New England.
WHCT/18
WFSB/3
WTVU/59

Are some of the TV stations the Whalers were on at one time or another. On radio - WTIC 1080, WNTY 990 (1992 or 1993? I forget what year a friend of mine worked there. He said he used to board op the games), WILI 1400, and WZMX 93.7 (when WTIC was carrying a UCONN Game at the same time)
 
Re: Hockey never left Hartford

> > > People don't care about the Wolf Pack because the
> Rangers
> > > own them. Would you let the Yankees own a farm team in
> > > Boston if the Red Sox, for some hypothetical reason,
> left
> > > Boston? No. However, that happened in Hartford. Sad.
> > >
> >
> > Hello? Greter Hartford's sports fan base isn't all
> one-sided
> > like it might be in Providence or Portland. We have a mix
> of
> > both Rangers and Bruins fans here. We used to be affected
> by
> > both clubs with the league's TV blackout rules, whether
> the
> > Whalers were here or not.
> >
>
> There aren't many Rangers or Bruins fans here. Rangers
> games aren't even shown on TV in most of metro Hartford
> because of no interest, and if you haven't seen Bruins
> ratings on NESN.. basically the only reason that channel is
> here is bc of the Red Sox.
>

And I guess you can say the only reason FSN New England is around to air the Boston Celtics. The only local NBA team you can see in Connecticut. Other then that FSN New England is going to be very dry in the spring/summer as they can't show NY Mets anymore from FSN NY and MSG.
 
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