More than twenty years after departing Hartford Connecticut for Raleigh North Carolina the NHLamp39s Whalers continue to inspire passion among fans. As HartfordBusiness.com reported in 2015 ampquotWhalers merchandise...still has a cult following not only among fans in Connecticut but around the country.ampquot But Whalers devotees arenamp39t just clamoring for jerseys hats and tshirts. Theyamp39re nostalgic for a team that had New England roots for nearly 25 yearsin Boston Springfield and Hartfordand featured some of the greatest players in NHL history including Gordie Howe with his sons Mark and Marty Bobby Hull and Ron Francis. Pat Pickensamprsquos book details the Whalersamprsquo origin in Boston in 1972 the teamamprsquos WHA championship in 1973 the roof collapse of their home arena that indirectly led to their entrance to the NHL in 1979 their stunning NHL playoffseries win against the topseeded Quebec Nordiques in 1986 the 198687 season when they claimed their first division championship and their relocation south in 1997 as the Carolina Hurricanes. Pickens imagines a Stanley Cup delivered to hockeycrazed Hartford in 2006 when the Hurricanes instead brought it home to North Carolina. The book also explores the likelihood of an NHL team returning to the Nutmeg State.