Hartford business and political leaders are gearing up for
an "intense effort" to double the Whalers' season ticket base to
11,000 and lease 40 of the Civic Center's 45 skyboxes by the
beginning of May, according to the HARTFORD COURANT. A sports
marketing firm will be named to lead the campaign. Business
leaders from around the state have been invited to an April 2
meeting with CT Gov. John Rowland, at which they will be asked to
help expand the team's ticket base. CT House Speaker Thomas
Ritter: "Now is the time for the people of the state of
Connecticut to decide whether they want a hockey team." Team
officials, who say the club is not yet looking to relocate
despite expected losses of $20M this year, insist the team must
start drawing from outside Greater Hartford in order to ensure
long-term success. The team can leave after '97-98 if it has
lost a cumulative $30M (Swift & Arace, HARTFORD COURANT, 3/24).
NEW ARENA? The Whalers have privately raised the need for a
new arena. However, state officials say a new facility will not
be considered until after public support for the team is
determined. Whalers GM Jim Rutherford: "There are five or six
steps we have to go through. A new building is probably the
sixth step, and it's five to 10 years down the road, after we've
learned what we have to know about the market" (HARTFORD COURANT,
3/24).
