Connecticut

Connecticut is a state in the northeastern United States.

Its population is about 3,600,000.

The capital is Hartford and the largest city is Bridgeport.

History of hockey in Connecticut

see also: Connecticut Amateur Hockey (1945-1966)

Students of Yale University frequented Lake Whitney, situated in Hamden, close to Yale’s campus in New Haven, to skate and play ice hockey on January 21, 1885. On January 13, 1886, Yale students played a hockey match on the lower part of Lake Whitney. Picked teams representing the classes of ‘86 and ‘87 faced each other. More hockey was played on the lake on the 16th. On January 27, 1887, there was a game played between two junior clubs on Lake Whitney. Some Yale sophomores played an exciting game of hockey on the lake on March 16.

The Lake Whitney Hockey Club was established on December 7, 1889. On January 30, it was reported that the club had had very little opportunity to practice, owing to mild weather conditions, but had formally adopted the playing rules of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada. The club became the first entity in the United States to adopt these rules. It was also noted that the Harvard Hockey Club was very anxious to arrange a game with the Lake Whitney team. The team was reorganized in 1891. A group of Yale students played a hockey game on January 16th, and the Storrs Agricultural School (future University of Connecticut) had an ice polo team that winter.

An All-New England team (also referred to as Yale University) faced the Baltimore All-Stars at the North Avenue Ice Palace in Baltimore on February 2, 1895, losing 2-1. Yale played their first official game on January 31, 1896, falling to the Baltimore Athletic Club 3-2. The first intercollegiate ice hockey game in the United States took place on February 1, Yale tying Johns Hopkins 2-2. Yale also faced New York St. Nicholas that winter. Yale was one of the founding members of the Intercollegiate Hockey Association in February 1898. Pomfret School had a hockey team by 1900, and Taft School formed one in 1901.

The New Haven Arena opened for the 1914-15 season, providing the city with an indoor rink for hockey activities. The New Haven Hockey Club played a busy schedule for the season. Yale University also called the arena home. The New Haven club folded after the 1915-16 season, but was revived for 1921-22. New Haven Westminster joined the United States Amateur Hockey Association for 1922-23, and spent two seasons in the league. The New Haven Bears were an independent team in 1924-25. The New Haven Eagles joined the Canadian-American Hockey League in 1925-26, playing in it until 1936, and the American Hockey League from 1936-1946 and in 1950. The Eagles also spent the 1943-44 season in the Eastern Hockey League. The team was known as the Ramblers from 1946-1950. The Bridgeport Home Oilers played as an independent team from 1968-1971 and in the Can-Am Hockey League from 1971-1973. Previously, they were active as the Norwalk Home Oilers from 1962-1968. The Hartford Leafs had an independent team in 1966-67. The Norwalk Crystal Comets played from 1968-1971. The Southern New England Hockey League was contested from 1967-1974.

The Hartford Whalers played in the World Hockey Association (as the New England Whalers) from 1975-1980 and the National Hockey League from 1980-1997. The New Haven Nighthawks played in the AHL from 1972-1992, before being renamed the Senators for 1992-1993. The Beast of New Haven later played in the league from 1997-1999. The Hartford Wolf Pack (known as the Connecticut Whale from 2010-2013) have been members of the AHL since 1997. The Bridgeport Sound Tigers competed in the league from 2001-2021.

The University of Connecticut Huskies, Quinnipiac University Bobcats and Sacred Heart University Pioneers have had hockey programs since 1960, 1975 and 1993, respectively. The Fairfield Stags previously sponsored the sport from 1974-2003.

List of minor professional franchises

• New Haven Eagles - (CAHL) - (1926-1936)
• New Haven Eagles - (AHL) - (1936-1946, 1950)
• New Haven Eagles - (EHL) - (1943-1944)
• New Haven Tomahawks - (EHL) - (1951-1952)
• New Haven Nutmegs - (EHL) - (1952-1953)
• New Haven Blades - (EHL) - (1954-1972)
• New Haven Nighthawks - (AHL) - (1972-1992)
• New Haven Senators - (AHL) - (1992-1993)
• Beast of New Haven - (AHL) - (1997-1999)
• Hartford Wolf Pack - (AHL) - (1997-2010)
• New Haven Knights - (UHL) - (2000-2002)
• Bridgeport Sound Tigers - (AHL) - (2001-2021)
• Danbury Trashers - (UHL) - (2004-2006)
• New England Stars - (NEHL) - (2006-2007)
• Danbury Mad Hatters - (EPHL) - (2008-2009)
• Connecticut C-Dogs - (NEPHL) - (2009-2010)
• Danbury Whalers - (FHL) - (2010-2015)
• Connecticut Whale - (AHL) - (2010-2013)
• Hartford Wolf Pack - (AHL) - (2013-present)
• Danbury Hat Tricks - (FHL) - (2019-present)

American States

US Capital: Washington, D.C.

Alabama - Alaska - Arizona - Arkansas - California - Colorado

Connecticut - Delaware - Florida - Georgia - Hawaii - Idaho

Illinois - Indiana - Iowa - Kansas - Kentucky - Louisiana

Maine - Maryland - Massachusetts - Michigan - Minnesota - Mississippi

Missouri - Montana - Nebraska - Nevada - New Hampshire - New Jersey

New Mexico - New York - North Carolina - North Dakota - Ohio - Oklahoma

Oregon - Pennsylvania - Rhode Island - South Carolina - South Dakota - Tennessee

Texas - Utah - Vermont - Virginia - Washington

West Virginia - Wisconsin - Wyoming