WOLF PACK WEEKLY: January 12 – 18, 2009

The Wolf Pack had a busy week on the road last week, and went 2-1-1-0 in four games.  The week started with a two-game trip to Winnipeg, Manitoba Tuesday and Wednesday, which produced a 6-3 win and a 3-2 overtime loss, respectively.  On Friday night in Springfield the Wolf Pack scored a 1-0 overtime win over the Falcons, and Saturday’s game in Bridgeport ended in a 2-1 Pack loss.  Artem Anisimov scored a total of four goals in the four games, P.A. Parenteau chalked up six assists and Matt Zaba registered his first career AHL shutout in Friday’s win, with a team season-high 40 saves.

This week:

The Wolf Pack return home for three games, starting with a GEICO Connecticut Cup tilt against Bridgeport on Wednesday at the XL Center (7:00 faceoff).  The Springfield Falcons come to town Friday on Guida’s Family Value Night (7:00), and Saturday night’s game vs. Providence faces off at a special time of 8:00.  The first 3,000 fans Saturday night take home an exclusive, free Wolf Pack Mr. Potato Head, courtesy of Click It or Ticket.  Following that home-ice action, the Pack head to Portland for a holiday matinee on Monday, January 18^th, which starts at 1:00 PM.

Wednesday, January 14^th vs. Bridgeport at the XL Center, 7:00 p.m.

· The 10-game GEICO Connecticut Cup series between the Wolf Pack and the Sound Tigers is half over, and the Wolf Pack sport a 2-3-0-0 record thus far.  The only previous meeting at the XL Center was in the Wolf Pack’s second game of the season, October 12^th, and the Pack won that one, 2-1 in a shootout.  The last four games in the season series have been in Bridgeport.

· After Saturday’s 2-1 win over the Wolf Pack, the Sound Tigers’ record stands at 24-10-2-2 for 52 points.  That is good for second-best in the Eastern Conference, five points behind the league leaders, the Hershey Bears.

· Trevor Smith, the Sound Tigers’ goal-scoring leader, notched his 19^th of the season Saturday against the Wolf Pack, in his first game back from his first career NHL stint with the parent New York Islanders.

· Radio – live with Bob Crawford in HD on WTIC’s 96.5 HD 2 and on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and www.wtic.com.

Friday, January 16^th vs. Springfield at the XL Center, 7:00 p.m.

· Being a Friday night, this is a Guida’s Family Value Night.  Family Value packages start at $39 and include three tickets, three hot dogs or pizza slices, three sodas and a Wolf Pack souvenir.  To order your Family Value Night pack, visit the XL Center box office, or go on-line to www.hartfordwolfpack.com.

· The Wolf Pack will be wearing limited-edition specialty jerseys in this game, as well as Saturday’s game vs. Providence.  The jerseys will be auctioned at Saturday’s game and the proceeds will go to the March of Dimes.

· Wolf Pack fans can assist Our Companions Domestic Animal Sanctuary, and possibly win a great prize, in the Wolf Pack’s Pet Photo Contest.  Bring a photo of your pet to the game and submit it, along with a $2 donation to Our Companions, to the Wolf Pack’s Prize Den and if your pet is judged to be the cutest, you win use of a 10-person luxury suite at a future Wolf Pack game.

· This year’s season series between the Wolf Pack and their I-91 rivals the Falcons has been air-tight, with four of the five games going beyond regulation.  The Pack have won the last two meetings, both in Springfield and both in overtime, to improve to 3-1-0-1 against the Falcons.  Springfield is 2-0-1-0 in three visits to the XL Center this season.

· After a 4-1 win in Portland yesterday, the Falcons are 14-20-5-1 for 34 points, five points behind sixth-place Manchester in the Atlantic Division.

· With Ryan Potulny (17-14-31 in 36 GP) on recall to parent-club Edmonton, the Falcons’ leading scorer currently on the roster is Rob Schremp, who has only three goals but has handed out 20 assists in 31 games.

· Radio – live with Bob Crawford in HD on WTIC’s 96.5 HD 2 and on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and www.wtic.com.

Saturday, January 17^th vs. Providence at the XL Center, 8:00 p.m.

· This game has a special late starting time of 8:00 PM, which is to accommodate an arena changeover from a 2:00 UConn Women’s Basketball game.

· The first 3,000 fans through the doors will receive an exclusive, free Wolf Pack Mr. Potato Head, compliments of Click It or Ticket.

· For a second straight game, the Wolf Pack will be decked out in limited-edition specialty jerseys.  The jerseys will be auctioned, with a silent auction set up through the end of the second period, and then a live auction during the second intermission in the XL Center Atrium.  Proceeds from the auction will benefit March of Dimes.

· The P-Bruins are currently setting the pace in the Atlantic Division, with a record of 23-15-2-1 for 49 points, four points ahead of second-place Portland and six points up on the Wolf Pack.

· Bruins leading scorer Martins Karsums (16-23-39 in 38 GP) is on recall to Boston, but fellow forwards Martin St. Pierre (10-28-38 in 32 GP) and Vladimir Sobotka (11-12-23 in 19 GP) were returned to Providence by the parent Bruins last week.

· The Wolf Pack have at least a point in three of the four games that they have played against the Bruins this year (2-1-1-0), and the Pack have won both of the previous meetings at the XL Center.

· Radio – this game can be heard live on the 50,000-watt AM powerhouse, WTIC NewsTalk 1080.  Bob Crawford, Mark Bailey and WTIC NewsTalk 1080’s Scott Gray comprise the broadcast team.    The action will also be carried live in HD on WTIC’s 96.5 HD 2 and on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and www.wtic.com.

Monday, January 19^th at Portland (Cumberland County Civic Center), 1:00 p.m.

· This is the fourth meeting of the year between the Wolf Pack and Head Coach Kevin Dineen’s Pirates.  The Wolf Pack have won two of the first three, including a 6-2 triumph in the last encounter November 22 in Portland, the Pack’s only previous visit of the season.

· The second-place Pirates start the week two points ahead of the Wolf Pack in the Atlantic Division, with a record of 21-15-1-2 for 45 points.

· Portland’s Nathan Gerbe (17-15-32 in 27 GP) ranks second among AHL rookies in points and tied for second in goals, and Tim Kennedy (5-23-28 in 36 GP) leads all rookies in assists and is tied for fifth in points.

· Radio – live with Bob Crawford in HD on WTIC’s 96.5 HD 2 and on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and www.wtic.com.

Recent Transactions:

Bobby Sanguinetti – recalled by the New York Rangers from the Wolf Pack January 9^th and returned to the Wolf Pack January 11^th.

Pack Tracks:

Individual tickets for Wolf Pack games are on sale now at the XL Center Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations including Macy's at the Buckland Hills Mall and at the Westfarms Mall. Tickets may also be charged by phone at (860) 525-4500, (203) 744-8100, (203) 624-0033 or (413) 733-2500 or online at www.hartfordwolfpack.com.  Season tickets, six and 10-game packages, coupon books and group tickets are also available.  Contact 860-548-2000 for more details.

Sonar, the Wolf Pack’s lovable mascot, will be appearing at three public-skating sessions this week.  The cuddly wolf will be at the International Skating Center of Connecticut, 1375 Hopmeadow St. in Simsbury (860-651-5400), this Sunday, January 18^th from 2:45-4:00 PM.  This Monday, January 19^th, Sonar will drop in at the Bolton Ice Palace, 145 Hop River Rd. in Bolton (860-646-7851), from 11:30-1:00 PM and will be at Veterans Memorial Ice Skating Rink in West Hartford (56 Buena Vista Rd., 860-521-1573) from 2:30-5:30 PM.

The Wolf Pack’s annual “Scout Sleepover” is coming up Saturday, January 24^th at the XL Center.  The Pack host the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins that night at 7:00, and all scouts, family and friends are invited to the post-game sleepover.  The special Scout Sleepover offer includes a ticket to the game, a post-game skate (bring your own skates), a post-game movie and the special Wolf Pack scout patch, and costs only $14 per person.  To order Scout Sleepover tickets, call the Wolf Pack ticket office at 860-548-2000.

Friday, January 30^th, when the Wolf Pack host the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, is Girl Scout Night at the XL Center.  $25 tickets are available to Girl Scouts for only $14 each.  Order by calling the Wolf Pack ticket office at 860…, and the first 1,500 Girl Scouts will receive a free Wolf Pack beanie hat.

The Wolf Pack has a new broadcast partnership this season with WTIC NewsTalk 1080 and WTIC-FM.  All of the Wolf Pack’s regular-season and playoff games will air on 96.5 WTIC-FM’s HD 2 channel and will be streamed on-line at www.wtic.com . Select games will be carried live on the 50,000-watt AM powerhouse, WTIC NewsTalk 1080.  And, as part of the partnership, all Wolf Pack full season ticket accounts will receive a free HD car radio, with installation from JoDi’s Sound Center, courtesy of the two stations and the Wolf Pack.  To purchase your season seats, contact the Wolf Pack ticket office at 860-548-2000.

TRACK THE PACK AT WWW.HARTFORDWOLFPACK.COM