INFLUENCIAL SURE, BUT CAN HE SING & DANCE?

Congratulations to one of the truly nice human beings in all of professional sports, Wolf Pack head coach Ken Gernander who today was named one of the 50 Most Influential People by Hartford Magazine. Gernander deserves all the credit that he’s getting given the great job that he’s done with the team since being named Head Coach before last season.

More details from the Wolf Pack in the official release below.

KEN GERNANDER NAMED ONE OF GREATER HARTFORD’S “50 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE”
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Earns Honor from Hartford Magazine

Hartford Magazine included Hartford Wolf Pack head coach Ken Gernander in its list of Greater Hartford’s “50 Most Influential People”, released in the July issue of the magazine.

Citing Gernander’s status as “the face of the franchise”, his role as President of the Hartford Wolf Pack Community Foundation and the Wolf Pack’s impact on the Downtown Hartford economy, Hartford Magazine recognized the Wolf Pack bench boss as one of what it termed, “The leaders…who have helped shape the look, feel, culture and vibrancy of the area in a positive way.”

Gernander led the Wolf Pack to a franchise-record 110 standings points in 2007-08, his first year at the helm, and this past year’s edition of the Wolf Pack tied a team mark for most wins in a season with 50 (50-20-2-8). Prior to being named Head Coach July 23, 2007, Gernander spent two years as a Wolf Pack assistant coach.

A 39-year-old native of Coleraine, Minnesota, Gernander served as the Wolf Pack’s captain for its first eight seasons of existence, suiting up for a franchise-record 599 games-played and amassing the second-most points (347), goals (160) and assists (187) in team history. He retired after the 2004-05 season as the highest-scoring American-born player in American Hockey League history, with totals of 293 goals and 331 assists for 624 points in 973 games.

(Ken Gernander photo courtesy of hartfordwolfpack.com)