Team recalls goaltender after injury to Ward

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—March 12, 2007

RALEIGH, NC—Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that goaltender Craig Kowalski has been recalled from the ECHL’s Florida Everblades. Kowalski is being recalled in the wake of Carolina netminder Cam Ward suffering a laceration on his leg in the second period of Sunday’s game at Madison Square Garden. Ward is listed as day-to-day.

Kowalski (5’11”, 200 lbs.) was named ECHL goaltender of the week for the week of Dec. 18-24, and has posted a 24-11-3 record, a 2.69 goals-against average, a .916 save percentage and two shutouts in 38 games with the Everblades this season. The 26-year-old Warren, Mich., native was originally drafted by the Hurricanes in the eighth round, 235th overall, in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft and signed a multi-year contract with Carolina after four seasons at Northern Michigan University. Kowalski was recalled to Carolina following the 2005-06 regular season and practiced with the Hurricanes during the team’s 2006 postseason run, but he has not seen NHL action in his three professional seasons.

The Carolina Hurricanes open a two-game home-stand on Tuesday against the Florida Panthers (7 p.m., FSN South, Hurricanes Radio Network). On Thursday, the Hurricanes will host the New Jersey Devils (7:30 p.m., FSN South, Hurricanes Radio Network) in the first game of a home-and-home set between the clubs that will

conclude Saturday at Continental Airlines Arena. Tickets for all Hurricanes home games are available at the RBC Center box office, all TicketMaster locations, by calling 919-834-4000 or via www.CarolinaHurricanes.com. For information on Hurricanes ticket packages, please call 1-866-NHL-CANES or visit www.CarolinaHurricanes.com.