April 13, 1997. A day that will be forever remembered, as the darkest day in hockey history in the state of Connecticut; for thousands of Hartford Whaler fans, it was the day that they said goodbye to their NHL team. The players that were on the ice that night at the Hartford Civic Center threw their equipment to the fans, wished them well, and let them know they were special to them. Fast forward 3,555 days later. This will be a day that will be forever remembered, as the brightest day in hockey history in the state of North Carolina; for thousands of Carolina Hurricanes fans, it was the day that they celebrated their first championship, as their beloved team defeated the Edmonton Oilers, 3–1, in the final game of the NHL season. After just over nine years since the moving trucks descended on Tobacco Road and the Triangle area of Raleigh/Durham, Peter Karamanos, the owner, Jim Rutherford, the general manager, the men who thought the hockey would make it, delivered their promise.

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The Brass Bonanza may live again. In a glimpse of marketing genius, the Rangers’ AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack decided to hold Whalers Appreciation Night when the Pack hosted the Portland Pirates on January 6. The numbers of Ron Francis (10), Kevin Dineen (11), and Ulf Samuelsson (5) were raised to the rafters of the Civic Center and the people of Hartford were able to remember the team moved out on them in the late 1990s. But more importantly, instead of the usual attendance of a little more than 5,000, the announce crowd of 12,206 filled the arena that evening and helped send a message that Hartford cares about its hockey and the team that played there for over 20 years.

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