Remember when Civic Center roof fell in?

We had big league hockey in this state 20 years ago and it was exciting. It was fun. It brought the most famous men on skates to Hartford. It entertained and educated the area about the game. And we had adventures. Including a roof collapse ...

Ethel and I had a habit of leaving the radio on, very softly, at night. The programming didn’t matter, music or talk. It was the barely audible noise that soothed and helped us sleep.

Shortly after 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 18, 1978, the radio seemed to vibrate as a stunning announcement woke us. The Civic Center roof in Hartford had collapsed under the weight of the accumulated snow and ice. It had been snowing for many days. The roof, which was supposed to be of revolutionary design, couldn’t handle it, and finally caved with a crash heard round the world, especially the hockey world.

Hartford’s deputy mayor, Nicholas Carbone, who had been closely involved with the planning, building and operation of the civic center since its inception and City Manager James Daken announced almost immediately that the big arena in downtown Hartford would be rebuilt “bigger and better’’ and they weren’t just blowing smoke. On Feb. 6, 1980, it did reopen and it was indeed bigger and better. I recall, vividly, Howard Baldwin, the managing general partner of the Whalers, standing at mid-ice on “re-opening night’’ and asking the capacity crowd, “Well, how do you like your new building?’’ They liked it. Baldwin was the young chief who brought the team to Hartford in 1972. They were then in the World Hockey Association.

The Whalers had become a member of the National Hockey League in the interim.

Whalers fans reacted admirably, after the in initial shock of the collapse, and the Whalers and the city jumped to the challenge. Through swift negotiations with the city of Springfield, Mass., long an American Hockey League city, arrangements were made for the Whalers to play their home games

in the Springfield Coliseum.

Fans showed themselves to be true blue by filling their gas tanks and motoring to Springfield on game nights, often organizing car pools. Caravans of Loyalty. These people simply would not drop their team, dropped roof notwithstanding. And they would fill the smallish minor league arena just about every time. It was a very difficult period for Hartford hockey fandom but these people made it shine.

Every Whalers home game after the civic center reopening was like a victory party. Hooray, Hooray, the boys have come marching home. After that, hockey in Hartford was wonderful stuff, I tell you.

And then the team fled south to North Carolina where pastures were greener and it was all over for Connecticut. The collapse, the rebuilding, Springfield and the spirit of 91 Club are not forgotten but they are consigned to memory. The pleasing parts, the proud, courageous parts – Springfield and the 91 Club – are points of glittering achievement but memories nonetheless and forever.

Some people, recently, have talked about remaking the aging civic center (XL Center) and bringing back the Whalers. They’re talking through their hats. We all know that. Our poor state can’t even pay its bills, take care of its indigent children – read those last six words again – or deal with the greed that has reduced us to this low, embarrassing level.

Big league hockey? It’s nice to remember. That’s about it.