WEEKES ACTIVATED FROM INJURED RESERVE

RALEIGH, N.C. (Dec. 18, 2002) – Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager for the Eastern Conference champion Carolina Hurricanes announced today that the team has reassigned goaltender Jean-Marc Pelletier and forward Craig MacDonald to Lowell of the American Hockey League (AHL). Hurricanes netminder Kevin Weekes has been activated from the injured reserve list and will serve as backup to Arturs Irbe for tonight’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Pelletier (6’3’’, 200 lbs.) served as backup to Arturs Irbe for the last eight games and did not appear in a game for Carolina. He was 5-9-0 with a goals against average of 3.47 and a save percentage of .902 with Lowell prior to his recall on Nov. 29. Pelletier was acquired by Carolina on Jan. 23, 2000 along with Rod Brind’Amour and a second round draft pick in 2000 for Keith Primeau and a fifth round draft pick in 2000. He has played one NHL game in his career, when he was still a member of the Philadelphia Flyers. Pelletier is 65-47-8 with a goals against average of 2.73 (7079 min., 322 GA) in 125 career AHL games.

MacDonald (6’1’’, 195 lbs.) had played in nine games with Carolina, registering one assist and six penalty minutes since his recall on Nov. 22. He had 10 points (3g, 7a) in 11 games with Lowell this season prior to his recall. In 32 career NHL regular season games, MacDonald now has three points (1g, 2a) and six penalty minutes. A native of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, he also played in four games during the 2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs for Carolina. The franchise’s fourth pick, 88th overall, in the third round of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, MacDonald played college hockey at Harvard University and was a teammate of Hurricanes forward Craig Adams, Vice President and Assistant General Manager Jason Karmanos and Television Color Analyst Tripp Tracy with the Crimson.