Connecticut Governor Plans to Meet With NHL About Bringing Back Franchise

Connecticut lost its beloved Hartford Whalers in 1997, when the team relocated to Raleigh as the Hurricanes. Now, Governor Ned Lamont believes there may be an opportunity to bring an NHL team back to the Nutmeg State, thanks to a precarious situation involving the Coyotes.

Voters in Tempe, Ariz. rejected a proposal to build a $2.1 billion entertainment district on Tuesday, which would have included a new arena for the Coyotes. The team is set to remain at Mullett Arena on the Arizona State campus in 2023–24, but commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement that the league is “terribly disappointed by the results of the public referenda” on the project.

The vote has spurred on relocation rumors, and Lamont appears set to throw his state’s hat in the ring, telling reporters that he’s reached out for a meeting with the NHL that he hopes will take place next week.

“This is a great hockey state and a great hockey town,” he said on Friday, per the Associated Press. “It’s evidenced by the passion we have for the Whalers going back years—still one of the best selling jerseys. I think we can guarantee them a very strong market right here, and a government that’s ready to come and be their partner.”

Connecticut has its own arena-based obstacles to bringing a pro sports team to the state. Mohegan Sun Arena, home of the state’s only major pro team—the WNBA’s Sun—is not equipped to host hockey. Hartford’s XL Center, the former home of the Whalers, is 48 years old and would likely need significant renovations to become an attractive full-time NHL arena.

Still, the Whalers brand remains strong in New England and around the sport, to the point where the Hurricanes still honor their Connecticut heritage at times by wearing their iconic jerseys.