Carolina Hurricanes History and Information
The New England Whalers were a charter franchise in the maverick World Hockey Association when it was founded in 1972. Their first game was a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Blazers on October 12, 1972, and won the Avco Cup (the WHA's championship) during their first season. They first played their home games in Boston, but were unable to compete with the Bruins. In 1975 they moved to Hartford, Connecticut, but would temporarily relocate to Springfield, Massachusetts after their arena's roof collapsed in 1978.
In 1977, they scored a major coup by signing both long-time Detroit Red Wings legend Gordie Howe and his sons Mark and Marty. They would reach the Avco Cup finals again in 1978, but would be swept by the Winnipeg Jets.
When the WHA folded in 1979, four of the league's teams, including the Whalers, were absorbed by the NHL. The team's name was modified to the "Hartford Whalers" and a new logo and uniforms were introduced. Gordie Howe would spend one last season in the NHL before retiring. In addition to Howe, the Whalers would also acquire a 40-year-old Bobby Hull, but he would only play 9 games for the team before retiring.
Through most of Hartford's 18-year term in the NHL, they were synonymous with futility. The team's lone bright spot was in the mid-to-late 1980s. In 1983, the team hired former New York Rangers and most recently St. Louis Blues general manager Emile Francis to run hockey operations. The move gave the lackluster Whalers instant credibility. Francis's first move was to hire veteran coach Jack 'Tex' Evans as head coach and draft Sylvain Turgeon with the 2nd pick overall in the 1983 draft. Francis also moved to acquire many of his former players in St. Louis who had made the franchise successful, including All-Star goaltender Mike Liut
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