CANTLON’S CORNER: Hockey Heritage Weekend Goes Well
BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – It was a weekend to cast yourself back to years-gone-by for all Hartford Hockey fans whether they’re fans of the NHL Whalers or the AHL Wolf Pack.
It was a time to laugh, smile and enjoy the celebration of the game of hockey.
“That’s the most ice time I ever had in Hartford when I played,” former Whaler and Nighthawk, Bob Crawford said while laughing. Crawford mingled among players on the Whaler/Wolf Pack alumni team and their Hartford PAL opponents.
“For a first game, it was great and you gotta start someplace. It was a lot of fun. I really liked playing out there, and hopefully, we continue to build and grow this event because we have a lot to celebrate in Connecticut hockey, Whalers, Wolf Pack, New Haven, etc. We have a lot to be thankful for, and a great heritage, and memories to celebrate. I think Year Two will have more players and be an even bigger event,” Crawford stated.
Former Whaler, Norm Barnes, believes you have to start small and work upward.
“It started with the Yard Goats, and now today you have a game. You gotta start and begin to build this. Small events build towards a bigger event.”
For Terry Virtue, it was the second year in a row that he returns to the XL Center. For the former Wolf Pack, Calder Cup champion is there while another one of his AHL teams, the Providence Bruins, is in the house.
“This is so much fun. You get to see some old friends and a few players you saw growing up like Brian Propp. It’s a lot of fun to be here.” Virtue said.
Virtue has been skating with the Bruins alumni team as well, so it wasn’t his first game on he had a lot of fun at a recent event in Portland, Maine against the Flyers alumni team.
“They had Danny Briere, who’s maybe retired a year. He’s out there whizzing around all of us. He gets two goals in the first 30 seconds and we’re all looking at each other saying, “Hey, he’s not supposed to do that.’ So we started whacking him!” Virtue, who did share whacking guys when he played, said with a laugh.
Of course, Briere is the incoming VP of Player Development for the ECHL’s new team in Portland, the Maine Mariners, who’ll play at the Cross Insurance Arena starting in the fall.
Virtue has been making some trips to Quebec City to see his son, Braeden, who’s a member of the QMJHL Remparts. They play in the brand new Videotron Centre.
It wasn’t expected when they hit training camp in the summer. It was more expected that he would play in exhibitions and scrimmages as he was honoring them and drafting him, but seeking to protect his NCAA eligibility.
Once you play a second of Canadian major junior you lose your NCAA Eligibility.
“That was a priority. I really thought it would be more of a chance to see what it’s all about. Play a few exhibition games and be back here playing hockey. It didn’t work out that way.”
He played just 25 games, but GM Phillippe Boucher was impressed in camp.
“I was hanging back just watching and it was the first time I was really able and I really have seen how he’s grown as a player and physically. He hit, can send a saucer pass about 25-30 feet and hit the forward right on the tape. He finished his shift, looked at me and I said, ‘Where the hell did that come from? Certainly, not me,” said a laughing Virtue.
Boucher was saying, “Who is that guy, some of our top guys can’t do that? Certainly makes you proud where taking one day at a time and enjoying the experience. Quebec City is a great spot.”
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