As the Arizona Coyotes continue to search for a permanent home, Connecticut governor Ned Lamont campaigns to bring the NHL back to Hartford
Connecticut governor Ned Lamont has expressed interest in bringing an NHL team back to Hartford.
The Hartford Whalers were in the NHL from 1972 until they were relocated to North Carolina in 1997. While NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has been adamant about finding a long term solution for the Coyotes in Arizona, that has not stopped the 69-year-old governor from voicing his endorsement for professional hockey in Connecticut.
"I've talked to Gary Bettman, the commissioner of the NHL. Right now the Coyotes don't have a place to play on a permanent basis, so they're looking around, trying to find options," Lamont said in a sit down interview with This Week in Connecticut. "Connecticut is definitely on the radar screen. It's a hockey centre here, we love hockey."
Lamont made clear that the XL Center needs some renovations in order to hold an NHL team. The arena currently hosts the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack and the University of Connecticut Huskies men's and women's basketball teams.
"I think people are ready to go. We've got to do this. The XL [Center] is badly in need of a real facelift," Lamont said. "And more than that, we've got some great teams starting with the UConn teams and the Wolf Pack."
Last week's $80 million renovation deal for the XL Center is not enough to draw an NHL team yet but it can cover lower-level luxury suites according to Lamont.
If the NHL were ever to return to Connecticut, Lamont is confident that it's a market where hockey would thrive in.
"There's a lot of balls in the air," Lamont said about his conversation with Bettman. "I had to tell him this place is hockey enthusiasm. You're not going to have to subsidize this team, people are going to love this team."