Ryan Stanzel
Director of Communications
Friday, September 22, 2006
713.361.7930 (Direct Line)
Call 281.265.7469 today for pre-season tickets before they’re all gone!

FOUR MORE JOIN AEROS ROSTER

HOUSTON, Texas – Minnesota Wild President and General Manager Doug Risebrough today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has reassigned the following four players to the training camp for the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League (AHL): defenseman Peter Ratchuk, and forwards Matt Foy (pictured), Joey Tetarenko and Riley Emmerson. The Aeros’ training camp is set to open Wednesday, September 27, from 1-3 p.m. at Sugar Land Ice & Sports Center.

Ratchuk, 29 (9/10/77), spent the last three seasons playing in Germany. Last season for the Mannheim Eagles, Ratchuck posted 36 points (12-24=36) an 88 penalty minutes in 52 games. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound native of Buffalo, N.Y., has played five AHL seasons with New Haven, Louisville, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Rochester, totaling 142 points (48-94=142) in 338 games. He has 32 games of NHL experience with Florida, with two points (1-1=2). Ratchuk was Colorado’s first-round pick (No. 25 overall) in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. Minnesota signed Ratchuk as a free agent on June 6.

Foy, 23 (5/18/83), is entering his fourth season with the Aeros. The 6-foot-2, 219-pound native of Oakville, Ont., set career-highs in Houston last season in goals (15), assists (25), points (40) and penalty minutes (122) in just 51 games. He began the season with the Wild, totaling five points (2-3=5) in 19 games. Foy has accumulated 87 points (37-50=87) and 284 penalty minutes in 171 career games with the Aeros. Minnesota selected Foy in the sixth round (No. 175 overall) in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

Tetarenko, 28 (3/3/78), has played 55 games with the Aeros over the past two seasons, totaling three points (1-2=3) and 174 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound native of Prince Albert, Sask., was re-signed by the Aeros as a free agent on June 21. He was Florida’s fourth-round pick (No. 82 overall) in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft.

Emmerson, 20 (2/7/86), played his second season of major junior hockey last season with Tri City, posting two points (1-1=2) and 109 penalty minutes in 66 games. In two seasons with the Americans, the 6-foot-8, 230-pounder from Burnaby, B.C., put up two points (1-1=2) and 170 penalty minutes in 101 games. Emmerson is the tallest player ever in the Wild organization. He was Minnesota’s seventh-round pick (No. 199 overall) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

---HOUSTON AEROS---