WHALE ON TV

WHALERS SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES “WHALE TV”

CONNECTICUT WHALE TELEVISION PACKAGE

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Five 2011-12 Saturday Night Home Games to be Telecast on WCCT-TV

Whalers Sports & Entertainment president and COO Howard Baldwin, Jr. announced today an agreement with WCCT-TV, Connecticut’s CW affiliate, to telecast five 2011-12 Connecticut Whale home games.

This new deal will be billed as “Whale TV”, and represents a return of AHL action to the local TV airwaves for the first time since the 2006-07 season.

“Together with our new radio relationship with WCCC-FM, this television package represents a major upgrade in broadcast exposure for our games,” Baldwin, Jr. said.  “We look at this expanded broadcast presence as a major pillar of our goal of expanding interest in the Whale and restoring Hartford’s status as a premier hockey market.”

The games are all prime, Saturday night dates, starting with a major-rivalry contest against the Providence Bruins Saturday, December 10.  The full schedule is as follows (all games face off at 7:00 PM):

• Saturday, December 10   vs. Providence Bruins
• Saturday, January 28      vs. Springfield Falcons
• Saturday, February 18    vs. Worcester Sharks
• Saturday, March 10         vs. Norfolk Admirals
• Saturday, March 31         vs. Adirondack Phantoms

Whale TV also includes all Whale internet video content and will soon extend to other distribution deals with major media companies.

WCCT-TV’s Whale TV telecasts will be presented by Webster Bank, and on all Whale television nights, fans can enjoy a live pregame show from a special set in the XL Center atrium.

The Whale open the home portion of their 2011-12 American Hockey League season this Saturday, October 15, with a GEICO Connecticut Cup game vs. the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at the XL Center.  Tickets to that game, and all 2011-12 Whale home games, are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, as well as on-line at www.ctwhale.com and through TicketMaster Charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000.

Save on your tickets, and get the best seats, with a ticket plan for the Whale’s 2011-12 AHL campaign, which are on sale now. For information on season seats and mini plans, visit www.ctwhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 728-3366 to talk with an account executive today.

The AHL’s Connecticut Whale is operated by Whalers Sports and Entertainment, a Hartford-based sports marketing and event firm founded by Howard Baldwin and Howard Baldwin, Jr..  The team is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers.