Finish 6th in the Atlantic Division with .500 record
In one of the most competitive and entertaining seasons to date in American Hockey
League history, the Portland Pirates completed the 2004-05 season in a league with upper
echelon talent and new rule changes with a record of 34-34-6-6 falling 10 points shy of
qualifying for the 2005 Calder Cup Playoffs and ended a 12 year relationship with the
Washington Capitals.
For the first time in the history of the American Hockey League, the entire season was
played without action in the National Hockey League because of a labor dispute. For the
Pirates, a team with an average age of 23 and a boat-load of young prospects, the lockout
had an impact on the team. The young Pirates squad was unlike most teams that
experienced success largely because of their experienced NHL players who trickled down
to the AHL.
As a result of the lockout, the Pirates prospects were forced into a rapid growth
process. The team jumped out to a splendid start with a 5-1 record, but as the calendar
flipped to November, the season and the Pirates ship veered off course with numerous
injuries including veterans Dwayne Zinger and Darcy Verot. Two young defensemen, Steve
Eminger and Jakub Cutta, were also sidelined at the end of 2004. During November and
December, the Pirates posted a record of 7-13-3-4. During that stretch, the Pirates had
difficulty on the road which included a span of nine games without a victory.
The new calendar year included some new faces on the Portland roster, as head coach
Tim Army brought back right winger Brian Willsie who had been playing overseas, plus
defenseman Jean-Francois Fortin, both players with experience in the Capitals
organization. Portland also welcomed back 24 year-old defenseman Nolan Yonkman who
had been absent from the line-up to start the season because of an knee injury that
occurred during off-ice conditioning over the summer. On December 18th, Yonkman made
an emotional return at home against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers after missing the past
two seasons with knee injuries. The three players provided the Pirates a renewed sense
of energy and versatility heading into the second half of the season as the inspired
Pirates finished January at .500 with a record of 6-6.
Among the changes in January was the change in captaincy. Army appointed veteran Trent
Whitfield as the team's 8th captain, replacing Graham Mink. The adjustment allowed Mink
to unearth his game. Mink responded in the second half of the season by posting 11 goals
and 12 assists from January through the end of the season.
On January 28th, the Pirates received another boost as the team signed 30-year old
goaltender Kirk Daubenspeck from the South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL), an acquisition that gave
the Pirates a new life as they attempted to climb back into the playoff picture and
make up ground in the Atlantic Division standings. The Madison, Wisconsin native led
the Pirates in his first start by shutting out the Worcester IceCats 4-0 in Worcester.
It was the Pirates first shutout of the season. Backup rookie goaltender Justin Eddy was
sent down to South Carolina as Daubenspeck made his case for the Pirates MVP honors by
posting three more shutouts and went 9-3-0-0 in his first 12 games with the Pirates. He
put the Pirates in a position to once again compete for a playoff spot.
As January and February came around so did the injury bug. The offensive contributions
dwindled as the team relied on defense. Forwards Brooks Laich, Brian Sutherby, Jason
Ulmer and Graham Mink all missed games due to injury in January. Then on February 18th,
in the Pirates game against Springfield, goaltender Maxime Ouellet suffered a high ankle
sprain as he found himself underneath a pile of players in the crease and he would miss
the rest of the season. In total, the Pirates lost a total of 315 man-games to injury
during the season.
Trent Whitfield provided a spark for the Pirates in February as the team went 6-3-0-1
and began to smell the scent of the post season and fourth and final playoff spot. The
month was capped off with a 5-1 drubbing of the Providence Bruins in which Whitfield
and Brian Willsie both scored a season-high 4 points.
The Pirates began the month of March with five wins out of their first six games.
However, the Pirates powerplay which had been their bread and butter all season long,
began to sputter. The team went 3/63 on the powerplay over their next 12 games, the
offense suffered as a result, averaging 1.75 goals per game during that span. The biggest
valley in the Pirates season came at the end of March and into the beginning of April
when the team was winless in nine consecutive games with a record of 0-5-3-1.
Before the end of the season, rookie center Chris Bourque, son of NHL Hall of Fame
defenseman Ray Bourque, signed an Amateur Try-Out with the Pirates for the final six
games of the season. Bourque had just completed his freshman season at Boston University.
The 19 year-old was a second round pick (33rd overall) in the 2004 Entry Draft and made
an immediate impact on the team especially on the Pirates powerplay. Bourque scored his
first professional goal in overtime against the Springfield Falcons on April 15th in
the Pirates 2-1 win.
The team finished April with a record of 3-4-2-1 falling short of the playoffs for just
the third time in franchise history. It was the third season in a row that the Pirates
finished with 80 or more points, marking the first time in the team's 12 year history
that the Pirates had amassed the 80 point total for three consecutive seasons.
End of an Era
On April 26, the Capitals announced their new affiliation with the Hershey Bears
of the AHL, which ended the relationship between Washington and Portland which began
in 1993-94, the Pirates inaugural season.
The Capitals and Bears were previously affiliated for seven seasons from 1977 to 1984,
including the Bears 1980 Calder Cup championship. Since the Capitals inaugural season
of 1974, they have also held AHL affiliations or working agreements with the Richmond
Robins (1974-75 to 1975-76), Springfield Indians (1976-77), Binghamton Whalers (1984-85
to 1987-88) and the Baltimore Skipjacks (1988-89 to 1992-93).
Through The Years
During the 2004-2005 season, the Pirates reached the 30-win plateau for the eleventh
time in their history and their 34-34-6-6 record placed them sixth in the Atlantic
Division and 11th in the Eastern Conference. The Pirates ended the season by winning
three out of their last four games to finish the season with a .500 record. The 34
wins were the most for the team since the 2000-01 campaign. The Pirates failed to
qualify for the Calder Cup Playoffs for just the third time in 12 years.
Season GP W L OTL*T GF GA PTS Finish Playoff Result
1993-94 80 43 27 10 328 269 96 2-N Won Calder Cup (12-5)
1994-95 80 46 22 12 323 233 104 2-N Lost Div. Semi-Final (3-4)
1995-96 80 32 38 4 10 282 283 78 3-N Lost Cup Final (14-10)
1996-97 80 37 26 7 10 279 264 91 3-NE Lost Div. Semi-Final (2-3)
1997-98 80 33 33 2 12 241 247 80 3-A Lost Div. Final (5-5)
1998-99 80 23 50 2 7 214 273 55 5-A Did Not Qualify
* A new rule instituted prior to the 1995-96 season awards one point to
the team that loses in overtime. Prior to the
1999-2000 season, the
Overtime Loss designation was changed to Regulation Tie.
Season GP W L T RT GF GA PTS Finish Playoff Result
1999-00 80 46 23 10 1 256 202 103 2-NE Lost Div. Semi-final (1-3)
2000-01 80 34 40 4 2 250 280 74 5-NE Lost Div. Semi-final (0-3)
2001-02 80 30 31 15 4 220 225 79 11-E^ Did Not Qualify
2002-03 80 33 28 13 6 221 195 85 8-E Lost qualifying Ser. (1-2)
2003-04 80 32 27 13 8 156 160 85 5-A# Lost Div. Semi-final (1-4)
2004-05 80 34 34 6 6 175 242 80 6-A** Did not Qualify
^ Prior to 2001-02 season, the Calder Cup Playoffs were changed to a
conference format, eliminating divisional series. Teams were seeded 1-14
in both the Eastern and Western Conferences.
# Format reverted to division standings to determine playoff positions for
the 2003-04 season.
** Ties were eliminated and sudden death overtime and shootouts decided games.
The format to qualify for the Calder Cup Playoffs was changed to include just
the top four teams from each division.
Leading The Way
Captain
Trent Whitfield led the Pirates in points during the 2004-2005 season.
In 67 games, he had 16 goals and 38 assists for 54 points. Whitfield's 38 assists were
also a team high. His assist total also marked a new career high. With his success this
season Whitfield now ranks 4th All-Time in the Pirates record book in the following
categories: points (255), goals scored (102) and assists (153). He was also named this
year's MVP and Players' Player.
Brian Willsie led the Pirates with 24 goals. Willsie
provided a much needed scoring threat for the Pirates in the second half of the season.
Willsie's 24 goals fell just short of his career high when he played for the Hershey
Bears during the 2002-03 season, scoring 29 goals in 59 games.
Jared Aulin was a line
mate of Whitfield and Willsie who flourished up front because of his dynamic playmaking
ability. Late in the season the line of Whitfield, Willsie and Aulin combined for 38
points in stretch of 10 games in mid March. Willsie and
Brooks Laich, in his second
year with the Pirates, both led the Pirates with eight powerplay goals. For the second
year in a row,
Owen Fussey led the team in game-winning goals along with rookie
Jakub
Klepis, each with five tallies. Fussey more than doubled his goal production from last
season with 14 goals compared to his six goals during the 2003-04 season. His season
was cut short in early April with a shoulder injury, but he still finished his second
season with the Pirates with his best year registering 26 points (14 goals, 12 assists).
Fussey also scored five game winning goals, which was two shy of the Pirates All-Time
record set by
Chris Jensen during the 1994-95 season when he had seven game winning
tallies. Klepis, a first round draft pick, 16th overall, in the 2002 Entry Draft,
ranked among the top 20 among the AHL's rookie scorers for most of the season and
his 13 goals were seventh on the team. He was also named the Allied Home Mortgage Award
winner for being named "star of the game" more than any other Pirate this season. His
rookie Czech Republic neighbor,
Tomas Fleischmann, had a solid first season with the
Pirates with 19 points (7 goals, 12 assists). Fleischmann's season was cut short when
he suffered a fractured collarbone on March 3rd against Worcester. Fussey, along with
defenseman
Chris Hajt, led the Pirates in plus/minus with a +6. Center
Boyd Gordon had
a breakout year this season as the Pirates "Iron man", the only Pirate to play in all
80 regular season games. Gordon joins an elite club which includes only five other
players in Pirates history.
Jason Ulmer accomplished the feat last season while Jeff
Nelson and his brother Todd and left wing Randy Pearce did so during the Pirates'
inaugural campaign in 1993-1994. Wing Barrie Moore played in all 80 games during the
1999-2000 season. Along with that accolade Gordon tallied 39 points (17 goals, 22
assists) and was named the team's Unsung Hero and received the Jack Button Award as
the Capitals top prospect.
Darcy Verot led the team in penalty minutes with 189
minutes of infractions. The team accumulated 1,810 total penalty minutes this season
well above last year's total of 1,141 penalty minutes - an average of 14.3 per game
which was the lowest in the AHL. Goaltender
Maxime Ouellet led the Pirates with 40
games played, 15 wins, matching his total from last season when he played in 52
games. Veteran
Kirk Daubenspeck posted a team high three shutouts, a goals-against
average of 2.31 and a save percentage of .930. Since Daubenspeck signed with the
Pirates from South Carolina half-way through the season, his 28 games played,
goals-against average and save percentage do not register among the AHL leaders.
The Blueliners
Portland defensemen scored 16 goals during the 2004-2005 season, the lowest total in
franchise history. The previous mark had been 25 goals set by the club last season. The
franchise record was set in the Pirates' inaugural season of 1993-94 when they had 63.
Shaone Morrisonn led all Pirates' blueliners with four goals, a goal short of his career
high. Morrisonn also played the most out of any Pirates defenseman by playing in 71
games. Michel Periard was the Pirates' defenseman leader in points with 23 and finished
seventh in team scoring. Steve Eminger also emerged as one of the top blue liners. He
was named to the AHL All-Star team for the first time in his career and played for the
Canadian All-Stars in the 2005 Dodge AHL All-Star Classic in Manchester, NH. Eminger,
a first round draft pick (12th overall) in the 2002 Entry Draft, gained valuable
experience this season playing in 62 games registering 19 points (2 goals, 17 assists).
Goaltenders
The Pirates goaltending core was led by the most surprising story of the Pirates
season, 30 year-old Kirk Daubenspeck. Daubenspeck was called up to Portland on January
28th after the Pirates sent 23 year-old rookie goaltender Justin Eddy to South Carolina
(ECHL). Daubenspeck came to Portland and gave the team veteran leadership and stellar
goaltending. He became the go-to guy as Maxime Ouellet was sidelined with an ankle
injury half-way through the year. Ouellet also struggled out of the gate for the Pirates
after putting up a Pirates record of 10 shutouts just the season before. Ouellet missed
the final 27 games of the season with his ankle injury. With the injury to Ouellet, the
Pirates called up rookie Maxime Daigneault from South Carolina. Daigneault, a second
round draft (59th overall) in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, is a highly touted prospect
for the Capitals and served as the back up to Daubenspeck for the remainder of the
season. In his 11 appearances Daigneault showed signs of brilliance as he posted a
3-2-1-0 record, a 2.91 GAA and a .906 save percentage in his time with the Pirates.
Special Teams
The Pirates special teams resided at the bottom of the AHL rankings for most of
the season. The Pirates killed off 81.7% of their opponents' powerplays, which ranked
24th in the league. Trent Whitfield led the team in shorthanded tallies with two. The
Pirates powerplay ranked 19th in the AHL in productivity, scoring just 14.2% of the
time with the man-advantage. The Pirates allowed six shorthanded goals this season.
2004-2005 Transactions And Player Movement
The Pirates used 38 players during the 2004-2005 season, which is two more than the
franchise lowest total in 1999-2000 when just 36 players sported the Pirates jersey.
The Pirates had used 40 plus players during each of the two previous seasons. The
franchise record for most players used in a season was 63 during the 1998-1999 campaign.
There were only 40 transactions between the start of the season on October 16, 2004 and
the end on April 17, 2005. With the absence of the NHL, much of the player movement
involved the Pirates ECHL affiliate- the South Carolina Stingrays. January was the
busiest month for the transactions with 11 adjustments made to the Pirates roster.
March involved the fewest moves with just five transactions.
2005 Dodge AHL All-Star Classic in Manchester, New Hampshire
Defenseman Steve Eminger was the only member of the team to represent the Pirates in
the 2005 Dodge AHL All-Star Classic in Manchester, New Hampshire on February 13 & 14,
2005. Eminger participated in the Skills Competition on February 13th, where he scored
in the breakaway contest but did not register a point in the All-Star Game the next
night.
The Record Book
The Pirates set a franchise record for being shutout twelve times, a record that
eclipses the old franchise record of 10, established in three different seasons.
With the addition of the shootout, the Pirates established a new record for wins in a
shootout with 4. The Pirates lost 6 games in a shootout this season which was tied for
third most shootout losses in the league.
2004-2005 LEAGUE AND TEAM AWARDS
Louis Robitaille Most Popular Player*
Trent Whitfield Players' Player*
Most Valuable Player*
Nolan Yonkman Tom Ebright Award*
Pirates American Specialty/AHL Man of the Year Award
Jakub Klepis Allied Home Mortgage Three Stars Award
Boyd Gordon Jack Button Award - Top Prospect*
Unsung Hero Award*
Steve Eminger Team Canada AHL All-Star Team Selection
* Pirates' Team and Fan Award
INDIVIDUAL PLAYER REGULAR SEASON MILESTONES:
Jared Aulin 100th AHL game played February 27, 2005 at BRI
Scott Basiuk 1st AHL game played December 10, 2004 at STJ
Chris Bourque 1st AHL game played April 8, 2005 vs. MAN
1 AHL point April 10, 2005 at LOW
1st AHL goal April 15, 2005 vs. SPR
Jakub Cutta 200th AHL game played November 26, 2004 at MAN
Maxime Daigneault 1st AHL game played February 25, 2005 at PRO
1st AHL win March 12, 2005 vs. PHI
Steve Eminger 1st AHL-All Star game February 14, 2005 at MAN
1st Pro/AHL goal October 16, 2004 vs. STJ
Justin Eddy 1st AHL game played/win October 29, 2004 at SPR
Tomas Fleischmann 1st AHL game played/point October 16, 2004 vs. STJ
1st Pro/AHL goal October 22, 2004 vs. SPR
Owen Fussey 100th AHL game played December 29, 2004 at WBS
Boyd Gordon 100th AHL game played March 3, 2005 vs. WOR
50th AHL point February 5, 2005 at MAN
Chris Hajt 400th AHL game played March 13, 2005 vs. HAR
Jonas Johansson 1st AHL game played October 22, 2004 vs. SPR
1st AHL point November 7, 2004 vs. BRI
1st AHL goal November 11, 2004 at LOW
Jakub Klepis 1st AHL game/goal October 16, 2004 vs. STJ
Brooks Laich 100th AHL game January 29, 2005 at PRO
Cam McCaffrey 1st AHL game November 13, 2004 vs. ALB
Graham Mink 200th AHL game October 23, 2004 vs. LOW
Maxime Ouellet 51st win as a Pirate* January 1, 2005 vs. LOW
Jeff Paul 300th AHL game April 16, 2005 at LOW
Michel Periard 100th AHL game October 29, 2004 at SPR
Rich Peverley 1st AHL game March 26, 2005 vs. MAN
Louis Robitaille 100th AHL game March 6, 2005 vs. WOR
Garret Stroshein 100th AHL game April 3, 2005 vs. SPR
Brian Sutherby 50th AHL game February 19, 2005 vs. PRO
Jason Ulmer 200th AHL game February 19, 2005 vs. PRO
Darcy Verot 300th AHL game January 21, 2005 at PRO
Trent Whitfield 300th AHL game November 26, 2004 at MAN
250th AHL point April 6, 2005 at MAN
255th Point as a Pirate^ April 15, 2005 vs. SPR
Brian Willsie 300th AHL game March 26, 2005 at MAN
200th AHL point January 29, 2005 vs. PRO
Nolan Yonkman 100th AHL game January 28, 2005 at MAN
Dwayne Zinger 300th AHL game played January 1, 2005 vs. LOW
50th AHL point November 14, 2004 at PRO
* Second All-Time among Pirates Regular Season Goaltending Leaders.
^ Ranks 4th among the Pirates All-Time Regular Season Points Leaders
2004-05 Media Notes
During the last 12 seasons, 2,211,258 fans have attended Portland Pirates' games at
the Cumberland County Civic Center (Capacity: 6,733). An additional 179,899 have attended
playoff games. The Pirates finished the 2004-05 season with an average attendance of
4,339, a 6% increase from last season, which ranked them 23rd in the American Hockey
League. The Pirates hosted their largest crowd of the season on February 19, 2005 when
6,974 saw the Pirates beat the Providence Bruins 3-2.
In 2004-2005, the Pirates introduced a new marketing campaign that designated Saturday
night as "Hockey Night in Portland." The Pirates posted an 11-5-1-0 record on the slate
of 17 Saturday night home games.
Year-By-Year Attendance Breakdown
YEAR ATTEND. AVG. SO PLAYOFFS GMS ATTEND. AVG. SO
1993-94 234,906 5,872 16 1993-94 8 46,740 5,842 3
1994-95 259,011 6,475 23 1994-95 4 23,205 5,801 0
1995-96 228,651 5,716 7 1995-96 11 60,696 5,517 1
1996-97 228,597 5,714 7 1996-97 2 10,938 5,469 0
1997-98 198,830 4,970 2 1997-98 5 16,584 3,316 0
1998-99 171,414 4,285 2 1998-99 Did not qualify
1999-00 189,636 4,740 2 1999-00 2 7,193 3,596 0
2000-01 184,404 4,610 4 2000-01 1 1,975 1,975 0
2001-02 176,000 4,400 3 2001-02 Did not qualify
2002-03 176,928 4,423 5 2002-03 3 6,674 2,224 0
2003-04 162,881 4,072 3 2003-04 2 5,894 2,947 0
2004-05 173,568 4,339 1 2004-05 Did not qualify
TOTAL 2,384,826 4,968 75 TOTAL 38 179,899 4,734 4
Through the creation and launch of the Portland Pirates Foundation two years ago, the
Pirates further strengthened their commitment to charitable causes throughout the state
of Maine. The Pirates Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) Maine Public charity that serves as
the philanthropic arm of Portland Pirates, LLC. This year the Pirates hosted the inaugural
Cracker's Golf Classic on July 12, 2004 at The Woodlands in Falmouth, ME. The event raised
$4,000 for the Casco Bay Hockey Association (CBHA) which promotes the sport of hockey by
serving close to 1,000 youth hockey players from the communities of greater Portland. A
total of 107 golfers participated in the event held at the prestigious Woodlands Club in
Falmouth. The Pirates have already announced the date of October 3rd for the 2nd Annual
Cracker's Golf Classic presented by Time Warner Cable, to be held once again at The
Woodlands Club.
The Pirates' in-school aspirations program "Goals for Success"
sponsored by Healthy Maine Partnerships and Pepsi, reached more Maine school children than ever this season. The Pirates visited eight schools
throughout the state. The highlight came in March when Pirates players Nolan Yonkman, Jason
Ulmer and broadcaster Greg Glynn visited the Manchester School in Windham and spoke to the
entire school. In all, over 2,000 students took part in "Goals For Success". Yonkman
participated in four of the Pirates "Goals for Success" programs, designed to educate kids
at local schools about the importance of setting goals and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
He also contributed $1,000 to the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center
as part of the Pirates "Salty Pete's Skate for the Kids" fundraiser. For this and his numerous
other community appearances he was named the winner of the Tom Ebright Award (formerly the
President's Award), given to the Pirates player that best exemplifies what it means to be a
Portland Pirate and shows a strong commitment to the game and the community. Yonkman was also
recognized by the American Hockey League as the Pirates winner of the AHL/American Specialty
Award for commitment to his community.
The Pirates raised $22,000 during their Eighth Annual "Evening
with the Pirates" for the Foundation, to benefit the Pirates new exhibit at the Children's
Museum of Maine that was "christened" on April 22nd. The celebration of the new exhibit
included the unveiling of the name the "Sea Pirate" which was selected as the name for the
ship based on a web-based contest conducted during March. The Evening with the Pirates event
has now raised more than $200,000 in its history. In addition, the Pirates raised funds with
the "Goals for Gary's House" campaign. Gary's House, a home
that offers housing to out of town people with loved ones in one of the area hospitals,
received donations for the fourth straight year based upon pledges made against Pirates'
scoring totals this season. The players this season also chose Gary's House as the team
charity, as they donated $1,150 to the non-profit organization.
Throughout the season, the Pirates made three visits to patients at the Barbara Bush
Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center. The Pirates also loaned players' time to
the Bruce Roberts Toy Fund and the Portland Partnership. The Pirates'
Puck Pals program, a ticket-based initiative, drew the support
of 15 sponsors who purchased more than 5,000 tickets that were then distributed to United
Way of Greater Portland partner agencies. The Pirates also sponsored a game-night promotion
on behalf of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Maine. The Pirates maintained their strong
commitment to local youth hockey organizations by providing players for practices and clinics
during the season. They also provided the "Shirts Off Their Backs" for the fourth consecutive
year.
The Pirates established new fundraising relationships with three additional organizations
this season. Easter Seals of Maine, the American Heart Association and STRIVE U.
Easter Seals an organization that has been helping individuals with disabilities and special
needs, and their families, live better lives for more than 80 years. The Portland Pirates
Foundation supports Easter Seals both in the arena and in the community. The Pirates invited
volunteers from Easter Seals and Friendly's Ice Cream to raise funds at Pirates games through
the Cones for Kids campaign. Pirates players also visited local Friendly's Restaurants during
the annual "Cones for Kids" campaign. The Pirates will also be sponsoring the "Easter Seals
Walk With Me" events to raise funds in support of services for children and adults with disabilities
and special needs.
The American Heart Association is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to
reduce disability and death from cardiovascular diseases and stroke. This year, KeyBank of
Maine and the American Heart Association joined with the Pirates to their "Go Red For Women"
campaign close to home with "Maine Goes Red." The Portland Pirates Foundation hosted Go Red
Night with the Pirates raising both funds through ticket sales and awareness through special
guests, handouts and announcements throughout the night.
In 2004, the Pirates joined with STRIVE U, a program which provides opportunities for young
adults with developmental disabilities to make an impact in the community by performing jobs
with local employers, like the Pirates, to teach independent living skills. Noel Thompson, a
student from Yarmouth, Maine and STRIVE U, was recognized for his efforts as an Account Executive with the Pirates and for
his sale of over 1,500 tickets. Through Noel's efforts, $750 was raised for STRIVE U.
In addition, Pirates' Managing Owner/CEO Brian Petrovek served as the Chair of the United Way
of Greater Portland's 2004 Annual Campaign and served on the boards of the United Way of Greater
Portland, Portland Community Chamber, Portland's Downtown District and New Year's Portland, Inc.
Petrovek also serves as President of 211 Maine, Inc. and serves as President of the Board
of Directors of the Portland Pirates Foundation.
Pirates President/COO Brian Williams serves as the Treasurer of the Portland Pirates'
Foundation and is on the Board of Directors of the Portland Partnership. Greg Glynn serves on
the development board for Gary's House.
For a complete list of community appearances during the 2004-2005 season, check out the
In The Community section of the Pirates' web site,
portlandpirates.com.
One of the biggest developments of the 2004-05 season came off the ice on April 7th, when
the Portland Pirates and the Cumberland County Civic Center announced a new, long term five
year lease effective with the 2005-2006 AHL season. The agreement replaced the existing lease
between the Pirates and the Civic Center which had one year plus an option year remaining.
The new lease will add state of the art scoreboard and video board technology to the
venue, renovations to the team's locker room, and provides the team with aggressive rent
rebate incentives on a per game and season long basis tied to actual turnstile attendance.
The Pirates signed a two year agreement with an option for a third year back in 2003,
but now the new lease provides the Pirates with a long term commitment to the Civic Center,
the fans and the entire Portland community.
"We appreciate the spirit within which our discussions took place. We're very pleased with
the result and are thrilled to now be able to represent that we are here for the long haul,"
said Pirates Managing Owner/CEO Brian Petrovek.
"I am happy that we have been able to work with the Pirates management to keep the highest
level of minor league hockey in the City of Portland for the next five years," said Civic
Center General Manager Steve Crane.
"I am very pleased that the Pirates and the Cumberland County Civic Center have reached
this agreement," said David Andrews, President and CEO of the American Hockey League. "The
fans and the city of Portland are a storied part of AHL history, and we look forward to being
able to continue that tradition for years to come."
The new agreement between the Pirates and the Cumberland County Civic Center guarantees
professional hockey in the city of Portland through 2010. Since the Mariners inaugural season
in 1977 over 1,000 games have been played in front of over 5,500,000 fans all at the American
Hockey League level. The AHL is the top development league for the National Hockey League and
is celebrating its 69th season of play. Dating back to the days of the Maine Mariners, the
American Hockey League has now played hockey in Portland for 27 years. Only five other teams
(Hershey, Rochester, Providence, Springfield and Cleveland) have had an American Hockey
League franchise in their city longer than Portland. The building has hosted four Calder
Cup Champions in 1978, 1979, 1984 and 1994 and the building and the Pirates hosted the 2003
Dodge AHL All-Star Classic in 2003.
Next season the Pirates will be affiliated with a new NHL team for the first time in
franchise history. The team will be announced in the near future.
