In 1970 the City of Thunder Bay was formed by the mergers of the cities of Fort William and Port Arthur and the geographic townships of Neebing and McIntyre.

>>>

In commemoration of this event, the Thunder Bay Timberwolves will be wearing the above uniforms tonight against Karlstad at the Canadian National Gardens. This, the last day (New Years Eve) before the 40th Anniversary of the formation of the City of Thunder Bay.

>>>

The Timberwolves will wear a '40' patch on their right chest for the duration of this season and the remaining games in 2010 next season.

>>>

"I think this is a great way to honour the history of Thunder Bay and to pay homage to the former cities and communities that combined to form this beautiful, great city," said Timberwolves General Manager, Blake Wendt.

>>>

Wearing Fort William jerseys: Marian Gaborik, Jonas Hiller, Mike Fisher, Ryan Johnson (Thunder Bay native), T.J. Oshie, Bryan Little, Ales Hemsky, Matt Niskanen, Jay McKee & Bryan McCabe

>>>

Wearing Port Arthur jerseys: Keith Ballard, Joey MacDonald, Marc Savard, David Perron, Ethan Moreau, Taylor Pyatt (Thunder Bay native), Dean McAmmond, Nick Schultz & Sheldon Souray... Patrick Sharp (Thunder Bay native) who is on the Injured Reserve until mid-January is the 10th player.

WOLVES WIN WITH HILLER'S 56 SAVES

THU 6
BEV 2
>>>
BEVERLY HILLS, CA- Despite the loss of Patrick Sharp until mid-January with injury. The Thunder Bay Timberwolves came to California swinging.
>>>Patrick Sharp, a Thunder Bay native was injured in Wednesday nights game at home against Wisborg while blocking a shot that ended up catching the forward underneath the shoulder.
>>>With Sharp out of the lineup, Taylor Pyatt was recalled from Duluth for the west coast trip and Ryan Johnson was named an alternate captain in Sharp's absense. All from Thunder Bay.
>>>Replacing Sharp on the top line with Marc Savard (pictured) and Marian Gaborik, was David Perron.
>>>Rookie T.J. Oshie assumed Perron's spot on the second line with fellow rookie, Bryan Little and Ales Hemsky.
>>>Pyatt made his 2009-10 debut on the third line with Mike Fisher the pivot with he and Dean McAmmond.
>>>Johnson centered the forth line with Ethan Moreau and a double-shifted Gaborik.
>>>Despite being thoroughly outshot by thirty, Jonas Hiller kept his club in the game and a pair of powerplay tallies from Gaborik helped the Timberwolves skate out of California with a solid 6-2 win.
>>>"If not for Jonas, we're toast," said Timberwolves head coach, Craig Hartsburg. "We've relied on our goalies to bail us out far too often this season. If not for our offense exploding, the Lawmasters could have done alot of damage."
>>>"It's always a good thing to come home for a couple extra days off with a win," said defenseman Sheldon Souray. "Hiller did a great job behind us, and you could feel the confidence of the guys building with every save."
>>>Thunder Bay does not play again until Tuesday, when they welcome the defending Cup champion Remparts to the Canadian National Gardens. The Timberwolves won their last game against Quebec 5-1.
>>>
>>>3-STARS
>>>
>>>*** Marc Savard (THU) - Goal & 2 assists
>>>** Marian Gaborik (THU) - 2 powerplay goals
>>>* Jonas Hiller (THU) - 56 saves on 58 shots for the win
>>>
>>>Other news and notes...
>>>With the World Junior Championship fast approaching, it's time to take stock of the Timberwolves' prospects who will take part in the tournament:
>>>
>>>Canada:
>>>Alex Pietrangelo (D)
>>>Martin Jones (G)
>>>Louis Leblanc was a last day cut and Patrick Wiercioch re-aggrivated a previous knee injury from earlier in the >>>year at Denver University.
>>>
>>>United States (not final):
>>>Derek Stepan (F)
>>>A.J. Jenks (F)
>>>Danny Kristo (F)
>>>John Carlson (D)
>>>Mike Lee (G)
>>>
>>>Sweden:
>>>Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson (F)
>>>
>>>Czech Republic:
>>>Andrej Nestrasil (F)
>>>
>>>Prospect Denis Reul (D) has been loaned to Alder Mannheim of the Deutchland Elite League. Reul, a German-native had been assigned to the Timberwolves top minor-league affiliate in Duluth, Minnesota after two seasons in the QMJHL.

WOLVES FIND HOLES IN DONUTS

THU 6

WIS 2

>>>

WISBORG, Sweden- The Thunder Bay Timberwolves came to Sweden with one thing on their mind. A win.

>>>The Timberwolves left the same night that they lost to Beverly Hills 5-2 at home on Friday for their trans-atlantic trek.

>>>"It was planned this way whether we won or lost," said Timberwolves General Manager, Blake Wendt. "So there shouldn't be too much read into it. Our plane is setup nice for everyone to sleep well and be ready for these games across the pond."

>>>Upon arriving in Stockholm, the team traveled by bus to Wisborg and hit the ice within an hour of arriving there.

>>>Under different circumstances some teams might take advantage of the shopping in Sweden so close to the holidays. Not the Timberwolves.

>>>"After the skate the guys got a bite to eat and we then had an extended team meeting," said head coach Craig Hartsburg. "With all the new guys coming in this past week and even addressing the guys we lost. It was important to address the makeup of this team and our overall goals for the season. I thought it went very well."

>>>Sunday night the Timberwolves finally met their opponent in the Wisborg Donuts.

>>>Coming off injury, Bryan McCabe made it known that he was just fine. Taking on a rush with forwards Marian Gaborik and the newly acquired Marc Savard, McCabe drove the net and backhanded his own rebound over Wisborg's Erik Ersberg to put Thunder Bay on top just 24 seconds into the game.

>>>Milan Michalek answered the bell for Wisborg 44 seconds later to tie it up.

>>>One minute and fifty-eight seconds after Michalek's tally, Marian Gaborik scored his 12th of the season on a feed from Savard and Keith Ballard.

>>>"For awhile there I thought it was going to be a 12-10 end to the game," said Hartsburg.

>>>The first period scoring would end with the Gaborik goal.

>>>After a minor penalty on Wisborg's Fredrik Modin at 1:28 into the second, Marc Savard scored his first as a member of the Timberwolves and fifth of the season from McCabe and Patrick Sharp.

>>>Mike Fisher made it 4-1 Thunder Bay at 18:06 of the second and into the last intermission.

>>>"Everything was clicking for sure," said Timberwolves captain, Keith Ballard. "(Jonas) HIller was great there in the second and really helped force the puck on Ersberg."

>>>The newly acquired Hiller (pictured) was playing in his third game since being acquired from River Cities.

>>>"Jonas is a very quiet guy," said Wendt. "Much like Timmy (Tim Thomas) was here, but even more so. His demeanor in the room translates in his crease. He plays a quiet, relaxed game. Tight butterfly, and is set for almost every shot. Doesn't flop around and get himself into trouble. Clean and makes every save look routine. I've been impressed for sure."

>>>Third period scoring was started by the Donuts and off the stick of Travis Zajac at 8:29.

>>>At 12:27, Wisborg's Mikael Samuelsson tripped up Patrick Sharp for a 2-minute minor. At 14:14, Marian Gaborik scored his second of the night and 13th of the season, unassisted.

>>>Matt Niskanen would close out the scoring with his 3rd of the season from Ballard and Fisher.

>>>"All in all it was a pretty solid all-around game," said Wendt. "There's always things to be worked on. But these are the games to build on and learn to win from."

>>>The Timberwolves next game isn't until Wednesday at home against these same Donuts. The team will have Monday off and spend it in Sweden. Blake Wendt and the Timberwolves scouts will observe a game featuring Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson in the Swedish Elite League.

>>>"We've not met with Magnus in person since we acquired him from Dayton," said Wendt. "We'll talk before or after his game and formally give him his Timberwolves sweater."

>>>

>>>3-STARS

>>>***Marc Savard (THU) - Game-winning goal and 2 assists

>>>**Jonas Hiller (THU) - 37 saves and 2 goals against (Stopped all 17 shots faced in 2nd)

>>>*Marian Gaborik (THU) - 2 goals and an assist

TRADE WINDS HOWL THROUGH WOLVES COUNTRY

THUNDER BAY, ON- In an effort to light a fire under the butts of his players while keeping an eye on the future, Blake Wendt made several roster moves in the past 24 hours.
>>>None no bigger than that with the River Cities Renegades.
>>>To Thunder Bay: Marc Savard, Nick Schultz, Jonas Hiller and Nick Petrecki
>>>To River Cities: Tim Thomas, David Backes and Roman Polak
>>>The biggest names on both sides in this deal are of course centre, Marc Savard and goaltender, Tim Thomas. Thomas being far an away the Timberwolves best player before being dealt.
>>>"This was not an easy trade to make by any stretch of the imagination," said Wendt. "Tim Thomas was the cornerstone of our club so far this season. Without him, we were winless. With him, we were in every game. To move a guy like him while also selling to your players and your fans that you are not packing it in, is a hard sell. Jonas Hiller is a very good goalie. We are confident that we have not taken a step back him."
>>>Wendt continued on with the rest of the deal with the Renegades.
>>>"What we gained in this deal was a world-class centre with an uncanny ability to setup his linemates. Marc Savard is the real deal. He will immediately show our fans what he brings to the table on a line with Gaborik and next season possibly with guys like John Tavares and or Matt Duchene."
>>>"The dark horses in this deal are the defensemen. Nick Schultz was here last season for a short time. We're very high on him. Very responsible in this own end and is excellent with the puck and providing an offensive push from the backend. Nick Petrecki is a bruiser. He's been on our radar since the USHL with the Omaha Lancers. He continued from a solid program there to a national champion at Boston College. He's still a little raw and will not be rushed out of Duluth (minor-league affiliate). But when he gets up here, he's going to be a force.
>>>Within the same hour as the announcement of the previous trade, Wendt sent Samuel Pahlsson to Beverly Hills for Rhett Rakhshani.
>>>Pahlsson seen intermitten games and was often a healthy scratch. Rakhshani is a senior captain at the University of Denver. The Orange, California native the first player from the Golden State ever for the Timberwolves.
>>>"With having Patrick Wiercioch in Denver, we've seen alot of Rakhshani," said Wendt. "Plays bigger than he is (5'10 170), and has great leadership qualities. Like alot of kids coming out of California, he plays a solid all around game and skates like the wind. We're very excited to have him in our organization."
>>>After lunch, it was back to business. Discussions with the Reykjavik Puffin had been ongoing since Wendt sent Kyle Brodziak to Iceland for defenseman, Niclas Wallin. By mid-day, another trade was in place.
>>>The Timberwolves sent Scottie Upshall to the Puffin for Brett Hextall and North Dakota's 4th Round Pick.
>>>"Scottie's an excellent hockey player," said Wendt. "This season, with the depth we have on the wings, he just wasn't able to crack the lineup on a regular basis."
>>>"Brett Hextall obviously has the pedigree (Ron Hextall's son). But more than that, he's mastering his craft with the North Dakota Fighting Sioux. With other guys like Danny Kristo, David Toews and Ben Blood of ours there. We're more than confident in his development. Hextall is a go-go-go guy on every shift. Solid skater, very good set-up guy, digs in the corners and backchecks with the best of them."
>>>While Blake Wendt was in Thunder Bay making these moves, the Timberwolves were in Quebec readying for the defending champion, Remparts.
>>>"There's no good time to move guys out and bring guys in. I didn't wake up this morning thinking I was going to alter this roster the way it was. Moves needed to be made though, and I am hopeful that this is eye opening to these guys that things need to change and that we are not bowing down to anything but the best every night."

THOMAS BACK, WOLVES WIN

THUNDER BAY, ON- Tim Thomas returned to the ice for the Thunder Bay Timberwolves to a thunderous ovation at the Canadian National Gardens on Tuesday night.
>>>After being injured five days ago in Karlstad, Sweden, the Timberwolves have lost all three games since.
>>>"We simply were not getting the job done," said head coach, Craig Hartsburg. "The simple things were not being executed. The others teams exposed that and we paid. In my opinion this wasn't about Thomas not being there. Ells (Brian Elliott) and (Joey) MacDonald weren't getting the support they needed."
>>>Even while on the road, the fans back home were quite aware of what was going on, and growing impatient with the effort on the ice. Thus a standing ovation for who many would say is the best player on the roster. Tim Thomas.
>>>With the Reykjavik Puffin in town and playing Roberto Luongo. It looked as if this would be a showdown with two of the leagues best netminders. A close, low-scoring contest. The latter would not be the case.
>>>Within the first 90 seconds, the Puffin had put two behind Thomas. There was a hush amongst the sellout crowd. Maybe it wasn't just their beloved goalie.
>>>Keith Ballard would answer at 2:48 in the first. Easing some heartache.
>>>At 14:53, and on the power play, Sheldon Souray danced the blueline and after finding his spot through a screened Luongo, blasted a shot from the top of the circle past the Puffin tender to tie things up.
>>>Nigel Dawes would end up breaking the tie and the Puffin would go into the first intermission with a one goal lead.
>>>"We knew that Roberto was beatable tonight," said Ballard. "He's a world class goalie, and it's often that you feel this way about scoring on him. But going into the room, we felt we could beat him."
>>>Despite their confidence, the Timberwolves would soon be down two goals after Devon Setoguchi would score at 8:39 in the second.
>>>Bryan Little did his part to bring Thunder Bay back from the brink. The rookie took an errant pass from a Puffin player and broke away uncontested. Beating Luongo after a series of dekes and quick snap over the glove.
>>>David Backes (pictured) took a 5-minute major for dropping the gloves and taking shots at Reykjavik's Matt Greene. Greene immitated a punching bag and Backes sat alone in the penalty box.
>>>Greene and the Puffin would pay for not wanting to dance. Ethan Moreau intercepted a cross ice pass at the Timberwolves blueline and drove up the ice with Bryce Salvador and Dean McAmmond. The speedster McAmmond would end up the shooter. Putting the puck behind Luongo with a shorthanded goal to tie things up once again.
>>>For good measue, Backes would end up scoring two goals for himself in the third period.
>>>Matt Greene scored the final one. But it was not enough and the Timberwolves would win 6-5.
>>>
>>>3 STARS
>>>*** Dean McAmmond (THU) - Shorthanded tying goal
>>>** Henrik Zetterberg (REK) - Goal & 2 assists
>>>* David Backes (THU) - 2 goals, including game winner
>>>
Next game: Thursday, vs Winnipeg (8-6-1) at the Canadian National Gardens

WOLVES ACQUIRE OSHIE

THUNDER BAY, ON- With his hockey club currently on the road and readying for tonights contest against the Havana Moon. General Manager Blake Wendt has shaken up the roster from his office back in Thunder Bay.
>>>The Timberwolves have sent winger, Mason Raymond and their second round pick in this next draft to the expansion Budapest Honved, for rookie, T.J. Oshie.
>>>In 13 games for Honved, Oshie has registered no goals and four assists with 16 PIM and a -4. Not anything to write home about, but Wendt likes the future and has been pursuing the Warroad, Minnesota-native for a long time.
>>>"We're a club and I'm a manager that obviously covets players from this neck of the woods," said Wendt. Oshie has been someone on our radar since his days at Warroad and taking his team to the State Tourney (Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament) and winning it all. His development through his three years at North Dakota kept him high on our list of players to, if ever available, go after. We were hoping that with the contraction over the summer that Budapest would pass over him and our chances of landing him through a draft would be possible. But they are pretty savvy over there and didn't overlook him."
>>>During his three years in Grand Forks, Oshie averaged a point a game or better every year. Something that the Timberwolves are confident will translate to the pro game.
>>>"The offense is there with this kid," said Wendt. "He's very shifty and elusive, and his passing is what sets him apart. Go one-on-one with him and you're toast. Our defensemen are going to hate him in practice. But what we like most about his game is that with all that offense, he is very responsible in his own end. Forechecks and is always in pursuit of the puck. Something we demand of all of our players. Something that overtime we hope is the identity of our hockey club."
>>>Oshie is slated to be dressed in tonight's game in Cuba. It's not yet known which line and with whom, but what is known is that he'll be wearing #29.

THOMAS HURT, ELLIOTT SHELLED

THU 0
KRL 8

Karlstad, Sweden- In the Kingdom of Sweden, the Thunder Bay Timberwolves played their worst game of the season when they had hoped to turn their fortunes around after dismal loss at home against a provicial rival.
>>>Every team in the CCHL is only as good as their netminder between the pipes. For the Timberwolves, Tim Thomas and his league leading goals against and save percentage have kept them in close games. So when the Flint, Michigan-native didn't immediately bounce back up after a hard run by a Killers player. There was an eerie hush on the Thunder Bay bench.
>>>"Nobody wants to see their number one (goalie) go down like that," said Keith Ballard. "Timmy's a great team player and has got us out of alot of jams this season. We owed it to him to hold it together and take the game back. We didn't."
>>>Thomas was assisted off the ice by trainers with what appeared to be some kind of head or neck injury after the collision. He did not return to the bench for the remainder of the game.
>>>Rookie, Brian Elliott was called upon for the second time in his young pro-career. His reward for making it this far? To get throttled for seven more goals after Thomas' one in the first.
>>>"You can't blame Ells for this loss," said Bryan McCabe. "He's a young guy coming in cold against the best team in the CCHL. We didn't shore things up for him and let him get into a groove. Karlstad deserves all the credit in the world for shutting us down before we could shut them down."
>>>Like McCabe and the rest of the players, the Timberwolves coaches we just as sympathetic for Elliott.
>>>"I'm not putting this on Brian," said assistant coach, Ryan McGill. "Should he have stopped some of those shots? Of course. But given the situation and the way his team played in front of him against a team like Karlstad. He didn't have a chance. Timmy wasn't there on the bench for support. He was a sacrificial lamb out there."
>>>Thomas isn't expected to play for the remainder of this road trip. Due to logistics, he traveled with the team to Havana for Friday nights game against the Moon. Joey MacDonald was recalled from Duluth and will be dressed. Whether he will start has not been determined after the shelling of Elliott. But it isn't likely.
>>>"We'll decide after the morning skate," said head coach, Craig Hartsburg. "Neither guy is coming in well rested. It's not a situation we were looking forward too. But these are the cards we are dealt, so we'll deal with it."
>>>After arriving in the states, Thomas will switch planes and head back to Thunder Bay, as the rest of the hockey club heads to Denver for Sundays game against the Spurs.

THUNDER ROLLS OVER WOLVES

NIA 4
THU 2

THUNDER BAY, ON- Fatigue was the main course for the Thunder Bay Timberwolves on Monday night against their provicial-rival, Niagara Falls Thunder.
>>>After coming home from a 3-game road trip, the Timberwolves were hoping some home cooking would heal wounds before embarking on another 3-game road trip.
>>>Thunder Bay took a 2-1 lead into the final period. Only to be dismantled by Niagara. Scoring three goals for themselves and sending the weary Wolves on the road with a loss.
>>>"No sugar coating this one," said Timberwolves, Sheldon Souray. "We weren't ready for their late attack. We couldn't skate with them and that was embarrassing. We're a better team than this."
>>>To add insult to a tired squad, Thunder Bay had to play the majority of the third period with only four defensemen available. Bryce Salvador left early in the third after blocking a shot off the outside of his skate. Matt Niskanen took an un-called high-stick moments later.
>>>"I'm not a guy to make excuses for anything," said head coach, Craig Hartsburg. "But there's not many clubs out there that shut down that offense with only two defensive pairings and being worn down after a 3-game road trip that included two in Europe."
>>>With another European trip on the immediate horizon, the Timberwolves have no time to regroup or get well rested. Their opponent on Wednesday night will be the league-leading Killers in Karlstad, Sweden. Then two days later at the Humidor to take on the Havana Moon. The trip comes to an end in Denver on Sunday against the Spurs.
>>>"Every team in this league goes through these scheduling grinds," said Keith Ballard. "So there's no sense in whining about it."
>>>Bryce Salvador's injury is officially listed as a lower-body injury. He will not make the trip to Sweden and Cuba, but is expected to rejoin the team in Denver. Roman Polak has been brought up from the practice squad.
>>>Matt Niskanen got stitched up and will be in the lineup in Karlstad.

THOMAS STONES BUDAPEST

BUDAPEST, Hungary- The Thunder Bay Timberwolves arrived in Budepest, hoping to bring with them the same drive against Honved as they did back in Canada against the River Cities Renegades. Although ending in a tie, the Timberwolves had no business being as close to one of the CCHL's top teams as they were (6 penalty kills and outshot 42-30).

>>>In their inagural season, Budapest is somewhat of a surprise with their 5-3-0 record prior to Tuesdays game against Thunder Bay. With Henrik Sedin leading the league with 20 points in 8 games, the Timberwolves would have to live up to their league-best goals against.

>>>Things started off chippy as Budapest's Brayden Coburn drew a 2-minute minor on Marian Gaborik. Only to take the Slovak sniper into the box with him after a retaliating punch.

>>>At 14:20 in the first, David Perron and Ossi Vaananen elevated heated words into some spirited jabs. Giving the two combatents 2 minutes to cool off.

>>>Needless to say, the gameplan for both clubs in the opening period seemed to be to get under one another's skin and avoid scoring at all costs.

>>>The second period didn't provide the same abrassive game as the first. But it also didn't bring out the goals either. Not until 18:49 when Patrick Sharp capitalized on the man-advantage, putting the Timberwolves on top.

>>>Getting the feeling that Sharp's goal might be all that his team could muster, Timberwolves head coach Craig Hartsburg called in the troops and decided to control the neutral zone for the remaining 20 minutes.

>>>"For whatever reason, we're struggling putting goals behind the other goalie," said Hartsburg. "Maybe it was the jetlag, but we didn't have our legs under us to push the puck in this game."

>>>The Timberwolves would often keep four players back to bottle up the neutral zone and up the middle of the ice. The five shots on Tim Thomas (pictured) were floaters from the top of the circles.

>>>"The guys did an excellent job shutting Honved down," said Thomas. "Like they have all season, they're keeping lanes clear, blocking shots and clearing out the crease. I can't take all the credit for games like this. Our defense throws their weight around and all the guys are great at keeping the puck on their sticks and off the oppositions."

>>>The third remained scoreless for both clubs, and Thomas and the rest of the Timberwolves skated away with a 1-0 shutout.

>>>Following the game, the Timberwolves immediately took off for Austria for Thursday nights contest against the Linz Black Wings.

>>>"We're going to take the day off," said Hartsburg. "These trips over here are always tough. Before we even hit the ice. Since the guys answered the bell, I think a day to get some Christmas shopping done in Austria is in order. Come Thursday morning, it's back to business and the grind."

>>>It is also rumoured that rookie goaltender, Brian Elliott will get the start against the struggling Black Wings.

>>>"We'll decide on Thursday," said Hartsburg. "Timmy's played nine good games, and the plan was to ease Brian in on the road against a bottom team around the tenth game."

>>>At 2-6-1, Linz foots the bill in that regard. With Thunder Bay's next game after Linz to be in Bismarck. It's not likely the rookie will play then.

HATS OFF TO GABBY

THUNDER BAY, ON- On Thursday night, the Thunder Bay Timberwolves were outshot by twenty and horrid in the faceoff circle. But the end result was a 6-2 win for the canis lupus over the Calgary Chinook in front of another capacity crowd and Canadian National Gardens.
>>>Marian Gaborik opened the evenings scoring at 3:52 in the first, on a newly formed line with rookie, Bryan Little and David Perron. The struggling Slovak entered the game with a solo goal and an assist through five games.
>>>Milan Hejduk evened things up at 11:37 in the first from Brian Rafalski and Mikko Koivu.
>>>Inside the final minute of the opening period, Keith Ballard snapped a shot from the right dot. Putting it five-hole on a screened Carey Price.
>>>The second period was all Timberwolves. Fifty-four seconds in, Ales Hemsky took a feed from Ballard and cut across the Chinook crease and Price was again beat between the legs.
>>>Being double shfited, Gaborik finished up some dandy passing from some pluggers and grinders in Bryce Salvador and Samuel Pahlsson. Netting his second of the game at 3:32.
>>>Bryan Little would close out the scoring in the second, with his fourth of the season from Perron and Gaborik.
>>>The real hero of the second, and the game for that matter would have to be the man between the pipes for Thunder Bay. Tim Thomas stopped all twenty shots put on him in the second.
>>>It took Gaborik 1:47 to ice his first hat trick as a member of the Timberwolves. Thus, pulling him out of any mention of a slump that has been weighing on him throughout this first few games.
>>>"I wasn't too worried about it," said Gaborik. "It's still early in the season, and I know what I'm capable of. We have a great group of guys out there. I'm happy to have brought some offense."
>>>Paul Mara would score for Calgary midway through the third. But the damage was done.
>>>Thomas ended up stopping 48 of 50 shots. Letting in no goals off the game high of twenty in the second.
>>>"I was seeing the puck well tonight," said Thomas. "The guys did a great job clearing those lanes and made it easy for me."
>>>The Timberwolves have Friday night off, but hit the ice again on Saturday for a 'Hockey Night in Canada' tilt against the Long Island Express.
>>>
3 STARS OF THE GAME:
>>>
>>1st - Marian Gaborik (THU) - 3 goals (hat trick) & an assist
>>2nd - Tim Thomas (THU) - 48 saves on 50 shots
>>3rd - David Perron (THU) - 3 assists

INSIDE THE PUP DEN

GOALTENDER

MIKE LEE

6'0" - 190 lbs

October 5, 1990

Roseau, Minnesota, USA

CURRENT ASSIGNMENT:

St. Cloud State University (NCAA-WCHA)

- 1-2-1 - 11ga - 2.15 GAA - .924 SV%

ACQUIRED:

2009 Entry Draft (3rd Round, 60th overall)

Mike Lee is currently splitting the netminding duties at SCSU with another Timberwolves prospect in Dan Dunn ('07 draftee, 7th Round, 149th overall). As a freshman, Lee is transitioning nicely to the NCAA game after a successful season last year for the 1st-year Fargo Force of the USHL. Success seems to follow this kid around. Prior to the USHL, Lee played for a very talented squad with the Minnesota-renowned, Roseau Rams. Backstopping them all the way to the tournament in St. Paul. Lee's connection to the Timberwolves goes beyond sharing the crease with Dunn. His teammates at Roseau were Aaron Ness (THU '08 2nd Rd, 31st) and Nick Oliver (THU '09 5th, 91st). He also played with Oliver at Fargo along with Josh Birkholz (THU '09 4th, 68th).

>>>"Lee is an superior goalie," said Timberwolves GM, Blake Wendt. "Success has followed him, or he has lead to it, at every level he's played at. Goalies are so hard to figure out in terms of knowing if they will end up being a decent pro guy. I firmly believe that along with a strong mental make-up, which Lee has. Having progressive success and meeting and exceeding expectations every year shows what kind of future you will have. We've had an eye on Mike since we started watching Aaron Ness at Roseau. He took a club in their inaugural year in Fargo all the way to the USHL finals. And he's looking very solid at St. Cloud with our other guy Dan Dunn. We're pleased with the way he has progressed."

LITTLE'S BIG GAME

Dayton, OH- After a disapointing finish to a hard fought loss in Portland, the Thunder Bay Timberwolves were eager to redeem themselves against the re-building Musicmen in Dayton.
>>>At 12:06 in the first, Timberwolves rookie forward, Bryan Little (pictured) took a tape-to-tape feed from Ales Hemsky and beat Marc-Andre Fleury 5-hole for his second career CCHL goal.
>>>Less than a minute later at 13:04, another Bryan added to the lead, as McCabe intercepted a pass at the Timberwolves blueline and took the puck in on Fleury. Beating the Dayton tender off a backhand under the left blocker.
>>>Ville Leino would score for the Musicmen at 17:43 to cut the Timberwolves lead in half going into the first intermission.
>>>"We started off the period on our heals (two penalty kills in the first ten minutes), scored two quick goals. But didn't play a full twenty minutes and they took advantage," said Timberwolves, Patrick Sharp.
>>>The second period yeilded the same results for Thunder Bay early. Dean McAmmond's high stick put Dayton on the powerplay at 3:46, and former Timberwolves prospect, Alex Goligoski made him pay. Scoring the tying goal 55 seconds later.
>>>The Musicmen could not maintain any momentum as Patrick Sharp would take the lead back for the Timberwolves 40 seconds after Goligoski's tally. Thunder Bay would take the lead into the final intermission.
>>>The third period was played tight by both clubs. As Dayton fought to keep the game within reason, and Thunder Bay focused on keeping the puck outside their blueline.
>>>At 16:54, David Perron put the game away. The sophmore's first of the season came off of some nifty passing from McCabe and former-Musicman, Marian Gaborik.
>>>Fifty-nine seconds later, Little would score his second of the game and end it with a 5-2 win for the visiting Timberwolves.
>>>Thunder Bay outshot Dayton 44-31 and controlled the faceoff circle 47-34.
>>>"Take nothing away from Dayton and the young guys Bill (Corfield) is putting out there for prime ice-time," said Timberwolves GM, Blake Wendt. "They play with alot of heart and that combined with the raw talent will eventually mold them into a strong hockey club in the near future. We played a good game, but weren't nearly as disiplined as I'd like. We can't do this against the top teams in this league. If we can stay out of the box and at least play the oppostion on equal ice, we can definately compete in this league."
>>>The Timberwolves have an off day on Sunday as they travel back to the west coast for a Monday night bout against the Victoria Ronin who destroyed Wisborg on Saturday, 9-0.
>>>"Our gameplan isn't too complicated," said Wendt. "We have to stay out of the box and we have to control the puck. Everything else will fall into place if we can do those things."

Thunder Bay, ON- For the second game in a row, the Thunder Bay Timberwolves scored four goals. The difference in the second game was a win for the boys on the Lake Superior north shore.

>>>The Copenhagen Crusaders came to town off a dominating victory and scoring seven goals in their first game. The Timberwolves knew that this young, up-start squad could not be taken lightly.

>>>"They're like us in alot of ways," said Timberwolves forward, Patrick Sharp. "They're young and have been building through the draft and drafting and developing pretty much most of their guys in their system."

>>>The Crusaders would open up the scoring at 7:30 in the first with a sniper's shot from Anze Kopitar.

>>>Matt Niskanen (pictured) tied things up for the Timberwolves at 12:31, but Copenhagen's Chris Kelly took back the lead 25 seconds later.

>>>Marian Gaborik decided enough was enough and took a series of tape-to-tape passes from Jay McKee and Roman Polak and buried his shot between the legs of Tomas Vokoun.

>>>"It was great puck movement from two guys on the backend that are normally more inclined to simply keep the puck out of their own net," said Timberwolves head coach, Craig Hartsburg. "Marian did an excellent job of doing what he does best and that's scoring clutch goals."

>>>Like the first game for Thunder Bay, they would go toe-to-toe with their opponent and keep the scoring down to none in the second period.

>>>At 12:21 in the third, Thunder Bay's Sheldon Souray lowered the boom on Vokoun as the Czech netminder was likely thrilled to have survived a 1-on-none canon from the Alberta-native.

>>>Four and a half minutes later at 16:52, Bryan Little scored his first career CCHL goal and put sent the Crusaders packing with their first loss of the season.

>>>"It's obviously a great feeling getting that first goal," said Little. "But it feels so much better have it be a goal that put this team over the top with a victory."

>>>"The boys answered the bell and took it to a very talented squad on the other side," said Timberwolves GM, Blake Wendt. "It's a great game to learn and grow from, but tomorrow is another day and we have another huge test in a couple days in Portland."

>>>Thunder Bay's next game is against the Owls on Friday night. The beginning of a 3-game road trip against some of the traditionally powerful CCHL clubs that also includes the Dayton Musicmen on Sunday and back to the west coast against the Victoria Ronin next Tuesday.

>>>"Should be a good opportunity for the guys to more used to each other and gel," said Souray. "We have alot of talent. We just need it all to work as one."

Thunder Bay, ON- After scoring three in the third, the Timberwolves couldn't hold a two goal lead and settle for a 4-4 tie with the Springfield Homers in front of a sold out Canadian National Gardens on Opening Day on Sunday.
>>>Springfield came out the gate hot, and tallied two goals in the first ten minutes to put Thunder Bay on their heals.
>>>Without a late powerplay goal in the first by the newly, re-acquired Ales Hemsky, the Timberwolves were looking like a superior team being completely outplayed.
>>>"I think we got caught up in the festivities and weren't prepared for them to come at us the way they did early," said Timberwolves captain, Keith Ballard. "Hemmer (Hemsky) scored at the right time and helped us get our heads out of our asses."
>>>The second period was 20 minutes of two teams jockeying for position and not allowing the other much room to skate. The game would remain 2-1 Homers going into the final period.
>>>Ballard opened up the scoring, tying the game with a wristshot from the left circle, over Cam Ward's left shoulder.
>>>Thunder Bay would score two more times, once with a helper from rookie, Bryan Little. His first career CCHL point. But the lead could not be held, and Springfield would answer with two more of their own to tie the game up.
>>>Five minutes of OT could decide nothing, and both teams skated away with a point and an undecided finish.
>>>"We showed we can score at will," said Timberwolves head coach, Craig Hartsburg. "But we have alot to work on in defending a lead. We should have took two points and we ended up lucky to get the one."
>>>The Timberwolves also lost defenseman, Bryce Salvador for the next 7 days with an undisclosed injury. He should be back for Thunder Bay's fifth game at Victoria. Roman Polak has been brought up from the practice squad to replace Salvador.
>>>The Timberwolves next game will be Tuesday night against Copenhagen. The Crusaders are coming off a 7-goal win led by Kris Versteeg and Mike Richards.
>>>"We will have our hands full," said Hartsburg. "They're incredibly young and talented. Our game will have to be simple and puck possession will be key for victory. They're too talented for us to just hope they don't score. They will if we don't first shut them down."

Thunder Bay, ON- Training Camp for the Thunder Bay Timberwolves came to an end on Friday. As with last year and for years to come, camp officially ended with the grueling run up Mount McKay. The run signifies to a player, not only that they have made all of the cuts so far and will at least see game action in the pre-season. But also that they have done everything that the coaching staff has asked of them and more.

>>>"Mount McKay is a reward," said head coach, Craig Hartsburg. "All summer long and through camp, this run is a huge goal for alot of these players. It doesn't mean you've made the team. But it does mean you will wear a don a Timberwolves sweater."

>>>One player that made the Mount McKay run last season, but not the team, was Bryan Little. The former Barrie Colts captain knew coming into this year that nothing was a guarentee.

>>>"Last year was tough," said Little following the run. "I thought that I did everything I needed to do to make this team. I was here, overlooking the city and already looking at it as my home. I made it to a single pre-season game and was sent to Duluth. I never even got called up. So as soon as we finished our season in Duluth, I came back up here and worked all summer with the trainers and worked my tail off. Duluth is a very nice city. But I had no intentions of going back this year."

>>>The fight for the backup netminder spot came to an end shortly before the players boarded the bus for Mount McKay.

>>>Tim Thomas is the clear cut starting goalie for the upcoming season. But Josh Harding and Brian Elliott were making it difficult for the coaches and management to decide who was staying or going.

>>>Josh Harding was ultimately beat out by the University of Wisconsin alumni, Elliott. Instead of sending Harding to Duluth, he was dealt to the River Cities Renegades for twenty-three year old defenseman, Roman Polak and a 3rd round pick in 2010.

>>>"Josh is a hell of a goalie," said Timberwolves GM, Blake Wendt. "It was not an easy decision to move him. But we had some underlying needs on the back end. With the loss of Erik Johnson for the season, I was not comfortable with our lack of depth back there. Having a solid number one goalie and having two guys fighting neck-and-neck for the number two spot, I knew I was going to have to move a goalie to get that depth on defense I felt we needed."

>>>While assuming his place on the club, Brian Elliott also shed his #72 for the #1.

>>>"Polak's game is that of a steady defensive defenseman," said Wendt. "There's not alot of flash and he's not going to be a guy that the fans will notice most of the time. Which is exactly what we want. His positioning is excellent. He forces opponents to the boards either with his positioning or by force with his thundering hits. Timmy (Thomas) is going to love this guy. He'll clear his sight lines and do whatever is necessary to prevent the puck from getting passed him. We're very excited to add Polak to our hockey club.

>>>Players sent to the minors on Friday were of course John Tavares and Matt Duchene. Neither were allowed to participate in pre-season or regular season games due to CCHL rules. Both were sent down to Duluth along with defenseman, Tom Preissing.

>>>The Timberwolves will go into the pre-season with 17 forwards, 7 defensemen and 2 goaltenders. They will have to cut their active roster down by 5 forwards and a defenseman before the regular season.

THUNDER BAY, ON-

>>>The Thunder Bay Timberwolves broke Training Camp on September 19th at the club's brand new, state-of-the-art training facility "The Den" on the outskirts of northwest Thunder Bay.

>>>Through the first two weeks of camp, all activities were closed to the public and limited access to the media. A move that was not met with overwelming satisfaction by the Timberwolves fanbase.

>>>"With Training Camp running a bit longer this season, we felt the need to focus on intensity and details without having some of the younger guys feeling the need to look over their shoulder and beyond the glass," said head coach, Craig Hartsburg.

>>>Some of those young players the coach of talking about were 2009 1st overall pick, John Tavares and 3rd overall pick, Matt Duchene. Other 2009 draftees invited after a strong Prospect Camp were Tomas Tatar, Michael Latta, Andrej Nestrasil and Justin Mercier. Aside from Tavares and Duchene, only Tatar and Mercier made it into October and the public viewing sessions. Both Latta and Nestrasil were sent back to their junior teams.

>>>"We don't normally bring in fresh players (newly drafted) from the Prospect Camp," said GM Blake Wendt. "Nothing is handed out here. Those guys all deserved a hard look and earned however long a stay they have with us."

>>>Tomas Tatar impressed the Timberwolves coaching staff and ownership so much, that while under contract with his Slovakian team it was nagotiated and payment sent to Zvolen HK to keep Tatar in North America.

>>>"Tatar is a special player," said Wendt. "He comes from a worthy program in Zvolen and showed the world how talented he was on a grand stage like the World Junior Championships. If in the end we had to send him back to Slovakia, we were comfortable with that. But our preference was to adapt him to the North American game and the smaller ice."

>>>Tatar was sent down the Duluth on October 2nd. There he will continue with the Pups through their camp and be given eight games to prove his stay. If not, he will be sent to the OHL's Kitchener Rangers to play out the 2009-10 season.

>>>A bit of a suprise to some, was the emergence of the 7th round pick of Justin Mercier. The Erie, Pennsylvania native played four years at Miami University in Ohio, and looked to cement his place with Thunder Bay.

>>>"Mercier is a guy we've been watching for a couple years," said Wendt. "Miami is a superior school in the NCAA that has made a name for themselves in the Frozen Four. Justin was someone we coveted prior to last seasons tournament, and solidified himself on our list after. He plays an all-around game, plays with drive and purpose every shift, and has a sniper's shot from the dots in."

>>>Like Tatar, Mercier was also sent to Duluth on October 2nd.

>>>Aside from the newly drafted players, the Timberwolves also had several new additions participating in their first camp in Thunder Bay.

>>>Through free agency there is Ethan Moreau, Dean McAmmond, Samuel Pahlsson, Sheldon Souray and Jay McKee.

>>>With the forwards, it is immediately seen that Blake Wendt is looking for speed, defense, leadership and grade-A work ethic.

>>>On the blueline, you don't get a much tougher guy that of Souray. His shot alone scares the souls out of those attempting to block them and keeps the Plexiglass company in business. McKee plays a solid stay-at-home game, clears his goalies sight lines and plays a smart game with an edge.

>>>Players picked up after the folding of three CCHL franchises, were goalie Tim Thomas and forward, David Backes.

>>>After spending the past two seasons rotating netminders, Thomas brings stability between the pipes for the first time in Thunder Bay. A hybrid of a hybrid-style is what the Flint, Michigan native brings to the table. His is a game you cannot teach. He does whatever it takes to keep the puck out of the net. And is successful at doing so.

>>>Backes is an emerging power forward with a hard shot and works for everything he has. Listed as a winger, Backes has been playing centre throughout Training Camp. He will likely be the pivot on the Timberwolves top line with Patrick Sharp and rookie, Bryan Little.

>>>Not one to shy away from a trade or two a season, Blake Wendt spent the summer continuing to mold his club with players that fit his style.

>>>Mike Fisher and Mason Raymond were brought in from Copenhagen to fill out what appears to be a very deep club up front. Fisher is a player who plays with alot of heart. He brings as much on the ice as he does off. Wherever he has been, Fisher has been a fixture in the community. When on the ice, he plays a solid two-way game, has lots of speed to burn, forces his linemates to give their all every shift and has a hard, accuarate shot.

>>>Probably the biggest acquisition was that of Marian Gaborik from Dayton. If the slick Slovak can shake the injury bug that has plagued him for the past couple seasons, the Timberwolves will be thrilled to have a player of his caliber in their lineup to years to come. Management drools at the possibility of having someone like a healthy Gaborik playing on a line with John Tavares and/or Matt Duchene.

>>>On defense, the Timberwolves brought in more power and abrasiveness in Bryce Salvador and Bryan McCabe.

>>>In an odd transaction, Salvador was brought in from Victoria for prospect Jonas Junland. The same teams and same players were swapped prior to the trade deadline.

>>>McCabe solidifies the Timberwolves blueline now. Especially with the loss of Erik Johnson for the season. With McCabe, Salvador, Souray, McKee and add captain, Keith Ballard, Thunder Bay may have the hardest defense to play against. Punishment is imminent for the opposition.