HEAR IT: Whale of a performance by NWHL star with a capella 'Brass Bonanza,' because why not?

Jesse SpectorJesse Spector|published: Sat Feb 13 2021 20:43
Pucky sighting! source: AP

The Carolina Hurricanes are not the Hartford Whalers.

Sure, the franchise has retained the Whalers’ history and occasionally plays in Whalers uniforms, just as the Winnipeg Jets are also the Atlanta Thrashers, while the Arizona Coyotes are also the Winnipeg Jets. But that doesn’t mean it’s right, or even smart. There shouldn’t be two separate Winnipeg Jets histories, each active at the same time.

The best rule to follow is that if a team changes its name upon leaving a city, it forfeits the right to claim that history. The Dodgers and Giants keep their connection to New York, the Jazz to New Orleans, and so on. When the Houston Oilers moved to Tennessee, they briefly played as the Tennessee Oilers, then became the Titans once their stadium in Nashville was ready.

The reason this is important is because the true beacons of Whaledom are the women of the NWHL’s Connecticut Whale, and the reason that’s worth celebrating today is Laurel Hill’s a cappella version of the Whalers’ old goal song, “Brass Bonanza.”


It’s brilliant, and the only complaint is that it’s too short. There’s more of the song, after all, and it’s all glorious.

We’re not asking for 10 straight hours, but Laurel, please, if you’re reading this … do the rest of the song!

TikToks come and go, but Hartford, the Whale, they only put out musical brilliance once, maybe twice in a lifetime.