Brass Bonanza: A Whalers Podcast

Hall of Famer Mark Howe recounts his time with the Whalers, including...

-The journey he and his family made from Houston to Hartford.

-The less-than-enthusiastic reception some of the members of the roster gave him and his family.

-Playing with three other Hall of Famers the first year following the WHA-NHL merger.

-His gruesome injury in 1980, and the aftermath.

...and much more.

Topics for the latest episode of "Brass Bonanza" with Gordie Roberts include:

-Who was he named after?

-Coming full circle with a hockey legend.

-Signing a pro contract at the age of 17, and playing every day in the WHA as a teenager.

-Why he stuck with the Whalers despite being drafted by the Canadiens.

-What it was like playing for a team owned by Howard Baldwin?

-What was it like surviving the WHA-NHL merger.

-How did your time in Hartford set you up for success down the road?

-You won back-to-back Cups with the Penguins in 1991 and 1992. What sort of impact — both on and off the ice — did Ron Francis have when he arrived to join the Penguins?

-Why the Whalers continue to resonate with people, 25-plus years after they left for Carolina.

...and much more.

Alan Hangsleben was a favorite of Whalers' fans throughout the 1970s, and in the latest episode of "Brass Bonanza," he explains why. Alan also discusses...

-Why he signed with the Whalers and the WHA instead of the Canadiens.

-What it was like being a teammate of hockey legends like Gordie Howe and Dave Keon.

-What the first year after the WHA-NHL merger was like.

-Why the team still resonates with people.

...and why he still gets emotional talking about his time with the team.

Howard Baldwin, Jr. joins the latest episode of "Brass Bonanza" to talk about:

-His father, and the family's earliest memories of being a part of the team.

-How he handled the Canadiens' training staff, with an assist from legendary equipment manager Skip Cunningham.

-How he took umbrage with opponents who may have disrespected Ron Francis.

-Which guys on the team taught him to fight back when he was getting a hard time from his classmates?

-A memorable run-in with Richard Gordon.

-What he's doing these days.

...and much more.

Chris and Glen talk about the following topics:

-What sort of preconceived ideas did Glen have about Hartford and the franchise he was joining?

-A lot of hockey fans in Connecticut are still pretty angry with the way Brendan Shanahan handled things. Does he get a bad rap? He led the team in scoring. He played 74 of the 82 games that season. Is the anger toward him justified?

-How did the uncertainty around the team that final season manifest itself on the ice?

-What is it like to win it all and have that moment with the Cup?

-What was it like playing with and against Ron Francis, and how important was he to the Whalers franchise when the Bruins faced him in the late 80s and early 1990s?

-What do you think is the lasting legacy of the franchise? Is it the logo, the song Brass Bonanza, the relationship between the players and fans?

...and more.

Gerry Brooks covered Connecticut for 44 years, and had a front-row seat for many of the biggest milestones in Whalers' history. He talks with Chris about what it was like when Howard Baldwin and the team first relocated to Hartford, the success of the early days, and what it was like covering the collapse of the old Civic Center. There's also some great stories about how the community rallied to support the team in the wake of what happened, the deep and abiding bond between the players and fans, as well as the rebound that culminated with playoff appearances in the mid-1980s.

Chris and Adam talk about the 10-year stretch he spent with the Whalers -- he ended up finishing his career third on the franchise list of all-time games played. Adam also discusses:

-His start with the Whalers.

-The mindset you have to have when you're an enforcer.

-What it was like being a teammate of Ron Francis.

-His thoughts on the backslide of the team throughout the early 1990s.

-His feelings surrounding the final home game at the Civic Center.

...and much more.