The Hartford Whalers may have left Connecticut 20 years ago, but that didn’t stop the state from honoring their beloved team 20 years later.

On Tuesday (Jan. 23) the Department of Motor Vehicles unveiled a new commemorative license plate that conveys the former professional hockey teams iconic green and blue logo. The plates will sell for $60, $45 of which will go toward a new dialysis and infusion center at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford and $15 will go to the state.

The Whalers logo hasn’t been in use for 20 years, but it’s mere presence still resonates with the people of Connecticut and hockey fans all over the world. The logo is so famous the Whalers were voted the second greatest jersey in the NHL’S 100 greatest uniforms contest, voted on by the fans.

The Whalers not only have an iconic brand on their own, but they have also inspired many other Connecticut sports teams that have come after them. The New York Rangers allocated their American Hockey League team to Hartford and from 2010 to 2013 named the team the “Connecticut Whale,” using the Whalers memorable color scheme. Most recently, in 2016, the New Britain Rock Cats moved to Hartford and rebranded as the Whaler inspired Hartford Yard Goats.      

    “I ask the Whalers fans to get out there and purchase those license plates because maybe then they will come back”, said Democratic Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman. “It was two decades ago that we lost on the Whalers, but in our hearts we have not. Just like we will not lose in our hearts the caring for our children.”

The money raised from the license plates will go to a great cause and in return the residents of Connecticut will be able to carry a piece of the Whalers wherever they go. The license plates may not bring back the team like Wyman stated, but it definitely keeps the memory of the beloved team alive and well.

“The Whalers are a part of our past, our positive past. They are a part of our present, and they will be part of our future with this ongoing cause and other things,” said Bob Crawford who played for the Whalers and several other teams during his NHL career. In a city starving for a professional team, nothing will replace the city’s love for the Whalers.