WOLF PACK WEEKLY

WOLF PACK WEEKLY: April 7-13, 2008

A 1-1-0-1 week for the Wolf Pack last week ensured that the Pack will finish second in the Atlantic Division and meet the Portland Pirates in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs. The Pack battled all the way into a shootout in their visit to Providence on Friday night, before losing to the league-leading Bruins, 4-3. A Portland goal with only 22 seconds left in regulation Saturday night broke a 1-1 tie in what would turn out to be a 3-1 road defeat for the Wolf Pack, and the Pack rebounded at home on Sunday to down the Lowell Devils by a score of 3-2. Dane Byers was the Wolf Pack’s leading scorer in the three games, with four assists, and Hugh Jessiman contributed two goals and an assist.

This week:
The Wolf Pack wrap up the regular season this week, with one last three-game weekend. The Pack finish off the season series vs. their I-91 rivals the Springfield Falcons Friday night in Springfield (7:30 faceoff), before concluding the GEICO Connecticut Cup series with a home-and-home series against Bridgeport. The Wolf Pack’s final home game of the regular year, “Fan Appreciation Night” is Saturday night (7:00) at the XL Center, and Game #80 of the season is a 4:00 start Sunday in Bridgeport.

Tuesday, April 8th – “Wolf Pack Confidential”, on ESPN Radio 1410
The season’s final edition of the Wolf Pack’s weekly Tuesday-night talk show features Wolf Pack veteran Mitch Fritz and rookie Bobby Sanguinetti as scheduled guests. Wolf Pack Confidential airs live from the M&M Restaurant at the Hilton Hartford, located at 315 Trumbull St. in downtown Hartford, from 7:00-8:00 PM. Fans are welcome to be on hand at M&M for an exclusive opportunity to ask questions and speak one-on-one with the guests. Wolf Pack Confidential can be heard live on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com.

Friday, April 11th at Springfield (MassMutual Center), 7:30 p.m.
• This is the last of ten regular-season get-togethers between the Wolf Pack and Falcons. The Pack have won eight of the nine previous games in the season series and have outscored Springfield by a total of 42-16. That includes a 10-1 victory, a Wolf Pack record for most lopsided win, in the last meeting March 29th.
• The Falcons’ 4-2 loss at Worcester yesterday eliminated them from playoff contention in the Atlantic Division.
• Springfield leading scorer Rob Schremp stands seventh in the AHL in points, with 22-52-74 in 75 GP.
• Broadcast – live with Bob Crawford at www.hartfordwolfpack.com, or watch on B2 Networks! Go to www.hartfordwolfpack.com for details.

Saturday, April 12th vs. Bridgeport at the XL Center, 7:00 p.m.
• This is the Wolf Pack’s final home game of the regular season, and the Pack’s annual “Fan Appreciation Night”, sponsored by NAVYForMoms.com. 29 lucky fans will go home with an authentic game jersey, courtesy of the Pack players giving the “Shirts off Our Backs”.
• The Pack are 3-3-0-2 in the GEICO Connecticut Cup series against the Sound Tigers, and must win both games of this weekend’s home-and-home series between the two teams, at least one of them in regulation, in order to retain the GEICO Connecticut Cup. If the Wolf Pack win both but only one in regulation, then the two clubs would be tied in points in the series and the deciding factor would be goal differential, which currently favors Bridgeport, 21-19.
• The Sound Tigers (38-34-1-3, 80 pts.) stand sixth in the East Division, but are still mathematically alive for a playoff berth, trailing fourth-place Hershey by six points with four games to play.
• Bridgeport’s Jeff Tambellini is part of a four-way tie for the AHL goals leadership, with 36-36-72 in only 53 games.
• Radio – live with Bob Crawford on ESPN Radio 1410, and on the web at: www.hartfordwolfpack.com, or watch on B2 Networks! Go to www.harfordwolfpack.com for details.

Sunday, April 13th at Bridgeport (Bridgeport’s Arena at Harbor Yard), 4:00 p.m.
• The Wolf Pack have split four visits this season to the Arena at Harbor Yard, where the Sound Tigers are 23-13-0-2 in 38 games on the year.
• Radio – live with Bob Crawford on ESPN Radio 1410, and on the web at: www.hartfordwolfpack.com, or watch on B2 Networks! Go to www.harfordwolfpack.com for details.

Recent Transactions:
Mark Lee – returned on loan by the Wolf Pack to Charlotte (ECHL) March 31st.
Bobby Sanguinetti – Reassigned by the New York Rangers to the Wolf Pack from Brampton (OHL) March 31st.
Tomas Zaborsky – Signed by the Wolf Pack to an Amateur Tryout (ATO) agreement April 2nd.
Brad Brown – Released from a Professional Tryout (PTO) agreement by the Wolf Pack April 6th.

Pack Tracks:
The Wolf Pack will have home-ice advantage in their Atlantic-Division Semi-final series against Portland, which starts Wednesday, April 16th at the XL Center, with Game One facing off at 7:00 PM. Game Two is also at the XL Center, Thursday, April 17th at 7:00. The series then shifts to the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland for Games Three and Four, which will be played Saturday, April 19th (7:05 PM faceoff) and Sunday, April 20th (6:05). If a Game Five is necessary, it will take place in Hartford Tuesday, April 22nd (7:00), Game Six, if necessary, would be Thursday, April 24th in Portland at 7:05, and if the series goes the full seven games, the decider would be Saturday, April 26th at the XL Center (7:00). Tickets for the Wolf Pack’s first two home games of the series (Games “A” and “B”) are on sale now, and ticket strips are also available for all 16 possible Wolf Pack home Calder Cup playoff games. Those can be purchased through the Wolf Pack ticket office at (860) 548-2000, or on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com.

Sonar, the Wolf Pack’s lovable mascot, will be joining Ronald McDonald at Parkville Elementary School, 1755 Park St. in Hartford (860-695-4720), this Friday, April 11th from 1:00-2:00 PM.

96.5 TIC’s Acoustic Café Volume 7, the proceeds from which benefit the Hartford Wolf Pack Community Foundation, is on sale now at the Wolf Pack store at Hartford 21, Strawberries and FYE stores and on-line at www.965tic.com. Acoustic Café Volume 7 features exclusive performances by Daughtry, KT Tunstall, Lifehouse, Avril Lavigne, Mat Kearney, Bowling for Soup, The Fray, Collective Soul and Mandy Moore. The CD costs only $9.65, and each CD also includes a voucher redeemable for a free ticket to a Wednesday or Sunday Wolf Pack home game.

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.Ticketmaster.com. Season tickets, five, 10 and 20 game packages and group tickets are also available. Contact 860-548-2000 for more details.