The Connecticut Whale is staying in Hartford after all.
The team owned by Madison Square Garden has reached a multi-year deal with Global Spectrum, the new operators of the XL Center, to play their home games in the Capital City through 2016, officials said Tuesday.
The new three year contract is valued at $4.2 million, which Global Spectrum is paying MSG to keep the Whale in Hartford. Global Spectrum will make money by selling tickets and concessions at the home games.
The agreement ends speculation that the CT Whale might be leave Hartford for another location.
The Whale, which are part of AHL minor league hockey, play about 40 home games each year at the XL Center, helping to bring tens of thousands of patrons to downtown Hartford.
Keeping them in the Capital City was seen as a top priority for city and state officials.
The deal is also good news for Global Spectrum, which was recently chosen by the Capital Region Development Authority to manage the XL Center and Rentschler Field. Both contracts were contingent, however, on Global Spectrum keeping a minor league hockey team in Hartford.
That hurdle has now been cleared.
The final contract with the AHL will be subject to approval by CRDA’s board of directors at their March 21 meeting.
