WOLF PACK WEEKLY: January 5 – 11, 2009

The Wolf Pack began calendar year 2009 by splitting a pair of home games against two of the top teams in the AHL. Friday against Western Conference co-leading Grand Rapids, the Pack scored a 3-1 victory over a Griffins squad that came into the night 7-0-1-0 in its previous eight games. On Saturday evening vs. league-leading Hershey, however, the Wolf Pack suffered a 6-2 loss, just their second regulation defeat in the last nine home games (5-2-0-2). P.A. Parenteau tallied a goal and an assist in Friday’s win, and fellow veteran Patrick Rissmiller registered 1-1-2 Saturday.

This week:

The Wolf Pack hit the road for four games this week, starting with a pair in Winnipeg against the Manitoba Moose Tuesday and Wednesday (both 8:30 PM faceoffs). Friday finds the Wolf Pack in Springfield for a 7:30 game, and the week wraps up with a GEICO Connecticut Cup battle in Bridgeport on Saturday night (7:00).

Tuesday, January 6^th at Manitoba (MTS Centre), 8:30 p.m.

· The Manitoba Moose, top affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks, are currently 22-11-0-2 for 46 points and in second place in the North Division. Head Coach Scott Arniel’s club is 1-4-0-2 in its last seven games.

· This will be the first meeting between the Wolf Pack and Moose since the 2002-03 season. The Pack are 4(w)-3(l)-0(t)-1(otl) in eight all-time games vs. Manitoba, 2(w)-2(l)-0(t)-0(otl) on the road.

· Jason Krog, last season’s AHL MVP and scoring champ (39-73-112 in 80 GP), and a Calder Cup-winner with the Chicago Wolves, is the Moose’s leading scorer, with 8-25-33 in 29 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.

Wednesday, January 7^th at Manitoba (MTS Centre), 8:30 p.m.

· Manitoba’s home record of 14-7-0-1 in 22 games is tied for second-best in the AHL.

· 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 9^th at Springfield (MassMutual Center), 7:30 p.m.

· The Wolf Pack have gone 2-1-0-1 in four games on the season vs. their I-91 rivals the Falcons. The Pack won the only previous meeting in Springfield, 4-3 in overtime, December 27^th.

· The Falcons currently bring up the rear in the Atlantic Division with a record of 13-19-4-1 for 31 points, three points behind sixth-place Lowell.

· Jeff Deslauriers, down from the parent Edmonton club, has played three of the last four games (1-2-0, 2.63, 91.2) for the Falcons, spelling Devan Dubnyk. Prior to Deslauriers’ arrival, Dubnyk had started 32 of Springfield’s first 33 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 10^th at Bridgeport (Bridgeport’s Arena at Harbor Yard), 7:00 p.m.

· The Sound Tigers sit second in the East Division, five points behind league pacesetter Hershey with a record of 22-9-2-2 for 48 points.

· The Wolf Pack have split four GEICO Connecticut Cup meetings with the Sound Tigers thus far, but have lost two of their three previous trips to Bridgeport.

· Rookie goaltender Nathan Lawson is 7-1-0 since joining the Sound Tigers from Utah of the ECHL, with a 1.70 goals-against average, a 93.9% save percentage and one shutout. Lawson stopped 28 out of 29 Wolf Pack shots in the last game between the two teams, a 3-1 Sound Tiger win December 26^th in Bridgeport.

· 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:

Chris Murray – returned by the Wolf Pack on loan to Charlotte (ECHL) December 29^th.

Ethan Graham – loaned to Charlotte (ECHL) by the Wolf Pack January 1^st.

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.

Every Friday-night Wolf Pack home game at the XL Center is 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 next Friday Guida’s Family Value Night is January 16^th, when the Pack take on the Springfield Falcons in a 7:00 game.

The Wolf Pack’s home game Saturday, January 17^th at the XL Center vs. Providence will have a special start time of 8:00 PM. The late start is to accommodate an arena changeover from a 2:00 UConn basketball game. Also on January 17^th, the first 3,000 fans into the game receive an exclusive, free Wolf Pack Mr. Potato Head, courtesy of Click it or Ticket.

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 Sleepove
r 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 860-548-2000, 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.