For 20 seasons, the Carolina Hurricanes went out of their way to establish themselves as their own entity, rather than as the successor to the Hartford Whalers. On Sunday, for the first time since moving to North Carolina in 1997, the Hurricanes will instead wholeheartedly embrace their heritage.
Last January, when Tom Dundon was introduced as the new majority owner of the Hurricanes, he made a point of acknowledging their history as the Whalers, and nearly immediately merchandise bearing the famous Whalers logo began appearing in The Eye. Next came throwback jerseys, and Sunday will be the logical conclusion of the yearlong official resurrection of the Whalers: the Hurricanes donning the uniforms last seen on NHL ice on April 5, 1997 at the Hartford Civic Center.