MEET THE NEW GUYS

Thunder Bay, ON- It took a little longer than expected, but the newest Timberwolves arrived in Thunder Bay from the Czech Republic mid-morning on Saturday after first arriving in Montreal to be met by Timberwolves general manager Blake Wendt and captain, Keith Ballard.

>>>With smiles and first handshakes complete, everyone was quick to board the Timberwolves Bombardier private jet and filed a flight plan back to Thunder Bay.

>>>Landing at Thunder Bay International a little more than 90 minutes later, the group was off to Canadian National Gardens to first meet the team and then onto the formal announcement and some questions from the media.

>>>"I'd like to get straight to the subject at hand here today," said Wendt. "If there was ever any question about the direction of this hockey club at this point, we've answered it. The Thunder Bay Timberwolves are on the move up. We are not content with simply making the playoffs. We were already a good club before adding these gentlemen I'm about to introduce to you. But we're exponentially better now by adding these guys to the mix. So with out further delay, it is with great pleasure that we introduce the newest members of the Thunder Bay Timberwolves, Rick Nash, Henrik Lundqvist and Linus Omark.

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>>>"Thank you," said Nash. "This is very exciting to be here and to be apart of an organization that it very much on the way up. After just meeting the team a little bit ago, I know that it's a tight group of guys with alot of talent and a single goal of winning a championship here. That's exciting. I cannot wait to put that sweater on and get out there and truly be apart of this movement and that goal."

>>>"Ricky put it best," said Lundqvist. "It's very exciting to be here. It's kind of numbing right now. To go from being told you've been traded, to packing up only the essentials, saying goodbye to your former team and boarding a plane in a matter of only a couple hours... it's just doesn't seem real right now. This is a class organization and from meeting Mr. Wendt to Keith Ballard and then the rest of the guys. It doesn't take long to know that they are very family-like and serious about winning now and for a long time. Like Ricky said, I'm very excited to get out there and be apart of this."

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>>>Asked whether the new players will be inserted into the lineup immediately (as in tomorrow against Budapest), Wendt left the answer open.

>>>"Well, that's entirely up to these guys. Obviously they want to get out there as they've said. But they have been through alot in the past 10-12 hours. When they finally stop they might realize how exhausted they really are. But we'll go through a skate and see how the warm-up goes and we'll go from there. But I'm just as excited as they are to see them in our sweater."

>>>It was at that point that three blue Timberwolves sweaters were unfolded.

>>>Nash was given #16. A swap of his former #61. It is a club policy that no player wears a number higher than #35.

>>>Lundqvist was given a familiar #30. His number in Prague, but also the same number worn all season by the Timberwolves other goaltender, Brian Elliott. Elliott opted for Jonas Hiller's #1 that he wore at the University of Wisconsin with Hiller's departure in this deal to Prague.

>>>Omark's sweater simply had his last name on the back and no number, as the young Swede will immediately report to Duluth and try to earn a roster spot next season.