The Hartford Wolf Pack will continue to call Hartford and the Hartford Civic Center home after the New York Rangers signed a multi-year agreement with Northland AEG LLC, the new Hartford Civic Center building operator.
"We are extremely pleased to have reached an agreement with Northland AEG to keep the Wolf Pack in Hartford," said Rangers president and general manager Glen Sather. "The Rangers organization has enjoyed a great relationship with the city over the last 10 years and our players, coaches and staff are excited to remain a part of the community and continue to play at the Hartford Civic Center."
Under the terms of the agreement, Northland AEG LLC will be responsible for the day-to-day business operations of the Wolf Pack, including marketing, sponsorship and ticket sales, while Madison Square Garden and the Rangers will retain ownership of the Wolf Pack and continue to be responsible for on-ice team decisions, including coaching and player movement.
Northland AEG LLC will begin managing the Hartford Civic Center on July 1, 2007, on behalf of the Connecticut Development Authority. The Wolf Pack brought Hartford its first pro sports championship in 2000 when the team captured the AHL’s Calder Cup. The team has also compiled the most regular-season wins and standings points of any team in the league during its 10-year history. The Pack made the playoffs in each of the 10 seasons of its tenure, a claim that only two other franchises in the AHL’s 71-year history can make.
Several dozen young Wolf Pack players have gone on to enjoy solid NHL careers; recent contributors to the Rangers include Fedor Tyutin, Jed Ortmeyer, Thomas Pock, Blair Betts, Ryan Callahan, Dan Girardi, Ryan Hollweg, and Steve Valiquette.
Off the ice, the Wolf Pack Community Foundation has been committed to the Hartford community, raising more than $1 million for numerous community organizations.
