WHALE POUND? WHALERS DENY THEY ARE MOVING TO CLEVELAND

     Whalers GM Jim Rutherford said Monday the team has no
intention of moving to Cleveland, according to the HARTFORD
COURANT.  Rutherford:  "We have not talked to anyone in
Cleveland."   He added the team will "continue to try and make it
work" in Hartford (HARTFORD COURANT, 12/12).  Today's N.Y. POST
notes a weekend report in the Arizona Republic said the NHL was
set to approve the Whalers' move at this week's Board of
Governors Meeting and that the team would play in Gund Arena.
But the Gund Brothers, who own the Cavaliers and the Sharks, did
not put the Sharks in Cleveland because a marketing study of
theirs showed the area could not support an NHL franchise.  The
NHL Barons played in Cleveland only for two seasons in the '70s
before merging with the North Stars (AP/N.Y. POST, 12/12).
ESPN's Robin Roberts noted while the Whalers says they are
"struggling financially," under an agreement with the state, they
"will remain in Connecticut for the remainder of this season and
the next two years" ("SportsCenter," 12/11).