Former Whalers owner Howard Baldwin has launched a campaign that he hopes will bring the NHL back to Hartford, The Associated Press reports.
Baldwin said Wednesday that his efforts are aimed at increasing fan interest and convincing NHL officials that Hartford is a viable market.
Convincing NHL officials might be the hardest part. The NHL’s deputy commissioner, Bill Daly, told reporters Tuesday that he couldn’t foresee another Whalers team in Hartford.
Baldwin says his new campaign includes a “Whalers Hockey Fest” that will feature as many as 20 outdoor games at Rentschler Field in East Hartford next February.
The Whalers left Connecticut in 1997 for North Carolina. Hartford is one of several cities hoping to lure NHL teams, including Kansas City, Quebec and Winnipeg.
