WOLF PACK WEEKLY: January 25-31, 2010 

The Wolf Pack (23-17-2-4, 52 pts.) gained sole possession of fourth place in the Atlantic Division this past week, by taking three out of a possible six points in a trio of Atlantic-Division games.  On Friday night at the XL Center, the Pack returned from the AHL All-Star break with a 3-2 overtime win over the division-leading Manchester Monarchs.  OT ended differently for the club, though, Saturday night in Springfield, as the Falcons tied the game late in the third period and beat the Wolf Pack, 2-1, in extra time.  In a Sunday rematch with the Monarchs in Manchester, the Monarchs gained revenge for Friday’s loss with a 6-1 defeat of the Pack.  Dane Byers scored the overtime winner Friday night and also had the Wolf Pack’s only goal in Saturday’s game.  Chad Johnson won his fourth straight AHL decision with 27 saves Friday, and then stopped 35 out of 37 Springfield shots in Saturday’s overtime loss.

This week:

After playing seven of their last nine games on the road, the Wolf Pack have three home games on their schedule this week.  The Norfolk Admirals make their first visit to Hartford in nearly two years Wednesday (7:00), before the Lowell Devils invade the XL Center on Guida’s Family Value Night Friday (7:00).  Saturday night is “Boy Scout Sleepover” night, and the Wolf Pack and Manchester Monarchs will close out their season series with a 7:00 game.

Wednesday, January 27 vs. Norfolk at the XL Center, 7:00 PM

· As with all Wolf Pack Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday-night home games, this night features $3 domestic drafts and snacks in the XL Center Atrium.

· The Admirals (20-23-2-0, 42 pts., tied for fifth place in the East Division) have won three straight games since making a coaching change January 16, replacing Head Coach Darren Rumble with Associate Coach Jim Johnson.

· This is the first of four games on the season between the Wolf Pack and Admirals, who did not play one another last season.  All-time vs. Norfolk, the Pack are 12(W)-8(L)-3(T)-1(OTL) in 24 meetings and 7(W)-3(L)-1(T)-1(OTL) on home ice.

· Among veterans Mark Parrish (704 career NHL games), Adam Hall (426) and Lukas Krajicek (301), the Admirals have over 1,400 games of NHL experience.

· 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 29 vs. Lowell at the XL Center, 7:00 PM

· Being a Friday home game, this is a 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.  Guida’s Family Value Night packs are available at the XL Center box office and on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com.

· The Devils currently sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with a 27-27-3-1 record for 58 points, only two points behind division-leading Manchester but only a point ahead of third-place Worcester.

· The Wolf Pack are 2-1-0-0 on the year against the Devils and have won their only previous home game in the series, 5-2 on October 24.

· The Devils’ leading scorer, Ben Walter (14-17-31 in 46 GP), just returned to Lowell after playing his first two NHL games of the year with the parent New Jersey Devils.

· 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 30 vs. Manchester at the XL Center, 7:00 PM

· This is the Wolf Pack’s annual “Boy Scout Sleepover” night, sponsored by Click It or Ticket.  Boy Scouts are invited to camp out in the XL Center’s Exhibition Hall for a sleepover after the game, and experience all kinds of jamboree-type fun.  To order Scout Night tickets, and reserve spaces for the sleepover, call the Wolf Pack ticket office at (860) 548-2000.

· This game finishes the eight-game season series between the Pack and Manchester, and wraps up a stretch of the Wolf Pack’s schedule that has seen them play four out of seven games against the division-leading Monarchs.

· It has been a “home-ice” series thus far between the Wolf Pack and Monarchs, with the Pack winning all three games between the two teams in Hartford and losing all four of their visits to Manchester.

· The Monarchs’ 6-1 win over the Wolf Pack Sunday in Manchester allowed them to regain sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division.  At 27-14-2-4 for 60 points, Head Coach Mark Morris’ club leads second-place Lowell by two points.

· Bud Holloway, Manchester’s second-leading goal and point-scorer (14-14-28 in 43 GP), bagged two goals and added an assist in Sunday’s win over the Wolf Pack.

· As with all Wolf Pack Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday-night home games, this night features $3 domestic drafts and snacks in the XL Center Atrium.

· 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, January 31 – “Tip-a-Player” Dinner and Sports Carnival, at the XL Center, 4:00-7:00 PM

The Wolf Pack’s annual “Tip-a-Player” Dinner and Sports Carnival takes place this Sunday, January 31 at the XL Center.  The event runs from 4:00-7:00 PM and features the Wolf Pack players serving dinner, with food donated by top Hartford-area restaurants.  Players compete to earn tips in “puck bucks” for their service and for entertaining guests.  Proceeds from “Tip-a-Player” benefit Gaylord Specialty Healthcare.  Tickets are still available, and ticket information can be obtained on the Wolf Pack’s official website, www.hartfordwolfpack.com, or by calling Danielle Alt in the Wolf Pack office at (860) 541-4722.

Recent Transactions:

Chad Johnson – returned to the Wolf Pack by the New York Rangers January 20.
Matt Zaba – recalled from the Wolf Pack by the New York Rangers January 20.
Tyler Doig – signed to Professional Tryout (PTO) agreement by the Wolf Pack January 23.
Kenny Roche – signed to Professional Tryout (PTO) agreement by the Wolf Pack January 23.
Kevin Schaeffer – signed to Professional Tryout (PTO) agreement by the Wolf Pack January 24.

Pack Tracks:

At every Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday-night Wolf Pack home game for the balance of the regular season, fans can enjoy $3 drafts and snacks in the XL Center Atrium.  Also, the Comcast Coliseum Club features a “Warmup Menu”, with $3 domestic drafts and appetizers, before every Wolf Pack home game at the XL Center.

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.  Information on all of the Wolf Pack’s many terrific ticket options, including group discounts, season tickets, partial plans, Birthday Bash packages and more, is available by calling the Wolf Pack ticket office at (860) 548-2000, and on-line at 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.

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.  The next Wolf Pack game scheduled to be on WTIC NewsTalk 1080 is Saturday, February 27, when the Pack host the Portland Pirates at 7:00 PM.

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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