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Hartford Whalers The Hartford Whalers of SNES NHL 94 are a fun bunch to use but not without their warts. The team was overall underwhelming in the 1992-93 NHL season but saw several good statistical performances from their top players which resulted in some solid individual ratings in the game. This translates to a team that can play somewhat similarly to teams like the Oilers or Islanders... Enough skill to ice a competent to effective lineup but with the hope for no injuries and as few penalties as possible. Forwards Sanderson-Verbeek-Cassels Geoff Sanderson is rarely ever mentioned as a top forward in the SNES community. At first glance, one can see why as his ratings don't suggest a player that stands out in the crop of top forwards in the league. However, Sanderson's primary assets are solid skating/agility and good base shot ratings. He's adequate in both deking and one timer situations and can ultimately pile up goals and assists in bunches when used properly. The only weak point in Sanderson's game is that he weighs in at a modest 188 lbs and will therefore not be a strong physical presence at either end of the ice. But ultimately, Sanderson is more than capable of strong output on a consistent basis and proves to be one of the more underrated forwards in the league. Down the middle, the Whalers can turn to the 196 lb Pat Verbeek and his unique brand of skating, shooting, and occasional physicality. I say the latter with some slight apprehension though. Verbeek is just not able to be a pure Linden or Carson type who can impose his will on the opposition. But Verbeek will withstand a share of hits and throw down some of his own... or at least the most effectively among the three starting Forwards. In the end, Verbeek is likely the best option at Center for the Whalers based on his combination of size and skill. His base shot ratings are equal to Sanderson (4/4) and his skating is very similar also. Thus, based on weight Verbeek gets the nod at Center but Sanderson can be almost as effective too if given the chance. So in reality there is no right or wrong way to deploy Sanderson or Verbeek. The key is just having them both in the lineup and allowing them to feed off one another at every opportunity possible. Andrew Cassels is given the last Forward starting spot at Right Wing but not necessarily on merit. In short, Cassels is not very physical due to being a middleweight at 196 lbs and he also has very average skating and shot ratings; his accuracy is above average but his power is noticeably lacking. Asking him to consistently score on one timers or generate chances quickly off the rush either with dekes or effective passes will be a chore at best. Cassels really only receives his spot in the lineup because of somewhat reliable pass receiving (but not always guaranteed to a mediocre stick handling rating) and because none of the bench forwards have stronger skills that give them a compelling case to be inserted into the lineup. A first look at Mark Janssens indicates a potentially solid power forward based on his 228 lb weight and similar overall rating to Cassels. And if we're being honest, it is very tempting to try and use Janssens to insert some much-needed size and physicality at Forward. However, the problem is that Janssens simply does not have the speed to keep up with Sanderson & Verbeek, the shooting ability to make himself a one timer threat, or even the pass receiving reliability/consistency to supplant Cassels. That's not to mention the ability to stretch the defense that is wholly lost when utilizing Janssens. Unfortunately, things don't get better from there for the Whalers. Other options exist in the form of Mikael Nylander, Robert Kron, and others but again, none have any skills or attributes that separate them from each other or the aforementioned starters. I have seen Patrick Poulin receive some love in recent SNES classic seasons which counts for something. I suppose this is due to his 220 lb weight and ability to play a physical game. But in general, asking him to perform as well as or at least adequately offensively in comparison to Sanderson/Verbeek will be a tall order to say the least. Defense Zalapski-Weinrich Thankfully, the path forward on defense is much easier for Hartford. Zarley Zalapski captured something of lightning in a bottle in the 1992-93 season and received some very nice ratings based on his 14 goal & 65 point campaign. The only downside for him was finishing -34 that year but this does not diminish the impact he brings on both sides of the ice in SNES NHL 94. In short, Zalapski is blessed with good skating/agility/defensive awareness and weighs 220 lbs. Whether it's a timely and bruising hit to cause a turnover and start the Whalers attack, being in the right position to cut off passing lanes, or making a skilled end to end rush to score on a deke or create a lane for the forwards, Zalapski is one of the most versatile defensemen in the game and a key part of the recipe for success with the Whalers. At 220 lbs, Eric Weinrich slots in as the #2 defenseman and brings a very similar brand of physicality to the lineup. This alone gives Hartford two d-men who generally will not give up very much in their own end and will be giving the opposition second thoughts when coming in for dekes and attacking opportunities. Weinrich can also bring his own brand of offense to the table with occasional dekes and end to end rushes due to his own respectable athleticism; although not quite up to the standard set by Zalapski. In the end, Weinrich on his own is a reliable and above average defenseman which is exactly what you want in a #2 when there is the option and incentive of taking offensive risks with Zalapski. Hartford also has an intriguing bench D option in Adam Burt. Ratings wise, Burt plays very similar to Weinrich in a lighter 196 lb package. This does result in somewhat reduced physical play but at least without the loss of any athleticism or effectiveness in the Whalers transition game. It would be a stretch to recommend him as a starter over the more physical Weinrich, but at the very least Burt is a steady option for the Whalers in the event that Zalapski or Weinrich is injured for the duration of the game or run into penalty trouble. Conclusion A solid duo at both Forward & Defense gives the Whalers enough to be effective at both ends of the ice and consistently from game to game. Finding ways to work around the lack of an equivalent 3rd Forward and overall superstar is the biggest hurdle to the team's success but can be overcome with enough patience and strong execution. TokenToma's recent Spring 2025 run to the SNES Classic A finals with the Whalers is pure proof of this and also of what the Whalers can achieve when in capable hands.