From: Ryan Stanzel
Director of Communications
Monday, September 25, 2006
713.361.7930 (Direct Line)
Call 281.265.7469 today for pre-season tickets before they’re all gone!

TOP DRAFT PICK, FOUR OTHERS JOIN AEROS

HOUSTON, Texas – Minnesota Wild President and General Manager Doug Risebrough today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has reassigned the following five players to the training camp for the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League (AHL): left wings Benoit Pouliot (ben-WAH, POOL-ee-ott), Roman Voloshenko (vohl-oh-SHEN-ko) and Peter Olvecky (ohl-VEHT-skee), center Jason Morgan and defenseman Erik Reitz (pictured). The Aeros’ training camp is set to open this Wednesday from 1-3 p.m. at Sugar Land Ice & Sports Center.

Pouliot, 19 (9/29/86), joined the Aeros for the post-season in 2006 and didn’t pick up a point in two playoff games. He was minus-two with two shots in his first action, in Game 2 of the West Division Finals at Milwaukee. The 6-foot-3, 188-pound native of Alfred, Ont., was the fourth overall pick by the Wild in 2005. He totaled 136 points (66-70=136) and 253 PIM’s in 124 games with Sudbury over two-plus OHL seasons.

Olvecky, 20 (10/11/85), had a fine first season an Aero in 2005-06, ranking eighth on the team by registering 32 points (14-18=32) in 69 games. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound native of Trencin, Slovakia, was the Slovakian Elite League’s Rookie of the Year in 2004-05, when he posted 19 points (10-9=19) in 45 games with Dukla Trencin, skating alongside Minnesota Wild star Marian Gaborik during the NHL lockout. Olvecky had a season-high six-game point streak spanning the end of the regular season and the playoffs. He was Minnesota’s third-round pick (No. 78 overall) in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

Voloshenko, 20 (5/2/86), made a huge splash in 2005-06, torching the AHL early and often en route to a 60-point (33-27=60) rookie campaign in 69 games despite missing three weeks to play for Russia’s World Junior team. The 6-foot-1, 189-pounder from Brest, Belarus, tied for ninth among all AHL rookies in points and third in goals. He tied an Aeros team record with 20 power play goals, and at 19 years old became the youngest Aero to ever record a hat trick in a 6-5 win over San Antonio on Opening Night, October 7. Not to be outdone, Voloshenko lit up former Stanley Cup champion goaltender Chris Osgood and Grand Rapids for the second four-goal game in team history, October 21. Voloshenko was Minnesota’s second-round pick (No. 42 overall) in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

Morgan, 29 (10/9/76), enters his 11th pro season and first in the Minnesota organization, with the Wild signing him July 17. The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder from St. John’s, Newf., split last season with NHL Chicago and AHL Norfolk. He registered two points (1-1=2) in seven games with the Blackhawks, and 39 points (8-31=39) and 58 penalty minutes in 51 games with the Admirals. Morgan has seven points (2-5=7) in 40 NHL games with Los Angeles, Calgary, Nashville and Chicago. In 449 AHL games with Springfield, Hamilton, Saint John, Lowell and Norfolk, Morgan has accumulated 255 points (81-174=255) and 484 penalty minutes in 449 games. Morgan served as both a captain and alternate captain with Norfolk last season. He was Los Angeles’ fifth-round pick (No. 118 overall) in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft.

Reitz, 24 (7/29/82), ranked second among Aeros defensemen in 2005-06 with a career-best 28 points (5-23=28) in 72 games. He ranked third on the team with 139 penalty minutes. Reitz, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound native of Detroit, Mich., also saw his first action in the NHL, playing five games with the Wild while accumulating four penalty minutes. In four seasons with the Aeros, Reitz has 85 points (18-67=85) and 490 penalty minutes in 241 games. Reitz, who holds the Aeros’ AHL record for career penalty minutes, was a member of Houston’s Calder Cup championship team in 2002-03. Minnesota selected Reitz in the sixth round (No. 170 overall) of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.

Tickets for all 40 regular season home games are on sale now! Tickets are available by calling 1.866.GO.AEROS, at the Toyota Center Box Office and select area Randalls locations and also online via Aeros.com. Ticket prices begin at just $12 for single game tickets.

The Aeros open up the regular season on Saturday, Oct. 7 at Toyota Center at 7:35 p.m. against Grand Rapids , with a tribute to their inaugural 1994-95 team. Mark Freer, the Aeros’ all-time leader in every major offensive category, will return along with Al Conroy and Graeme Townshend. The trio will partake in the ceremonial puck drop and will sign autographs during the first intermission. The first 3,000 fans will also receive Aeros camouflage hats as part of the opening weekend festivities.

Mr. Hockey ® Gordie Howe returns to Houston on Sunday, Oct. 8 at 5:05 p.m. when the Aeros take on the Iowa Stars. This game marks the return of the wildly popular Aeros Family Day! Get four tickets, $20 in Toyota Bucks, four Aeros gifts, free parking and a post-game family activity (shot on goal) all for as little as $67! Call 713.974.PUCK or click here for more information.

You can reserve your priority group seating for Opening Weekend today by calling 713.974.PUCK. It’s also not too late to order your 2006-07 season tickets and receive 10 of the 40 regular season games free! Call 713.974.PUCK or click here to get your season tickets today!

---HOUSTON AEROS---