STOUGHTON AND ANDERSON TO THE BOWL 

BLAINE STOUGHTON AND JOHN ANDERSON ADDED TO PLAYER ROSTER FOR WHALERS VS. BRUINS LEGENDS GAME AT OUTDOOR HARVEST-PROPERTIES.COM “WHALE BOWL” FEBRUARY 19

Legends Game Precedes Outdoor AHL Battle between the CT Whale and Providence Bruins at Rentschler Field

Hartford, CT – Whalers Sports and Entertainment announced today that Blaine Stoughton and John Anderson will join the group of featured players for the Hartford Whalers legends vs. Boston Bruins legends game February 19, 2011 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.

The legends game comprises part of the “Harvest-Properties.com Whale Bowl,” the featured event of the two-week outdoor Whalers Hockey Fest spectacular at Rentschler Field that will include numerous collegiate, high school, prep school and youth hockey games.  The legends game will face off at 4:00 PM on February 19 and will be followed by the outdoor AHL game between the Connecticut Whale and the Providence Bruins at 7:00 PM.

Stoughton, a forward from Gilbert Plains, Manitoba, played one season for the WHA’s New England Whalers and five more NHL seasons for the Hartford Whalers, including their first season of existence. Stoughton played 36 games for New England during the 1978-79 season, totaling 12 points with nine goals and three assists. In his five NHL seasons with Hartford, Stoughton reached the 100-point mark once, and topped 50 goals twice. In 357 career NHL games with the Whalers, Stoughton accumulated 219 goals, which is third-most in Whaler NHL history behind Ron Francis’ 264 and Kevin Dineen’s 235.  Stoughton also had 158 NHL assists with the Whalers for 377 points, which ranks fourth in Whaler NHL history.

Originally the seventh overall pick in the 1973 NHL Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Stoughton skated in a total of 526 NHL games with the Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers and the Whalers, scoring 258 goals and adding 191 assists for 449 total points, along with 204 penalty minutes. Stoughton is also a veteran of 219 WHA contests, in which he totaled 89 goals and 90 assists for 179 points with the Cincinnati Stingers, Indianapolis Racers and the Whalers.

Stoughton also coached at three different professional levels from 1992-97, serving as an assistant coach for the IHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones, the AHL’s Springfield Falcons and as head coach for the Austin Ice Bats of the WPHL.

Anderson, a left wing and a native of Toronto, Ontario, played four seasons with the Hartford Whalers from 1985-89 as part of a 17-year professional career. His best season as a member of the Whalers came during the 1986-87 season, when he totaled 31 goals and 44 assists for 75 points in 76 games. All told, Anderson skated in 215 games for the Whalers, scoring 72 goals and adding 117 assists for 189 points.

Anderson, the eleventh overall pick in the 1977 NHL Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs, played in a total of 814 NHL games as a member of the Maple Leafs, Quebec Nordiques and Whalers.

He is also the owner of a successful coaching career, heading the Chicago Wolves of the IHL and AHL from 1997-2008 and winning the Turner Cup and Calder Cup twice each. He is the Wolves’ franchise coaching leader with 371 wins behind the bench. Anderson served as the head coach of the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers from 2008-2010, leading the team to a second place finish in the Southeast Division during the 2009-10 season.

Tickets for the February 19 Harvest-Properties.com Whale Bowl, which include admission to both the AHL game and the legends game, are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com., as well as at the Bushnell box office from Monday through Friday, 12 noon-5:00 PM.  Ticket prices range from $20 to $85 and can also be purchased by calling the Connecticut Whale at 860-728-3366.  Tickets purchased online can be printed immediately (via Ticketmaster).

About Harvest-Properties.com Whalers Hockey Fest:

The Harvest-Properties.com Whalers Hockey Fest 2011 will run from February 10-23 at Rentschler Field. In addition to the AHL game, the historic outdoor event will feature: a Hartford Whalers alumni vs. Boston Bruins alumni classic, five premier college games, at least 15 elite high school, junior and prep school games and a “Whale Town”, featuring exhibitors, games and the Whalers Mobile Hall of Fame.

About Whalers Sports and Entertainment

Founded by Howard Baldwin, Sr., Whalers Sports and Entertainment is a full-service sports marketing and event marketing company located in Hartford.  The company manages the off-ice operations of the AHL’S CT Whale and will produce the Whalers Hockey Fest, slated for February 10-23 at Rentschler Field In East Hartford.

Contacts and Key Links

Hockey Fest web site: www.ctwhale.com

Harvest Properties web site: www.harvest-properties.com

Tickets: Ticketmaster.com