By Bruce Berlet
Talk about a tough act to follow.
Yes, even Connecticut Whale wing Brodie Dupont admitted he didn’t know what he could do for an encore as defending money-earning champion in the eighth Tip-A-Whale Dinner and Sports Carnival at the XL Center on Sunday from 4-7 p.m.
Dupont put himself over the top when he agreed to allow several fans to clip and then shave his head as the coup de grace of the 2010 event, which raised a record $41,000 for Gaylord Specialty Healthcare at Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford.
“There probably won’t be another shaving of the head, but I guess anything is possible,” a smiling Dupont said Wednesday morning after a brisk, one-hour practice at the XL Center in Hartford. “I really don’t have any story for this year. I’m just going to go in with an open mind like I did last year. It’s one of those fun events that you actually look forward to. It’s for a good cause, and I have a good time playing with some of those inflatable things.
“I don’t think I’m cut out to be a server, but the inflatables are fun. Playing with and racing the kids, just kind of having fun and enjoying yourself, is what it’s all about. This year I don’t have anything exactly planned, but I’ll have an open mind.”
Dupont can have the most open mind imaginable this year, but it won’t matter. He was called up to the New York Rangers for the first time Wednesday night after wing Ruslan Fedotenko sustained a sprained left shoulder on an open-ice hit from Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Mike Komisarek in the second period of the Rangers’ 7-0 victory and will be out 2-to-4 weeks.
Dupont, the Rangers’ third-round pick in 2005, had eight goals and 12 assists in 40 games, and his call-up came several hours after right wing Chad Kolarik was summoned when the Rangers learned leading scorer and former Hartford Wolf Pack forward Brandon Dubinsky would be out 3-to-4 weeks with a stress fracture in his left leg. Dupont and Kolarik will make their Rangers debuts Thursday night at the Carolina Hurricanes.
Last year, Dupont’s open-mindedness started after several fans began pooling their “Puck Bucks” to get right wing Dale Weise, now on recall to the Rangers, to shave his head.
“Weisie was kind of on the fence, so I asked what was going on, and someone said the fans were trying to get someone to shave his head,” Dupont recalled. “I said, ‘I’ll do it,’ and started laughing, but I was pretty serious.”
The fans collected about 8,000 “Puck Bucks” ($800), which is the most any player has raised for one “dare.”
“That’s pretty cool,” Dupont said.
During the collection, one man climbed on the stage and told the crowd that Dupont wanted more “Puck Bucks” or the shave wasn’t going to happen.
“I wasn’t going to do for 100 ‘Puck Bucks,’ so they just kept rolling up people and the fans just kept handing out money,” Dupont recalled. “Even when they were shaving my head, they kept throwing more money head in. Several of the other players pooled their money trying to beat me, and they were close, about 500 ‘Puck Pucks.’
“I thought there were some shaky operations trying to steal my win, but I still got it.”
The head shaving was only one of a multitude of activities that Dupont did in the community last year to try to raise awareness for the Wolf Pack. He also made dozens of appearances on behalf of the team, volunteering for school visits and any other youth-oriented outreach opportunities. He and defenseman Jared Nightingale went to Gaylord Hospital on their own to offer support and encouragement to patients recovering from catastrophic and life-changing injuries and medical conditions, something they did again this season.
For his efforts, Dupont was named the Wolf Pack’s American Specialty/AHL Man of the Year for his outstanding contributions to the Hartford community and became one of 29 finalists for the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, honoring the overall winner. The award is named after the former Hershey Bears forward and AHL All-Star who died in 1997 following a 16-month battle with leukemia. San Antonio Rampage goalie Josh Tordjman won the award.
“It was nice to get recognition, but I don’t think that’s why anyone does it,” Dupont said. “There are a lot of guys on the team who do a lot of community work, so they must have just pulled my name out of a hat. But a lot of guys deserve just as much recognition as I got.”
Dupont said he is involved in so many activities because it’s important to give back.
“We enjoy events where you see kids smile, and it’s good to get out and learn about stuff in your community and get to know where you are,” Dupont said. “This is my fourth year here, and I’m happy I’ve got to know some people. When you meet great people, it’s just like the door opens. The people have been so nice and the community of Hartford so great, it makes it easier to go out and do things and makes it a lot more fun.
“It’s not a chore, not something I think I have to do, it’s something I really enjoy doing. I think it’s the way I was raised, where the whole part of giving back is what keeps everything going around and around. And we’re trying to make the game grow, so I think it’s fun doing these events.”
Dupont got special satisfaction at a game in Bridgeport when an AHL official approached him about visiting a friend of his dad.
“That was kind of cool,” Dupont said. “I actually remember his buddy, he stood out in my mind, because he just had a heart transplant and was a really positive guy.”
Much like the people that Dupont sees at Gaylord Hospital.
“It’s pretty cool to see how hard they have to work, and what they go through is unbelievable,” Dupont said. “It’s amazing how much mental toughness it take to even go through something like that. A lot of these guys are just going through their lives and then they get an accident or something. But Gaylord is a special place and very welcoming, so it’s fun to go there. We even play Wii.”
But Dupont’s charity work doesn’t end there. He and his non-profit charity hosted the Brodie Dupont Slo-Pitch Classic the last two summers at his home in St. Lazare, Manitoba, where his father is the mayor. Eight teams raise money for local athletic teams and departments while playing with hockey players from the region, including Weise.
“I’ll direct the wherever they need the financial support,” Dupont said. “Baseball diamonds are huge for a town of 250 people. It’s a lot of work with a lot of volunteers who help. My name ends up on the poster, but I honestly don’t do as much work as a lot of other people. A lot of the behind-the-scene work is done while I’m away in Hartford, and we hold it the day before Father’s Day.”
Dupont has also helped run a dance on the rink at night, but last year he gave control to local firefighters, who worked with Dupont’s group.
Now on Sunday, Dupont will have to leave it to his former Whale teammates to again work to raise more money for Gaylord Hospital with an event presented by Aetna. Dinner provided by area restaurants will be served by the Whale players, who will be available for autographs and pictures and competing for “tips.” There also will be a silent auction and inflatables and games in a carnival setting. Tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for children, and walk-ins are welcome. For more information, contact Lori Lenihart at 860-728-3366.
So for “A Whale of a Time,” forego a few hours of NFL playoffs and help a team as active as ever in the Hartford community to do more good for needy people in the region.
KOLARIK GETS FIRST CALL-UP; WHALE SIGN GOALIE PELLETIER
Kolarik hadn’t fared well in his first four games after missing two with an injury. He had several quality scoring chances, but failed to get a single point.
All that changed in the first period Sunday against the league-leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Kolarik had two shorthanded goals and two assists and was plus-4 in the first period of a 6-3 victory. Kolarik set a franchise record for shorthanded goals in a period and tied team records for shorthanded goals in a game and points in a period. The Whale is 17-7-0-4 since the Kolarik-Byers trade, compared to 11-15-1-2 for the Falcons, who lost their fourth in a row Wednesday night to the Charlotte Checkers, 3-1.
It turned out to be great timing for Kolarik when Dubinsky went down. Kolarik became the fifth Whale forward to be called up this season, then Dupont’s call-up at night made it six. They will rejoin center Kris Newbury and wings Weise and Mats Zuccarello, all of whom were in the lineup Wednesday night.
Dubinsky, who has team highs of 17 goals and 38 points, was examined by team doctor Andrew Feldman, and an MRI and bone scan revealed the fracture in his left fibula. The Rangers were already without injured forwards Vinny Prospal, Alex Frolov, Erik Christensen and former Wolf Pack wing Ryan Callahan. And sniper Marian Gaborik, who had four goals and an assist against the Maple Leafs, and captain/Trumbull native Chris Drury have returned to the lineup after lengthy absences. Frolov is out for the season and Prospal possibly as long, while Callahan and Christensen have resumed skating and are expected to return Feb. 1 for the first game after the All-Star break.
The numerous injuries in New York have also taxed the Whale lineup, but coach Ken Gernander and assistants J.J. Daignault and Pat Boller have done a masterful job of rallying the team from the worst start in franchise history to being in a solid position to return to the playoffs.
And many in the Rangers family took note after the 7-0 thrashing of the Maple Leafs game at MSG.
“You know what?” Rangers coach John Tortorella started. “Kenny and his staff have done a tremendous job, especially with the year we’re going through with injuries, these guys come up and it’s a pretty seamless process as far as their understanding of how we play. They try to play very similar to us. They’re in shape, and they come in and produce.
“So not too much talked about Kenny Gernander and his staff, but they’ve done one hell of a job as to keeping their team afloat while we’re taking half of their club and trying to compete in this league. So they deserve a lot of credit.”
Goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who notched his league-leading seventh shutout of the season, and wing Brandon Prust concurred with their coach.
“Absolutely,” Lundqvist said when asked for his assessment of the contributions of the Whale players. “They’re Rangers guys now (smiling). They’re playing really well. They look comfortable out there. They make good decisions, and you know that’s the only thing you can ask for, so hopefully they can keep going.”
Said Prust: “It’s great. They’ve stepped into the lineup and done a great job for us, and we need that. We got some guys out of the lineup, and it’s about everybody stepping up and making sure we all do our jobs and do our roles well.”
When the Rangers face the Hurricanes Thursday night, 11 of their 18 skaters will have played in Hartford: forwards Zuccarello, Weise, Newbury, Kolarik, Dupont and Artem Anisimov (career-high four assists Wednesday night) & defensemen Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Matt Gilroy and rookies Michael Sauer and Ryan McDonagh. And that doesn’t count the injured Dubinsky and Callahan.
So the Whale will be severely challenged again without Kolarik, Dupont and goalie Cameron Talbot, who will miss at least this weekend’s games against Hamilton at home on Friday night and at Springfield on Saturday night.
Kolarik, 24, has 17 goals and 16 assists this season, including 13 goals and 10 assists in 26 games with the Whale since being acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets and Springfield Falcons on Nov. 11 for former Wolf Pack captain Dane Byers. He has nine multiple-point games and eight goals and six assists in his last 14 games. He played two games with the Blue Jackets last season.
Talbot sustained a high ankle sprain when a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton player fell on him in the final minute Sunday. He has had extensive treatment the last three days with trainer Damian Hess and hopes to return next week.
“I mostly just have to let it rest because there’s really not much you can do for it,” Talbot said. “I have full mobility, but it just needs to heal itself. Damo has me in a walking boot just as a precaution to kind of keep it immobilized. I’m just fine walking; I don’t have a limp or anything. But they just want to make sure it doesn’t move too much and maybe make it worse. (Hess) said the hardest part will be going down, so the real test will be the butterfly. If I can butterfly with no pain, then I’m good to go. Hopefully it’ll be less than a week, but we’ll see. Maybe take this week off and hopefully start skating again next week.”
With Talbot sidelined, the Whale signed Pier-Olivier Pelletier to a professional tryout contract to back up Chad Johnson. Pelletier, 23, the Phoenix Coyotes’ second-round pick in 2005 from St. Louis, Quebec, was 10-6-3 with the Laredo Bucks of the CHL and Elmira Jackets of the ECHL last season as a rookie. He was 6-9-4 with a 3.33 GAA, .895 save percentage and one shutout in 21 games with Laredo this season.
While Kolarik, Dupont, Talbot and center Todd White (undisclosed injury) are temporarily out of the Whale’s ever-changing lineup, veteran Wade Redden and rookie Jyri Niemi, a defensive pairing much of the season, each participated in a full practice for the second straight day Wednesday and will be available this weekend. Redden has missed six games and Niemi two, but their returns led to rookie Sam Klassen being returned to the Greenville Road Warriors of the ECHL after not registering a point in his first three AHL games with the Whale.
VIRTUE, HALL VISIT AND SIGN AS WHALE’S HOMESTAND ENDS
The Whale’s three-game homestand ends against the North Division-leading Hamilton Bulldogs (23-13-1-4) on Friday night, when former Hartford Wolf Pack standouts and close friends Terry Virtue and Todd Hall of Hamden will sign autographs in the XL Center atrium from 6-7 p.m. and then drop the ceremonial first puck. Virtue is an assistant coach with Owen Sound of the Ontario Hockey League, whose owners include former Hartford Whalers right wing Paul MacDermid. Hall is an assistant coach with the third-ranked Hamden High hockey team, which won the state Division I title the last two years.
Virtue will be making a pit stop on his way from his home in Tara, Ont., to Worcester, Mass., where he’ll be one of the first six inductees into the Worcester Hockey Hall of Fame on Saturday at the DCU Center. It’s “Salute to the IceCats Night,” the former name of the Worcester Sharks, and Virtue will be inducted with former Whalers wing Scott Young, Kelly O’Leary, Eddie Bates, Larz Anderson and Marvin Degon Sr., father of former Wolf Pack defenseman Martin Degon.
The Bulldogs have won two in a row despite their top two All-Star scorers, center David Desharnais (10 goals, 35 assists) and former New Canaan High School and Taft School-Watertown star wing Max Pacioretty (17, 15), are on recall to the Montreal Canadiens. The remaining top offensive threats are center Ben Maxwell (6, 19), right wings Aaron Palushaj (5, 17) and J.T. Wyman (10, 9), and defensemen Brendon Nash (2, 17) and T.J. Wyman (10, 9). Center Ryan Russell, the Rangers’ seventh-round pick in 2005 who never played in the organization, has six goals and two assists and is plus-11 in 41 games. Veteran Curtis Sanford (16-7-1), who will make his AHL All-Star debut next week, is No. 1 in the league in goals-against average (1.67) and save percentage (.940), which improved with back-to-back shutouts on Friday night and Tuesday night. He won a classic goaltending duel with Jean-Philippe Levasseur of Syracuse 1-0 in a shootout Friday, when he made 22 saves in regulation and overtime, while Levasseur had a season-high 46 stops. After surrendering an opening-round shootout goal to former Avon Old Farms standout Nick Bonino, Sanford stopped the Crunch’s next four shooters to notch the win. Ben Maxwell and rookie Alexander Avtsin scored for the Bulldogs, but Levasseur also got credit for a shutout, his third of the season. Then on Tuesday night, Sanford notched his fourth shutout of the season with 22 saves in a 7-0 romp over the Rochester Americans as Russell had one goal and two assists.
It will be a special Family Value Night and “City of New Britain Night” at which New Britain Rock Cats mascot Rocky will be on hand with Whale mascots Pucky and Sonar. There will be an autograph signing with a Rock Cats player and a Rock Cats giveaway, 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.
2 ROAD WARRIORS REPLACE 2 ALL-STAR ROAD WARRIORS
Greenville Road Warriors rookie forwards Marc-Olivier Vallerand and Blake Parlett have been named replacements for teammates Brendan Connelly and Julien Brouillette for the ECHL All-Star Classic next Wednesday night in Bakersfield, Calif. Road Warriors coach Dean Stork will coach the All-Stars against the host Bakersfield Condors. Road Warriors president and general manager Neil Smith will be the color commentator on the broadcast.
The 21-year-old Parlett, under contract to the Whale, is the top scoring defenseman in the ECHL and fourth overall with six goals and 17 assists in 34 games. He has been especially effective on the power play, where he leads all ECHL defensemen with 14 points (4, 10). Vallerand is the leading sniper on the Road Warriors with 15 goals in 38 games and leads the league in shorthanded goals (four) and shorthanded points (six). He also leads the Road Warriors in plus-minus with plus-12.
Brouillette is on recall to the AHL’s Lake Erie Monsters, and Connelly is out with an undisclosed injury. … The Atlanta Thrashers recalled former Wolf Pack wing Nigel Dawes from the Chicago Wolves. … Former Wolf Pack wing Chad Wiseman has two goals and 11 assists in 15 games since rejoining Albany’s lineup on Dec. 11. … Former Wolf Pack center Corey Locke, the AHL’s leading scorer (15 goals, 40 assists) with the Binghamton Senators, is back from an NHL recall to the Ottawa Senators, but leading rookie goal-scorer Bobby Butler (19, 11) is now in the NHL.
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