PELLETIER EMERGENCY BACKUP 

WHALE SIGN GOALTENDER PIER-OLIVIER PELLETIER TO PTO

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Comes in from CHL Laredo for Second Stint with Whale

HARTFORD, CT: Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the Whale has signed goaltender Pier-Olivier Pelletier to a Professional Tryout (PTO) agreement.

This will by the second stint of the season with the Whale for Pelletier, who comes to Connecticut from the Laredo Bucks of the Central Hockey League.  In an earlier turn with the Whale, Pelletier played 54 minutes of one game, his AHL debut, with the Whale.  That was a 7-3 loss to the Hamilton Bulldogs January 21, in which Pelletier stopped 18 of the 22 shots he faced, including a penalty shot save.

In 22 CHL games with the Bucks, Pelletier, a 6-2, 200-pound second-year pro, carries a record of 6-10-4, with a 3.41 goals-against average, an 89.2% save percentage and one shutout.

A 23-year-old native of St-Louis-du-Ha!Ha!, Quebec, Pelletier was a second-round pick by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

The Whale defeated the Providence Bruins 4-1 in Providence today, in a preview of the historic Harvest-Properties.com Whale Bowl outdoor game between the two teams this Saturday, February 19 at Rentschler Field.

Tickets for that game are on sale now at www.ticketmaster.com.  Tickets for the AHL game, which begins at 7:00 PM at Rentschler Field, also include the Hartford Whalers legends vs. Boston Bruins legends game at 4:00 PM that day.  The February 19 Harvest-Properties.com Whale Bowl is the featured event of the two-week outdoor Harvest-Properties.com Whalers Hockey Fest 2011 spectacular that also showcases numerous collegiate, high school, prep school and youth hockey games.   A full Harvest-Properties.com Whalers Hockey Fest 2011 schedule can be found at www.ctwhale.com.  Harvest-Properties.com Whale Bowl ticket prices range from $20 to $85 and tickets can be purchased on-line via Ticketmaster, at the Bushnell box office from Monday through Friday, 12 noon-5:00 PM., or by calling the Connecticut Whale at 860-728-3366.  Tickets purchased on-line can be printed immediately (via Ticketmaster).

The AHL’s CT Whale is operated by Whalers Sports and Entertainment, a Hartford-based sports marketing and event firm founded by Howard Baldwin.  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.