WOLF PACK WEEKLY: September 29 – October 4, 2009 

The Wolf Pack launch their 13th season of AHL play, and their third under Head Coach, and franchise icon, Ken Gernander this week, after splitting four preseason games.  The Pack posted a 4-1victory over the Worcester Sharks at Trinity College’s Koeppel Community Sports Center Wednesday and dispatched the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, 4-2, at Champions Skating Center in Cromwell Friday.  The last two preseason contests were losses, though, 3-2 to Bridgeport Saturday at The Rinks at Shelton and 10-3 to Worcester Sunday at the International Skating Center of Connecticut in Simsbury.

The Wolf Pack are coming off of an Atlantic-Division championship season in 2008-09, in which they went 46-27-3-4 for 99 points.

This week:

The Wolf Pack start the new 2009-10 season with only one game this week.  That is a visit to Binghamton to visit the Senators on Saturday night (7:00 faceoff).

Saturday, October 3 at Binghamton (Broome County Arena), 7:00 pm.

· This is the first meeting between the Wolf Pack and Senators since the 2005-06 season, and only the seventh all-time.  The Pack are 4-2-0-0 in their history against Binghamton.

· The team that became the Wolf Pack moved to Hartford from Binghamton, where they were called the Rangers from 1990-97, after the 1996-97 AHL season.

· The Senators have a new coach, former Hartford Whaler Don Nachbaur, after a 41-30-5-4 (91 pts., fifth place, East Division) season last year under Cory Clouston and Curtis Hunt.

· Winger Ilya Zubov was Binghamton’s leading scorer last season, with 14-38-52 in 63 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.

Pack Tracks:

The Wolf Pack’s 2009-10 home opener is coming up Saturday, October 10 at the XL Center vs. the Springfield Falcons.  Faceoff is 7:00, and once again this year, the opener is “Everyone’s a Kid” night, with tickets just $10 each.  Plus, the first 10,000 fans will receive a free Wolf Pack magnetic schedule, courtesy of Click It Or Ticket.  Also, there will be a pre-game block party outside the XL Center on Trumbull St., starting at 5:00 PM.  The block party is free and will feature live music, inflatables and all kinds of other fun for all ages.

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 1-800-745-3000 or online at www.hartfordwolfpack.com.

The Wolf Pack is offering “Knockout Season Ticket Prices” for 2009-10, with across-the-board price reductions of 8-13% depending on the seat location, as well as terrific discounts for groups of 15 or more.  For more information, visit www.hartfordwolfpack.com, or call the Wolf Pack ticket office at (860) 548-2000 to talk with an account executive today about all of the Wolf Pack’s many ticket options.

The Hartford Wolf Pack Community Foundation’s golf outing is coming up Monday, October 12, at Hop Meadow Country Club in Simsbury.  Participants will enjoy a round of golf with a Wolf Pack player or coach, and proceeds support the Wolf Pack Community Foundation’s charitable endeavors.  Breakfast and a buffet dinner are included, and the cost to play is $150 per person.  Shotgun start is 10:00 AM.  For more information, and to register for the tournament, call the Wolf Pack office at (860) 249-6333 or visit the Wolf Pack’s official website, www.hartfordwolfpack.com.

Every Friday-night Wolf Pack home game at the XL Center is Guida’s Family Value Night.  Family Value packages start as low as $45 and include three tickets, three hot dogs or pizza slices, three sodas and a Wolf Pack souvenir.  To order your Guida’s Family Value Night pack, visit the XL Center box office, or go on-line to www.hartfordwolfpack.com.  The first Friday Guida’s Family Value Night of the season is October 30, when the Pack take on the defending Calder Cup-champion Hershey Bears in a 7:00 game. 

Once again this season, the Wolf Pack are partnering with WTIC Radio to air Wolf Pack hockey action.  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.

The AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack is operated by Northland AEG LLC, a joint partnership between Northland Investment Corporation and AEG Facilities.  The team is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers.

Since 1972, the CT Lottery has generated more than $19.3 billion in sales and has transferred nearly $6.7 billion to the state’s General Fund.  Prizes have exceeded more than $11.1 billion.  Purchasers must be 18 years or older.  If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-346-6238.  For more information about the Connecticut Lottery Corporation, call (860) 713-2000, or visit the CT Lottery web site at ctlottery.org.

TRACK THE PACK AT WWW.HARTFORDWOLFPACK.COM