Release coincides with 28th anniversary of final Hartford Whalers game at Hartford Civic Center.

Submitted

The world television premiere of the critically acclaimed documentary The Whalers will be Sunday, April 13 at 7 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.

The documentary tells the full story of the team’s founding, heyday in Hartford and ultimate departure with testimonials from more than 30 former players, coaches, staff, and fans, and features never-before-seen archival footage from the team’s history.

The 90-minute film, co-directed by Tal Pinchevsky and Pat Pickens and financially backed by the Sacred Heart University’s School of Communications, Media and the Arts, is based on Pickens’ 2021 non-fiction book The Whalers. 

The film’s release on NBC Sports Boston will coincide with the 28th anniversary of the Whalers’ final NHL game, a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday, April 13, 1997. Producers have also announced that the film, The Whalers, will be broadcast nationally on SNY, NBC Sports Philadelphia and NBC Sports California in the coming weeks (broadcast schedule to be announced). It will be available for viewing in the West Hartford area.

Prior to its television release “The Whalers”enjoyed a series of local screenings in Connecticut and was a part of a special weekend event in Hartford commemorating the 50th anniversary of the team’s arrival in the city.

The Whalers is executive produced by Farmington-based marketing team of Jay Loves (a West Hartford resident) and Donna Elkinson Miller. It also has local Hartford support provided by Hoffman Auto Group, Jules Poirer Co, AARP CT, Connecticut Mattress and Allied Printing Services. Sloves and WTNH anchor and reporter Dennis House were interviewed in the film.

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