BY: Brittany Burke
Both the NHL and AHL seasons are underway and that means the start of the 2011-2012 FHL season is just days away. Soon familiar faces will be joined by some new ones as both take to the ice at the Danbury Ice Arena with the hope of wearing a Danbury Whalers sweater on Thursday, October 27th at 7:30 for opening night of the FHL’s sophomore season.
In the meantime, the Whalers’ organization has been quite busy creating exciting events to raise team awareness as well as reward the Whalers’ faithful for what is sure to be a monumental season ahead.
An appetizer for Whalers’ fans will be a player Meet and Greet event at Buffalo Wild Wings (26 Backus Avenue in Danbury) the night before the start of training camp on Thursday, October 20th. Fans will have a chance to rub elbows with their favorite players and meet the team hopefuls from 7-9pm. This is a very popular event which was heavily attended last season so the team has request that fans RSVP with team President, Herm Sorcher.
One of the things that make this brand of minor league hockey is how fast things move. Just two days after the Buffalo Wild Wings party, the fans will open their exhibition season with a game on Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. against the Cape Cod Bluefins.
The game will be played at the Patsy Dilungo Arena/Veterans Memorial Ice Rink in East Haven, Connecticut just five days before opening night. It is the last time fans have the chance to see what the players can do before the start of the regular season.
The Whalers will also host a pasta dinner at the Mad Hatter on Ives Street in Danbury on Wednesday Oct. 26. The meal will also feature all the members of the organization the night prior to the home opener. It’s an all-you-can-eat pasta party, and as a special addition General Manager, Keith Lombard Jr. is going to take on the Mad Hatter pizza challenge, finishing all 36-inches of the Danbury Whalers Whale of a Pizza.
It’s been a long off season, but the team and organization is doing its best to get the fans involved and excited for what is certain to be a Whale of a season…
