Hartford has a American Hockey League team called the Connecticut Whale , a rugby team called the Hartford Wanderers and a United Football League team called the Hartford Colonials . Hartford also used to have a National Hockey League team called the Hartford Whalers that played in the NHL from 1979 to 1997 . Hartford also used to have a National League baseball team , the Hartford Dark Blues , back in the 1870s , and a NFL team , the Hartford Blues , for one season in 1926 .