The Carolina Hurricanes are digging into their past, for one night at least.
The team announced today that it would wear the green and blue Hartford Whalers uniforms for a game against the Boston Bruins on Dec. 23.
It’s back.
12.23.18 » https://t.co/aFma1rQhaE pic.twitter.com/MZ9t6YEFof
— Carolina Hurricanes (@NHLCanes) September 27, 2018
It’s a popular look that finished second in the NHL’s all-time uniform rankings list, losing to the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Whalers began play in the defunct World Hockey Association in 1972 and joined the NHL in 1979.
Peter Karmanos took ownership of the team in 1994 and moved it to Carolina three years later, changing the club’s name and colours.
Carolina already announced its third jersey for this season, a mostly black look, and has generally shied away from its Whaler roots since the move. That all changed under owner Tom Dundon, who took control of the team on Jan. 11.
Dundon has been outspoken about his desire for the franchise to embrace its past, and has been selling Whalers merchandise in the team store.
The Hurricanes also put up a techno-version of the Whalers’ “Brass Bonanza” as an option when the team was letting fans vote on the club’s goal song for the 2018-19 season. The popular tune lost to “Raise Up” by North Carolina’s Petey Pablo.
The team will also reportedly wear the Whalers sweaters on March 5 at Boston.
“We’re proud of the history and traditions that we’ve built in 21 years in North Carolina. But we’ve never thrown away the records established during this franchise’s 18 NHL seasons in Connecticut,” said Hurricanes president and GM Don Waddell in a release. “This is a chance to celebrate our team’s heritage and the players and coaches who laid the groundwork for this franchise.”
