AHL American Hockey League

B2 Networks AHL Game of the Week

Published on April 6, 2006 under American Hockey League (AHL) News Release


Springfield, MA - Since winning the Calder Cup in 1994, the Portland Pirates have suffered through a 12 year period without winning a championship of any kind. This Friday night the Pirates look to end the championship drought by clinching the Atlantic Division title. Standing between Portland and their first division title are the Hartford Wolf Pack who look to defend their home ice and stop any celebration plans the Pirates may have. The battle between these two possible playoff adversaries takes place Friday night, April 7 at 7pm EDT from the Hartford Civic Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum and can be seen exclusively on B2 Networks.

Portland's road to the cusp of a division title began last summer when the Anaheim Mighty Ducks became the NHL affiliate for the team. The Pirates two leading scorers, All-Star rookie Ryan Shannon (24-56-80) and 2nd year man Dustin Penner (36-39-75) are both top prospects for Anaheim. This week Shannon was named to the AHL All-Rookie team and Penner to the Second AHL All-Star Team due in large part to his league leading +36 rating. With 104 points, the Pirates are tied with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the top spot in the Eastern Conference and home ice advantage for the first three rounds of the playoffs.

While most of the attention in the Atlantic Division has gone to Portland, the Hartford Wolf Pack have put together another solid campaign. With a record of 44-22-2-6, 96 points, the Pack have the 7th best record in the entire AHL. Hartford can also boast of two players receiving post season accolades. All-star defenseman Thomas Pock was named to the Second AHL All-Star Team. Pock has been an offensive force from the blue line with 60 points (15-45-60), rating 2nd among all AHL defensemen. Also, rookie D-man Daniel Girardi was named to the AHL All-Rookie team. The 21-year old has made a big impression in his first campaign with 38 points (8-30-38) and a plus/minus rating of +14. This is the 10th and final regular season meeting between the clubs.The season series has been tight with Portand winning 5 times, Hartford four. Fans wanting to watch the game will be able to access the broadcast through the individual team websites, or the league site www.theahl.com. The cost to watch each game is the usual price of $6 dollars. A high speed internet connection and a current version of Windows Media Player are required to view the event.

B2 Networks is a premier provider of reliable and secure international television and video broadcasting systems, pay per view and billing systems. Our network of arenas, stadiums, local venues, billing systems and data centers are currently in use to distribute live events to computer and television screens around the world. Working with teams from the AHL, ECHL. UHL USHL, and the National Lacrosse League, B2 has established itself as a leader in innovative direct to home internet and television broadcasting. For more information about B2 Networks, visit www.b2now.com.

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