Click here to launch - Minnesota Wild

32 Backstrom25 Belanger47 Bergeron24 Boogaard96 Bouchard15 brunette8 burns26 foster10 Gaborik29 Harding5 johnsson9 koivu20 miettinen11 nolan2 reitz55 schultz51 Sheppard41 skoula19 Veilleux12 Weller3 Zidlicky2008-09 media policies and proceduresACCESS: The Minnesota Wild organization and Communicationsdepartment strive to make its players, coaches, management andother personnel available in a timely and responsible fashion to allaccredited members of the media.CREDENTIALS: Press seating at Wild home games at Xcel EnergyCenter is available to accredited media in the Al Shaver PressBox located on the south side of the Xcel Energy Center’s presslevel. Single-game credentials must be requested no later than 5p.m., the day prior to a game played Tuesday through Saturday andby 3 p.m., Friday for a Sunday or Monday holiday game. Requestsshould be made in writing to Deb Hanson, Minnesota Wild, 317Washington Street, Saint Paul, MN 55102; facsimile requests at(651) 293-9574 or e-mail requests at “dhanson@wild.com” willalso be accepted. Single-game credentials may be picked up atthe media entrance near Gate 1, located on the southeast entranceof the Xcel Energy Center on Kellogg Boulevard. The elevator to thepressroom and press box is located in the southwest corner of theXcel Energy Center near Gate 2. Due to occasional limited press boxseating, those requesting single-game credentials will be seatedon an as-available basis, with preference given to the following:local daily newspapers and wire services, television stations withsportscasts, radio stations which use actualities, visiting media,national media. Next preference goes to other Twin Cities mediaincluding weekly newspapers, general topic magazines and televisionshows and any other media that have a specific assignment tocover a Wild game. Those persons holding full-season Wild or NHLTeam Management credentials MUST enter through Gate 1.MEDIA MEMBERS HOLDING SEASON PASSES SHOULD NOTIFYTHE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT IF PLANNING TO COVERA GAME IN ORDER TO RESERVE SEATING. A MEDIA CREDENTIALCANNOT BE USED TO SIT IN SPECTATOR SEATING AREAS.DAY-OF-GAME INTERVIEWS: After completion of the morningskate, which typically begins at approximately 10:30 a.m. (fora 7 p.m. start), is the best time to interview players and coacheson a game day. Requests to interview a player upon his arrival toXcel Energy Center for the game will be accommodated upon theplayer’s and coach’s approval and should be requested at the morningskate. If the team is not practicing, the request should be madeto the Wild, or visiting team public relations department, no laterthan 10 a.m. on the day of game. The Wild Communications departmentcannot guarantee access to players or coaches if no practiceis scheduled. Interviews that need advance preparation or specialaccommodation by a Wild player or Communications staff member,such as live or studio television interviews pre- and post-game,should be made by contacting the Wild Communications departmentno later than 10 a.m. on the day of the game.DAY-OF-GAME PRACTICES: On home game days when theWild choose to practice, they will typically take the ice at approximately10:30 a.m. Media should plan on arriving by 10:30 a.m. forgame-day practices. The visiting team’s practice usually starts at11:30 a.m. Call the Wild Communications department if there is aquestion regarding either team’s practice schedule.LOCKER ROOMS: NHL locker rooms close 90 minutes beforegame time. Requests for interviews to take place before the lockerrooms are closed will be accommodated only upon prior approvalby both the player and coach. The rooms will re-open five minutesafter the game and remain open for 30 minutes. The officials’ lockerroom is off limits to the media. Should a comment or interpretationfrom the game’s referee or NHL supervisor be needed, contact amember of the Wild Communications department and a pool reportermay be assigned.PHOTOGRAPHERS: Only those photographers on assignmentwill be allowed access to designated photography locations at rinklevel and in overhead positions. Xcel Energy Center spaces are accessibleto local dailies, wire service photographers and local TVcrews (for non-televised games). Two photography positions arereserved for Wild team photographers. Additional photography positionsare determined on a first-come, first-served basis; however,in cases of increased photographer attendance, positions will beassigned by Dewayne Hankins of the Wild Creative Services staffand team photographer Bruce Kluckhohn. In all cases, photographersshould check in with Dewayne Hankins or Bruce Kluckhohnin the pressroom before game time. Because of very limited photographylocations, it is not possible to accommodate freelancephotographers.PRESS ROOM: Media possessing season credentials or thosegranted single-game credentials are invited to have a meal beforeeach game in the press dining room, located on the lower level(Xcel Energy Center’s south side). The Minnesota Wild will chargemedia $5 to eat a meal in the press dining room. A portion of theproceeds will be donated to the Minnesota Sports & Entertainment(MSE) Community Giving Fund. The room opens two-and-one-halfhours before game time. Dining room usage is limited to those presentingvalid Wild credentials or NHL Team Management passes. Itis impossible to accommodate family members, friends, guests orothers. Any abuse of dining room privileges may cause forfeitureof a media pass. Limited refreshments are also available duringintermissions.SERVICES: The Wild Communications department will furnishpre-game press notes, lineups, press releases, complete statisticsand other pertinent information in the pressroom and the pressdining room. There are sufficient electrical outlets and telephonesavailable in the press box and media work room (adjacent to thepress dining room). Media interested in using the Xcel Energy Centerwireless network can receive an access code from a memberof the communications staff. Statisticians are available to assistradio and television broadcasters by contacting the Wild Communicationsdepartment. These services must be made in advance,and once they are made, the statisticians must be compensatedwhether or not used.TELEVISION COVERAGE: All television stations are prohibitedby the National Hockey League from shooting and distributinggame footage of any contest that is being broadcast from Xcel EnergyCenter by either the Minnesota Wild, the visiting team or networktelevision. Requests for special features and the like shouldbe directed to the Wild Communications department.MEDIA PARKING: The amount of parking available to the mediaat the Xcel Energy Center is limited. The Wild Communicationsdepartment will issue full-season parking passes only to thosemedia expected to attend the majority of home games throughoutthe 2008-09 season. All other parking requests will be handled ona per-game basis and are subject to availability. Media parkingwill be located in the RIVERCENTRE PARKING RAMP across KelloggBoulevard from the arena. The ramp has two entrances: on KelloggBoulevard and on Exchange Street, which can be accessedvia Eagle Street (at the Kellogg and West Seventh intersection). Toenter the building, media should take the West elevator to SkywayLevel and enter the arena at the skyway entrance to Gate 1. An alternateoption is to cross Kellogg Blvd. and enter through the mainentrance at Gate 1.Club Directory ................................................................................................................................................4Minnesota Sports & Entertainment........................................................................................................8Minnesota Wild Board of Directors.......................................................................................................9Team Management....................................................................................................................................10Coaching Staff.............................................................................................................................................18Hockey Operations.....................................................................................................................................22Equipment & Training Team..................................................................................................................26Medical Team..............................................................................................................................................28Minnesota Wild Staff................................................................................................................................30Broadcast Information.............................................................................................................................36MSE Community Giving............................................................................................................................41Xcel Energy Center....................................................................................................................................42Team Identity...............................................................................................................................................44Player Biographies....................................................................................................................................45In The System.............................................................................................................................................94Future Wild...............................................................................................................................................106Team Roster.............................................................................................................................................112Houston Aeros..........................................................................................................................................114Team History............................................................................................................................................ 117Draft History.............................................................................................................................................152Records.......................................................................................................................................................157Playoffs.......................................................................................................................................................193NHL Directory..........................................................................................................................................216NHL Team Information......................................................................................................................... 2172007-08 NHL Standings and Leaders...........................................................................................246NHL Information & Key Dates............................................................................................................248NHL Referees & Linesemen...............................................................................................................2522008-09 Wild Schedule......................................................................................................................254Vice President of Communications & BroadcastingBill RobertsonManaging EditorDewayne HankinsAssistant EditorsJamie MacDonald, Aaron Sickman, Ryan Stanzel,Robert DesimoneSpecial ThanksMinnesota Wild Business Staff, National Hockey League,Elias Sports Bureautable of contentsPhotographyBruce Kluckhohn, Getty Images, Andrew HillDesigned ByAndrew Hill - Sight Creative • Saint Paul, Minn.Printed byShapco Printing, Inc. • Minneapolis, Minn.Copyright © 2008Minnesota WildThe information contained in this publication was compiled by the Minnesota Wild and is provided as a courtesy to our fans and themedia, and may be used for personal and editorial purposes only. Any commercial use of this information is prohibited without the priorwritten consent of the Minnesota Wild Hockey Club and Minnesota Sports & Entertainment.All NHL and team insignias depicted in this publication are the property of NHL Enterprises, inc. and the respective teams and may notbe reproduced for commercial purposes without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, Inc.2 2008-09 MINNESOTA WILD TEAM GUIDE 2008-09 MINNESOTA WILD TEAM GUIDE 3Table of contents Hockey Operations Wild THings The Players Team History Team Records Playoff History The NHL