Whale Not Being Run By Howard Baldwin Anymore

[chilly666]

The Rangers have ended their business relationship with Whalers Sports & Entertainment, the company that has run the business and marketing side of the AHL Connecticut Whale for the past two seasons.

Sources have told The Courant the team will play in Hartford this season, but the Rangers have told WSE officials they will not be involved in the day-to-day operation and marketing of the franchise. The structure of the front office for the upcoming season is not known, but an announcement could come Tuesday or Wedneday.

Rangers assistant general manager Jim Schoenfeld, the GM of the Whale, could not be reached Tuesday. Whalers Sports & Entertainment head Mark Willand had no comment.

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[blackngold]

Here's an article with more info:
http://www.courant.com/sports/hockey...,5588747.story

In my opinion, pro hockey in Hartford is done for the forseeable future. The Rangers and Madison Square Garden will manage the AHL team themselves for the upcoming season. After that, MSG's contract with the City of Hartford is over and my bet is they pack up shop and relocate (Glens Falls maybe?).

Baldwin and WSE were losing a ton of money. Their Whalers Fan Fest last year outdoors at Rentschler Stadium included a Hartford Whalers vs Boston Bruins alumni game and was topped off with a CT Whale vs Providence Bruins AHL game. It was supposed to make them some good coin and re-establish the Whale/Whalers name in the city. Instead, they ended up losing a TON of money on the whole event. Frigid temperatures and large snow-removal costs were the main culprits.

Add in the fact that WSE and the XL Center had a rocky relationship with a terrible lease, and it spelled out a disaster. The team's lease with the XL Center was ending relatively soon and WSE had been trying to work out a more favorable lease. However, take into account that the XL Center secured the UConn Men's Hockey East home conference schedule, housing the failing AHL team just wasn't that lucrative anymore.

[itsJ.Millertime]

Originally Posted by blackngold

Here's an article with more info:
http://www.courant.com/sports/hockey...,5588747.story

In my opinion, pro hockey in Hartford is done for the forseeable future. The Rangers and Madison Square Garden will manage the AHL team themselves for the upcoming season. After that, MSG's contract with the City of Hartford is over and my bet is they pack up shop and relocate (Glens Falls maybe?).

Baldwin and WSE were losing a ton of money. Their Whalers Fan Fest last year outdoors at Rentschler Stadium included a Hartford Whalers vs Boston Bruins alumni game and was topped off with a CT Whale vs Providence Bruins AHL game. It was supposed to make them some good coin and re-establish the Whale/Whalers name in the city. Instead, they ended up losing a TON of money on the whole event. Frigid temperatures and large snow-removal costs were the main culprits.

Add in the fact that WSE and the XL Center had a rocky relationship with a terrible lease, and it spelled out a disaster. The team's lease with the XL Center was ending relatively soon and WSE had been trying to work out a more favorable lease. However, take into account that the XL Center secured the UConn Men's Hockey East home conference schedule, housing the failing AHL team just wasn't that lucrative anymore.

The real reason they're losing a ton of money is nobody wants to go watch this garbage sport anymore. They went from getting several sell outs a year before and during the lockout to barely getting a couple thousand in for a weekend game once the rules changed. Who cares if they leave, the sports complete unwatchable garbage now anyway.

[chilly666]

you're one ignorant person...why do you even come on here to post anymore?

if that was the case, then hershey would not sell out almost every weekend game or the wolves would not pull in 12k on a saturday night for boring hockey. we get you don't like the game now and are still living in the 70's and 80's but for christ ****ing sakes, get a grip and realize that the game is not gonna go back to that time period. if you don't like it as much as you show on here, then don't come on here to constantly bitch about the game and how it's not to your liking.

[RFA]

I've heard a lot of rumors that Hartford will end up in Glens Falls too.