Notable players: Ron Francis (1981-1991), Kevin Dineen (1984-1997), Ray Ferraro (1984-1991), Pat Verbeek (1989-1995), Geoff Sanderson (1990-1997), Ulf Samuelsson (1984-1991), Dave Babych (1985-1991), Jeff ONeill (1995-1997), Gordie Howe (1979-1980)Best jersey: 1979 home jersey. Cheap Air Max Nz Free Shipping .(Image via Sports Illustrated) Worst jersey: The Whalers didnt wear many different looks, and the ones they did were all solid, so I cant really hate on any of them. Did you know?(Image via WhalersHockeyCards.com) Hockey analyst Pierre McGuire was the coach of the Hartford Whalers in 1993. He was 32 and was the youngest head coach in the NHL. He coached the team to a losing record and was fired in 1994. Players praised his firing. I recommend checking out this article on the whole situation.Did they have a goal song?Not only did they play Brass Bonanza, a song composed by musician Jack Say after they scored, but it was the teams official theme song. General manager Brian Burke actually canceled the use of the song in 1992 because he was embarrassed by it. It was reintroduced after he left the team.Worst trade:Fans were absolutely devastated when the Whalers traded Ron Francis, Ulf Samuelsson and Grant Jennings to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Jeff Parker, Zarley Zalapski and John Cullen. The Penguins would go on to win multiple Stanley Cups with that group while the Whalers would be mediocre for the rest of their existence. Best moustache: That would go to Gary Howatt, who had a beauty moustache. (Image via Faceoff.com)Best fight: While Jim McKenzie doesnt have the penalty minutes record for the Whalers (that belongs to Torrie Robertson at 1368) he sure knew how to drop the gloves. Mascot: Pucky The Whale(Markwilland.com) Which celebrity currently reps their gear? Snoop Dogg recently wore a Whalers sweater during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Last game: April 13th, 1997. 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.Last goal: Kevin Dineen assisted by Geoff Sanderson and Andrew Cassels. Captain: Kevin DineenWatch the final game in its entirety.Why the move?Owner Peter Karmanos moved the team after the Whalers were unable to sell enough tickets and he was unable to get a new arena. A new deal was almost reached, but it soon fell apart and the team was moved. Relocated: The team was moved to Carolina and they were renamed as the Hurricanes. What does a former player have to say?Jeff ONeill(Image via Shoebox Legends)What was it like to play in Hartford?For me it was awesome, I was drafted in Hartford by Hartford. In training camp I had the opportunity to live with Gordie Howes son Marty, and he kind of took me in. I was new to the National Hockey League and I was pretty much happy wherever I was. It was disappointing though because after my first-year there was already talk of leaving Hartford. It wasnt that tough for me because I couldnt build that relationship in town where I had connections or friends so it was good while it lasted but Raleigh was pretty fun place too. Was the transition tough?Like I said, a guy like Kevin Dineen who was Mr. Hartford Whaler, and the guys who had been there for a while, the trainers and people who were local, it was awfully difficult for them because they had roots put down and they had kids in school and they were part of a diehard Whalers nation that bled green and blue but everyone kind of picked up and went to Raleigh and made it work. Aside from the draft whats one of your fondest memories of Hartford?Unfortunately it was probably the last game. It was special to see all the fans and the way they supported the team and came out. Unfortunately the building wasnt packed like that enough and thats ultimately why the team left that city. Its a weird market because there is Rangers fans and Boston Bruins fans all around that area and there didnt seem to be enough of those diehard Whaler fans but Ill always remember that last game: Paying respect to Kevin Dineen and some of the longtime trainers, Chuck Kaiton, Skip Cunningham and guys like that whove been there a long time.Was it hard playing in front half-packed arenas?I did it for a lot of my career and it was a difficult thing to do. The common cliché that was tossed around the locker room was that we have to make our own excitement tonight because there is not people banging on the glass and being loud and obnoxious and creating momentum out there. I almost got used to it because when I came out to Carolina there was bare crowds for the first three or four years, so its a difficult thing to do, especially when you go to markets like Montreal or Toronto where the building is packed; its frustrating because you dont really get that sense that youre in the NHL. Previous #TBTsAtlanta Thrashers(Stats and info from Hockeydb and The Sports E-Cyclopedia) Air Max Nz . Here is a look at all the moves through the first week of NHL Free Agency. The most significant deals will get the full Numbers Game column treatment, like these:Briere-for-Parenteau trade. Discount Air Max Nz .What they got was a bevy of players chipping in to pick up the slack.Josh Smith scored 18 points and James Harden added 17 as the Rockets used a balanced scoring effort to outlast the Mavericks for a 99-94 victory. http://www.airmaxnz.com/ . "It was a little weird looking over and seeing all the green uniforms," he said of his first game against the Boston Celtics.TORONTO -- Corey Chamblin could win another 10 football championships and never duplicate the one he earned this year with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Roughriders successfully shouldered the weight of heavy expectations and overcame adversity in 2013, capping the year with a dominant 45-23 Grey Cup win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Nov. 24. The title was Saskatchewans fourth but first on home soil before a rabid Mosaic Stadium gathering of 44,710. "There will never be a more perfect night in football than that one," the Riders head coach said. "When we walked out and saw all that green, Ill tell you, it wasnt just a home game, it was more a homecoming. "Youll never replicate that. Many people are talking about repeating and all that, and I say well never be able to do what we did this year again. It was too special." The Riders were rewarded for that accomplishment by sports editors and broadcasters across the country, who voted them The Canadian Press Team of the Year for 2013. "Thats amazing," said Riders GM Brendan Taman, "Thats quite an honour." The Grey Cup champions earned 28 per cent the vote to edge out Canadas Davis Cup tennis team (23 per cent). The Vanier Cup-champion Laval Rouge et Or were third with 14 per cent while the Memorial Cup-winning Halifax Mooseheads earned 13 per cent. "They are Canadas team and their Grey Cup win in front of their home fans capped a Cinderella season for the Riders," said Bob Irving, the sports director at CJOB radio in Winnipeg. "Canadas Team wins the Grey Cup in its home province," added Montreal Gazette sports editor Stu Cowan. "Might never happen again. Enough said." Its the second time the Riders have been named team of the year. They also captured the honour in 07 after beating Winnipeg 23-19 in the Grey Cup. Saskatchewan is the second CFL champion in three years to be named the countrys top team following the B.C. Lions in 2011. Running back Kory Sheets was a one-man show in the Grey Cup with a record 197 yards rushing and two TDs for MVP honours. Slotback Chris Getzlaf, a Regina native, was named top Canadian with three catches for 78 yards. But it was Taman who built a team capable of winning a championship at home. In January, he acquired veteran slotback Geroy Simon from B.C., then in free agency signed defensive ends John Chick and Canadian Ricky Foley as well as outspoken defensive back Dwight Anderson. All four were previous Grey Cup champions and proven veterans who were expected to provide leadership to an already solid existing core. In October, Taman gambled by acquiring rush end Alex Hall from Winnipeg. Hall had a CFL-leading 15 sacks at the time but was slated to become a free agent in February with plans to pursue NFL opportunities. Although he never showed it, Taman admits the expectations weighed on him. "It was one of the toughest years that way since Ive been in the business and Ive been in it 26 years," he said. "That was the most pressure Ive felt but I kept a lot of that within, which probably wasnt healthy, however externally I never really admitted to it too much." For years, Simon was the No. 1 receiver in B.C., but assumed more of a supporting role in Saskatchewan. Although Simon became the CFLs all-time leading receiver this season, he was fourth on the Riders with 40 catches for 565 yards and three TDs. But against Hamilton, Simon had three receptions for 67 yards and his first two Grey Cup TDs. Foley, Chick, Anderson and Hall all helped Saskatchewans defence establish itself as the CFLs stingiest, allowing a league-low 22.1 points per game and finishing tied for the interceptions lead (24). And in the opening half of the Grey Cup, the unit held Hamilton to just three yards rushing and five first downs as the Riders surged to a commanding 31-6 advantage. Saskatchewan opened the season emphatically, posting an impressive 8-1 record. Anchoring the Riders start was Sheets, who ran for 100 or more yards in the clubs first six games and seven of eight, amassing over 1,000 yards at the halfway point of the season. But after opening September with a 48-25 win over Winnipeg, the Riders dropped four straight. Whats more, Sheets suffered a knee injury in a 31-29 home loss to Toronto on Sept. 14 and then later in the month Anderson and receivers Taj Smith and Eron Riley were arrested and charged with aggravated assault following a bar fight. "I think its healthy to go throuugh a little adversity during the season because it makes you stronger down the road," Foley said. Air Max Clearance Nz. "No panic button was pressed but after we lost four in a row going on that road trip, a lot of veterans just said, Ok, enough is enough, this has got to be it." The turning point of Saskatchewans season came Oct. 4 at B.C. Place. Sheets returned to run for 80 yards and two TDs, Anderson registered one of three interceptions while Foley had two of five sacks in the Riders 31-17 road victory. "To me, thats when I knew this team had a chance to go all the way," Taman said. "When we went into a tough place to play and knocked them off and we got our running back back, thats when I knew this team had the chance to do something special. "Deep down I thought if we won this game this team is back, were back to that 8-1 team and we were." A fact not lost on Foley, named the top Canadian in Torontos 2012 Grey Cup win over Calgary. "I remember in that locker-room before the game how focused and intense we were," he said. "Darian (Riders quarterback Darian Durant) is our pre-game speech guy and he says what we need to hear and for some reason that day he pointed to me and said, Get em, and I went off. "I took a page out of (former Argos teammate) Adriano Bellis book and flipped the tables over during the pre-game speech and knocked everything over. I apologized to the guys I got Gatorade on afterwards but I think that was the turning point of our year when everybody came together in all three phases." Saskatchewan (11-7) finished its season losing two straight, including a 29-25 road decision to Calgary (league-best 14-4) for top spot in the West Division. But another big win over B.C., 29-25 in the Western semifinal, set up a conference final rematch with the Stampeders at McMahon Stadium. Saskatchewan emerged with a 35-13 victory as Sheets ran for 177 yards and a TD while Durant threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns. And then there was the Grey Cup, and the boost the Saskatchewan players received playing before the sea of green that was Rider Nation at venerable Mosaic Stadium. "What topped it all off was that it was here," Taman said. "If wed won this in Toronto or Vancouver, flying back wouldve been cool but we just literally won the game right here with all our fans sitting in that crowd. "It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing." For Chamblin, the full scope of the Grey Cup victory hasnt fully sunk in. "Not until I get that ring," he said. "Every once in a while I lean over to my wife and tell her, We won the Grey Cup. "We treated it as the next game and thats why we didnt let it get too big for us. Once I see the ring, Ill really feel like, you know what? We won the championship." Foleys third career Grey Cup win -- his first was with B.C in 06 -- was decidedly different than the 2012 championship he earned with Toronto. "In Toronto with coach (Scott) Milanovich, we never spoke about the Grey Cup at all," Foley said. "But coach Chamblin always addressed us Good morning champs, and at first I didnt know how to take it because we hadnt won anything. "But I think because we addressed the issue of pressure and the objective early on, once we beat Calgary at McMahon there really wasnt a celebration because it felt like this was what we were supposed to do. We expected to be there and then with the Grey Cup at home, instead of having pressure it was more like an advantage." And for Getzlaf, the opportunity to realize a childhood dream. "As a Saskatchewan kid, to play professional football for the team you grew up cheering for is special in itself," he said. "Then to have an opportunity to get to the Grey Cup and win it on home soil, I dont think that will sink in for a while. "When you go out on top in front of your own fans whove waited a long time for a situation like that, its such an amazing feeling." However, Getzlaf isnt resting on his laurels. "Oh no, its back to the grind," he said. "Im already back to the gym trying to make my body right to hopefully do it all over again." For Chamblin, that means aiming for another championship but not a repeat. "Repeating means doing the same thing and we cant do that," he said. "What we did will forever be etched in our minds . . . it really tested our mettle and allowed us to grow." China NFL Jerseys Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap Basketball Jerseys Online Stitched Hockey Jerseys Wholesale Baseball Jerseys Football Jerseys Outlet College Jerseys For Sale Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys For Sale Wholesale NFL Jerseys ' ' '