Wolf Pack Earn ‘Good Neighbor’ Recognition

By Bob Crawford

HARTFORD – The American Hockey League has honored the Hartford Wolf Pack with the 2016-17 Team Business Services Award for excellence in community service among Eastern Conference teams.  The award was announced at a gala reception during the AHL Board of Governors’ Annual Meeting at Hilton Head, SC.

“We are extremely proud of our staff’s and players’ dedication to giving back to the Hartford-area community, and that it has been celebrated with this tremendous AHL honor,” said Chris Lawrence, general manager of the XL Center and head of Wolf Pack business operations.  “With the amount of time and effort the entire league puts into the service aspect of our business, it’s a credit to everyone involved with the team to be recognized.  We look forward to continuing to make a positive impact in the Capital region.”

The Wolf Pack’s community outreach program, under the direction of manager of community relations Frank Berrian, has successfully developed several signature elements.  The Wolf Pack “Read to the Rink” reading program, sponsored by ProHealth Physicians Healthy Me, involved several dozen area schools, and the “Hockey in the Streets” effort brought the fun and healthy exercise of street hockey to the youngsters of Camp Courant throughout the summer. 

The Wolf Pack’s annual “Bowl-a-Thon” in support of Special Olympics Connecticut raised over $13,000, and the team staff’s efforts at “Holiday Light Fantasia” in December helped generate nearly $7,000 for the Channel 3 Kids Camp.  Also, Wolf Pack players and Sonar, the team’s mascot, combined to make nearly 200 community appearances during the 2016-17 season—ranging from school and hospital visits to youth hockey events, holiday toy deliveries, and all manner of community parades and celebrations.

In addition, a number of Wolf Pack game-night initiatives have served to support important causes.  Those game-oriented elements include such favorites as Xfinity Chuck-a-Puck, Aetna Amateur Hockey and Jefferson Radiology’s Stick it to Cancer night and Guns & Hoses night.

Season ticket information for the 2017-18 Wolf Pack season can be found at www.hartfordwolfpack.com.  To speak with a representative about any of the Wolf Pack’s ticketing options, call (855) 762-6451, or click here to request more info.