WOLF PACK WEEKLY: October 26 – November 1, 2009 

The Wolf Pack (4-5-0-0, 8 pts.) won two out of their three games this past week, improving their home record to 3-0-0-0 in the process.  After a 3-2 loss at Adirondack on Friday night, the Pack won back-to-back home outings, defeating Lowell 5-2 on Saturday and downing Worcester by a 4-3 score Sunday.  P.A. Parenteau led the way, with 4-2-6 in the three games, and he leads the AHL in goals and is second overall in points, with 8-5-13 in nine games.  Miika Wiikman was in goal for both of the wins, for his first two triumphs of the season.

This week:

The Wolf Pack play three home games in three days for only the second time in their history this week.  The defending Calder Cup-champion Hershey Bears invade the XL Center on Guida’s Family Value Night this Friday, October 30 (7:00), before the Pack return to Atlantic Division action vs. the Providence Bruins on Saturday (7:00).  The weekend concludes with a visit by the first-place Manchester Monarchs for a 3:00 start on Sunday. 

Friday, October 30 vs. Hershey at the XL Center, 7:00 PM

· This is the first Friday Guida’s Family Value Night of the season.  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.  Guida’s Family Value Night packs are available at the XL Center box office and on-line to www.hartfordwolfpack.com.

· There will be a Kids’ “HOWL-een” celebration at this game.  Kids can come down on to the ice for an intermission costume parade, and the first 2,000 youngsters into the game will receive free Wolf Pack goodie bags.

· The Bears, who captured their franchise’s tenth Calder Cup last season, are off to a 5-4-0-0 (10 pts.) start this season under new head coach Mark French, and are tied with Albany for first place in the East Division.

· Former Wolf Pack Alexandre Giroux and fellow forward Keith Aucoin finished 1-2 in AHL scoring last year, Giroux with 60-37-97 in 69 games and Aucoin with 25-71-96 in 70 games.  Both are currently on recall to parent-club Washington, but Andrew Gordon has picked up the offensive slack for the Bears, with 6-5-11 in nine games.

· This is the first of two games on the season between the Wolf Pack and Bears, and Hershey’s only visit to the XL Center.  The Pack are 13(W)-9(L)-2(T) all-time against the Bears, but only 4(W)-6(L)-2(T) at home.

· 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, October 31 vs. Providence at the XL Center, 7:00 PM

· This is already the third meeting of the year between the Wolf Pack and P-Bruins, but the Bruins’ first trip to Hartford.  The two clubs split an earlier pair of clashes in Providence.

· The Bruins enter the week one point ahead of the Wolf Pack in the Atlantic Division standings, with a record of 4-3-1-0 for nine points.  Providence is 4-1-1-0 at home, but has lost both its road outings to this point.

· Bruin defenseman Andy Wozniewski is currently the leading point-scorer in the AHL, having rolled up 5-9-14 in eight 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.

Sunday, November 1 vs. Manchester at the XL Center, 3:00 PM

· Fans are encouraged to bring their skates to this game, as there will be a free post-game skate on the XL Center ice.

· At 7-2-0-0 for 14 points, the Monarchs come into the week with the best record in the Eastern Conference, and stand two points up on second-place Bridgeport in the Atlantic Division.

· This is the first of eight battles on the season between the Wolf Pack and Manchester.  The Pack were 6-1-1-0 in the season series last year, 3-1-0-0 in Hartford.

· 19-year-old Monarch forward Andrei Loktionov starts the week tied for the AHL rookie scoring lead, with 5-5-10 in nine games.

· This game is a Wolf Pack Boy Scout Day.  For information on scout tickets, call the Wolf Pack ticket office at (860) 548-2000.

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

Recent Transactions:

Mathieu Dandenault – signed Professional Tryout (PTO) agreement with the Wolf Pack October 21.

Patrick Rissmiller – reassigned by the New York Rangers from the Wolf Pack to Grand Rapids (AHL) October 22.

Matt Zaba – reassigned by the New York Rangers from the Wolf Pack to Charlotte (ECHL) October 22.

Pack Tracks:

The Hartford Wolf Pack Community Foundation’s annual “Wolf Pack Bowl-a-Thon” will be held Sunday, November 8 at AMF Silver Lanes in East Hartford, CT.  The event supports Special Olympics Connecticut.  The Wolf Pack players will be bowling with teams of four bowlers, who have collected pledges to benefit Special Olympics Connecticut Eastern Region.  A minimum pledge level of $200 is required for a team to enter, and the top fund-raising teams will win prizes, including the use of luxury suites at Wolf Pack home games.  A registration and pledge form to enter the Bowl-a-Thon is available on-line at www.soct.org, under the “Special Events” section.  There will be two sessions of bowling, the first starting at 11:00 AM and the second at 2:00 PM.  AMF Silver Lanes is located at 748 Silver Lane in East Hartford.

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.

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. 

Once again this season, the Wolf Pack are partnering with WTIC Radio to air Wolf Pack hockey action.  All of the Wolf P
ack’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 new 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.

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