Portland, Maine - The Portland Pirates announced today their 2008-09 AHL regular season schedule. The Pirates will begin their sixteenth season as a member of the American Hockey League and embark on the 32nd season of professional hockey in Portland on Saturday, October 11, 2008 against the Manchester Monarchs at 7:00 p.m. In addition to opening night, the Pirates' schedule features home games to be played at venues in Lewiston on November 14th against the Albany River Rats and March 14th against the Lowell Devils and in Orono on December 9th against Manchester. The Pirates will also travel to HSBC Arena in Buffalo on February 10th to play Albany at the home of the Pirates' NHL affiliate Buffalo Sabres, starting at 7:00 p.m.

"The schedule has satisfied all of our objectives: great dates and variety at the Civic Center, the chance to bring our product to fans throughout the state, with home games in Lewiston and Orono, and the opportunity for Sabres fans to see their future stars in Buffalo as well," said Pirates Managing Owner/CEO Brian Petrovek. "We are excited about the promotional program that will bring this schedule to life, which we'll be sharing with our fans in a few weeks and, most importantly, we are all looking forward to the speed and skill of Pirates hockey on the ice in just 65 days, under the direction of Coach Kevin Dineen."

The schedule is highlighted by two family-friendly dates on Wednesday, December 31st at 5:30 p.m. and Monday, January 19th at 1:00 p.m. The December 31st game will mark the 14th year the Pirates have hosted New Year's Portland with a special 5:30 p.m. start time and this year the Pirates will face the Norfolk Admirals. Following the game, there will be a spectacular indoor fireworks display presented by Atlas PyroVision Productions. Last year, the popular game date drew over 6,000 fans.

The January 19th contest falls on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and will be a 1:00 p.m. matinee against the Hartford Wolf Pack. Over 5,000 fans attended last year's matinee game and had the opportunity to get their photograph taken with Nickelodeon's Dora the Explorer, as well as participate in a post-game skate sponsored by Weight Watchers. The Pirates have many other promotions planned for the 2008-09 season that will be announced as part of the Pirates promotional schedule at a later date.

The home schedule is loaded with weekend games; 36 out of the 40 home games on the schedule fall on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Saturday nights will once again be Hockey Nights in Portland. The nine Friday and 16 Saturday match-ups will begin at 7:00 p.m., while the Sunday games have an earlier 4:00 p.m. start time. Fans will once again be able to purchase Family Five Packs to Sunday games. Each five pack, valued at $112, can be purchased for $60 and includes five game tickets, five hot dogs or pizza slices, five regular sodas and a Daily Scroll game day program.

The Pirates will also televise eight of their Saturday night home games live on Time Warner Cable in Cumberland and York Counties on Time Warner Cable Channel 22 and in former Adelphia service areas wherever TW9 is available. The Pirates 2008-09 full television schedule will be announced at a later date. All 80 regular season games will be broadcast live on the Pirates' flagship radio stations 1400 and 1490 The Bay, as well as online at www.portlandpirates.com.

The Pirates will face each Atlantic Division opponent, Providence, Lowell, Springfield, Manchester and Worcester, ten times and play Hartford eight times. The Pirates will also face-off against East Division rivals Philadelphia, Binghamton, Albany, Wilkes-Barre, Norfolk, Bridgeport, and Hershey this season. The longest home stand on the 2008-09 schedule is four games. This will occur twice during the season from November 7th through November 15th, and December 28th through January 4th.

2008-09 Season Schedule

OCTOBER
Saturday, October 11 vs. Manchester 7:00 pm
Saturday, October 18 @ Springfield 7:00 pm
Sunday, October 19 vs. Providence 4:00 pm
Friday, October 24 vs. Bridgeport 7:00 pm
Saturday, October 25 vs. Wilkes-Barre7:00 pm
Wednesday, October 29 @ Hartford 7:00 pm
Friday, October 31 @ Norfolk 7:15 pm

NOVEMBER
Saturday, November 1 @ Norfolk 7:15 pm
Wednesday, November 5 @ Worcester 7:05 pm
Friday, November 7 vs. Springfield 7:00 pm
Saturday, November 8 vs. Philadelphia7:00 pm
Friday, November 14 vs. Albany 7:00 pm
(Androscoggin Bank Colisee, Lewiston, ME)
Saturday, November 15 vs. Providence 7:00 pm
Wednesday, November 19 @ Hartford 7:00 pm
Friday, November 21 @ Providence 7:05 pm
Saturday, November 22 vs. Hartford 7:00 pm
Wednesday, November 26 vs. Worcester 7:00 pm
Friday, November 28 @ Manchester 7:30 pm
Saturday, November 29 vs. Lowell 7:00 pm
Sunday, November 30 vs. Manchester 4:00 pm

DECEMBER
Friday, December 5 @ Springfield 7:30 pm
Saturday, December 6 @ Lowell 7:00 pm
Sunday, December 7 @ Worcester 4:05 pm
Tuesday, December 9 vs. Manchester 7:00 pm
(Alfond Arena, Orono, ME)
Friday, December 12 @ Binghamton 7:05 pm
Saturday, December 13 @ Wilkes-Barre 7:05 pm
Sunday, December 14 @ Albany 5:00 pm
Friday, December 19 @ Worcester 7:05 pm
Saturday, December 20 vs. Providence 7:00 pm
Sunday, December 21 vs. Worcester 4:00 pm
Saturday, December 27 @ Manchester 7:00 pm
Sunday, December 28 vs. Worcester 4:00 pm
Wednesday, December 31 vs. Norfolk 5:30 pm

JANUARY
Saturday, January 3 vs. Norfolk 7:00 pm
Sunday, January 4 vs. Springfield 4:00 pm
Wednesday, January 7 @ Lowell 7:00 pm
Friday, January 9 vs. Lowell 7:00 pm
Saturday, January 10 vs. Springfield 7:00 pm
Sunday, January 11 vs. Springfield 4:00 pm
Friday, January 16 @ Providence 7:05 pm
Saturday, January 17 vs. Manchester 7:00 pm
Monday, January 19 vs. Hartford 1:00 pm
Wednesday, January 21 @ Lowell 7:00 pm
Friday, January 23 vs. Bridgeport 7:00 pm
Saturday, January 24 vs. Bridgeport 7:00 pm
Friday, January 30 @ Providence 7:05 pm
Saturday, January 31 @ Bridgeport 7:00 pm

FEBRUARY
Wednesday, February 4 vs. Worcester 7:00 pm
Saturday, February 7 @ Albany 5:00 pm
(Glens Falls Civic Center, Glens Falls, NY)
Sunday, February 8 @ Hershey 5:00 pm
Tuesday February 10 vs. Albany 7:00 pm
(HSBC Arena, Buffalo, NY)
Friday, February 13 vs. Worcester 7:00 pm
Saturday, February 14 vs. Providence 7:00 pm
Sunday, February 15 @ Lowell 4:00 pm
Tuesday, February 17 @ Springfield 7:00 pm
Friday, February 20 @ Philadelphia 7:05 pm
Saturday February 21 @ Hartford 7:00 pm
Sunday, February 22 @ Bridgeport 1:00 pm
Wednesday, February 25 @ Springfield 7:00 pm
Friday, February 27 @ Worcester 8:05 pm
Saturday, February 28 vs. Hartford 7:00 pm

MARCH
Sunday, March 1 vs. Lowell 4:00 pm
Saturday, March 7 @ Manchester 7:00 pm
Tuesday, March 10 vs. Binghamton 7:00 pm
Friday, March 13 @ Providence 7:05 pm
Saturday, March 14 vs. Lowell 7:00 pm
(Androscoggin Bank Colisee)
Wednesday, March 18 @ Manchester 7:00 pm
Friday, March 20 vs. Hartford 7:00 pm
Saturday, March 21 vs. Hershey 7:00 pm
Sunday, March 22 @ Bridgeport 4:00 pm
Friday, March 27 vs. Lowell 7:00 pm
Saturday, March 28 vs. Manchester 7:00 pm
Sunday, March 29 @ Springfield 4:00 pm

APRIL
Wednesday, April 1 @ Hartford 7:00 pm
Friday, April 3 @ Lowell 7:00 pm
Saturday, April 4 @ Providence 7:05 pm
Sunday, April 5 vs. Springfield 4:00 pm
Wednesday, April 8 @ Worcester 7:05 pm
Friday, April 10 vs. Providence 7:00 pm
Saturday, April 11 @ Manchester 7:00 pm

*All Game Times Eastern Time
*Home Games are in bold

Portland Pirates Hockey is fun, exciting and affordable entertainment where fans can watch and get to know tomorrow's NHL stars today. Pirates season ticket plans for the 2008-09 season are on sale now by calling (207) 828-4665 x350; individual game tickets will go on sale Friday, September, 26th.