November 1, 2026
November 1, 2026
1986-1987 Hartford Whalers: Best Brass Bonanza
Brass Bonanza is the name of a song that strikes an emotional chord with sports fans in Hartford, Connecticut, and across the New England region. Whenever the Hartford Whalers scored a goal at the Hartford Civic Center, Brass Bonanza would immediately start playing, and Whalers fans couldn’t help but move to its catchy tune. The 1980s was a decade that heard Brass Bonanza plenty of times.
With a record of 43-30-7 and 93 points in the 1986-1987 NHL regular season, the Hartford Whalers won the Adams Division by just 1 point and 1.5 games over the Montreal Canadiens. The contests between the Whalers and the Canadiens were highly competitive, with the Whalers going 4-3-1 against Montreal in head-to-head play.
The Whalers were very impressive against the rest of the league as well. They went 6-2 against the Boston Bruins, 4-4 against the Buffalo Sabres, 3-0 against the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins, 3-3-2 against the Quebec Nordiques, and 2-0-1 against the Vancouver Canucks. They also went 2-1 against the New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals, and 1-1-1 against the Detroit Red Wings and the Winnipeg Jets.
Right winger Kevin Dineen had 40 goals and 39 assists for 79 points, with 11 power play goals, 14 power play assists and 7 game-winning goals on 234 shots. Left winger John Anderson had 31 goals and 44 assists for 75 points, with 7 power play goals, 24 power play assists and 5 game-winning goals on 223 shots.
The longtime captain of the Whalers was center Ron Francis, and he led the team in most offensive categories. Francis had 30 goals and 63 assists for 93 points, with 7 power play goals, 24 power play assists and 7 game-winning goals on 189 shots.
Center Ray Ferraro had 27 goals and 32 assists for 59 points, with 14 power play goals and 15 power play assists, playing in all 80 games. Left winger Sylvain Turgeon had 23 goals and 13 assists, with 6 power play goals and 8 power play assists on 137 shots. Center Dean Evason had 22 goals and 37 assists for 59 points, with 7 power play goals on 124 shots. Left winger Paul Lawless had 22 goals and 32 assists for 54 points on 161 shots. Right winger Stew Gavin had 20 goals and 21 assists for 41 points, with 4 game-winning goals and 5 power play assists on 162 shots.
Left winger Dave Tippett had 9 goals and 22 assists on 120 shots. Defenseman Dana Murzyn had 9 goals and 19 assists on 135 shots. Center Doug Jarvis had 9 goals and 13 assists, playing in all 80 games. Defenseman Dave Babych had 8 goals and 33 assists for 41 points, with 7 power play goals and 18 power play assists on 157 shots.
The Whalers had two reliable goaltenders who could protect the net and give the offense chances to win games. Goaltender Mike Liut went 31-22-5, allowing 187 goals on 1,625 shots and recording 1,438 saves, an .885 save percentage, a 3.23 goals against average and 4 shutouts in 3,476 minutes. Goaltender Steve Weeks went 12-8-2, allowing 78 goals on 615 shots and recording an .873 save percentage, a 3.42 goals against average and 1 shutout in 1,367 minutes.
During the regular season, the Whalers enjoyed a pair of 4-game winning streaks. The first winning streak started on November 21 with a 4-0 shutout victory over the St. Louis Blues, and it ended on November 29 with a 7-5 win over the Montreal Canadiens. The second winning streak began on January 19 with a 5-4 overtime win over the Canadiens, and it ended on January 24 with a 3-0 shutout victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Adams Division Semifinals didn’t go the way the Whalers had expected. After winning the first 2 games of the series, they dropped 4 games in a row and were eliminated by the Quebec Nordiques. In Game 1 on April 8 at the Hartford Civic Center, the Whalers beat the Nordiques 3-2 in overtime. In Game 2 on April 9, the Whalers won 5-4.
However, it was all downhill from there, as the Nordiques took Game 3 on April 11 at the Quebec Coliseum by a score of 5-1. Quebec then took Game 4 by a score of 4-1 on April 12. Back at the Hartford Civic Center, the Nordiques beat the Whalers 7-5 on April 14 to take Game 5, and finally, in Game 6 on April 16 at the Quebec Coliseum, the Nordiques eliminated the Whalers with a 5-4 overtime win.
Despite their postseason exit, the Hartford Whalers had plenty to celebrate, especially center Doug Jarvis, who won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. This trophy is awarded to the player who best embodies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey over the course of a regular season. Jarvis played his 915th consecutive NHL game, breaking center Garry Unger’s previous record of 914. When he retired after the 1986-1987 season, Jarvis had played in 964 consecutive games.
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