FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Tom Sye April 9, 2002 (505) 881-7825 (505) 321-7825 (cell) www.scorpionshockey.com

SCORPIONS THIS WEEK: Weekly release for Aril 8-April 14 Hot on the trail of Pat Dunn.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Who is this man they call Pat Dunn? Just two weeks ago he was named Head Coach of the Scorpions moving from the General Manager’s position with the team. You know that he was a player, an assistant coach and even participated in the Olympics. But who is he really? He’s one of the most liked, well-respected persons in the Scorpions organization and we’ll find out why as Scorpions This Week picks up a sniff and heads hot on the trail of Pat Dunn.

I started my journey with a simple search on google.com. In 0.27 seconds 168,000 results turned up. There is a Pat Dunn who has been a DJ in Plover, Wisconsin since 1984. He has a large selection of music from the 1950’s through the 1990’s. I like Polka’s and Waltzes as much as the next guy but this is not who I’m looking for. There is a link for Pastoral Planning with Bishop Patrick Dunn. Nice thought, but highly doubtful. There is a book about Pat Dunn. It seems that a California Pat Dunn, who was a retired high school principal, was wrongfully sent to prison for killing his wife. Still no luck. I found an explanation poem about what perimeter is written by a kid Pat Dunn. A Pat Dunn who is the Director of Technology at Display Search and even a Pat Dunn actress, but nothing on New Mexico’s newest Head Coach. With my google resources exhausted, I decided to go the next best route…to ask the man himself.

It’s Monday morning inside the Scorpions office and Pat is walking through the hall with a smile on his face. It’s one of those having a great day smiles generally reserved for Lotto winners, the same smile that he wears, almost like a uniform, each and every day. It is only today that I understand that smile after spending most of the day with Dunn on Friday. What makes this man so happy? Surprisingly, it’s the little things. A lot of little things in fact stored away in a gigantic Rubbermaid bin that he keeps in his garage.

(CONTINUED)

“I can’t wait for next season”, he excitedly said to me as we drove to his house to dig through countless memories. And why wouldn’t he be. He’s just received his first Head Coaching job at a professional level, something that has been a passion since childhood, he’s been re-signing players left and right and has got all of the confidence in the world from the team’s owner Doug Frank. These days, things are going very well for Pat Dunn Jr. As we pulled into his driveway and entered his house, I had no idea how these days’, have happened all along.

As I sat on the couch, Pat dragged this huge green container out of the garage. He popped the top, and again, the signature smile appeared on his face. “Most of this stuff is in French”, he said not really knowing what I was looking for. There were numerous newspaper articles, game programs and photos. We first came across articles about the 1992 Olympics played in Albertville, France. There is an outstanding photo of Pat’s glove jammed into team U.S.A.’s Sean Hill’s face. That game saw the U.S. beat team France 4-1 back on February19th, 1992, but Dunn remembers it like it was yesterday. “It started with Keith Tkachuk spitting on our bench for some reason. It was a really tight game and I think we gave them a little more trouble than they thought. It was quite a battle and Sean and I got into it, I won’t tell you who got the best of it but you’ve already probably figured it out.” For Dunn to even be in the Olympics is something in its own right. But how he got there is even more amazing. While playing in a French league at the time, Pat learned the Olympics were coming and volunteered to help out during the games. He didn’t have his French passport but saw that the committee was taking applications at the time (1990) for volunteers. “I figured hey, if I wasn’t going to work for two weeks, what better way to spend time at the Olympics!” Dunn hoped that he could be a team chaperon and show members of team Canada the sights of France. Shortly after, he received his French Passport and was selected for the French National Team. “The papers made a big deal out of it”, he says. “They said that I applied to be a Zamboni driver, so that made it pretty funny. I can tell you though I had a much better time as a player than I would have as a chaperon.”

As we continued our search through the bin, Pat ran across an article that got his blood boiling. In the Scorpions first season, in a game versus the now defunct Central Texas Stampede, Dunn and Stampede player Jacques Mailhot had a skirmish that carried out into the tunnel area of . “I’ve got a tape of this”, Pat said as he dug through video tapes in his closet. He quickly inserted the tape and watched in anticipation. Mailhot made a run at Pat right in front of the ice exit door. As they collided, the doors swung open, sending both players to the tunnel area. As AKAL Security Guards restrained Dunn, Mailhot fought his way free and assaulted two of them. Two guards eventually tackled Mailhot and the incident came to a close. “What a maniac is all I could think. It all happened so fast. Looking back on it now, it’s funny seeing guys scrambling all over looking for cover, but at the time…it was very serious.” This certainly wasn’t the first dance that Pat had been in, as one could easily assume, and my thoughts were confirmed moments later as we came across a child hood photo and article reading DUNN SUSPENDED FIVE GAMES. “My coach said go get him and that’s what I did.” While very much of French descent, the Irish comes out every now and again. “I used to get into it all the time then I got up to the big boys and had to straighten out.” And straighten out he did. Although undrafted in the 1981 NHL draft, Pat signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs a couple of weeks later.

(CONTINUED) Paper after paper, the memories came racing back to the pride of Trois Rivieres, Quebec. The World Championships, more junior’s articles then he came across and old letter on Toronto Maple Leaf letterhead. It is dated August 6th, 1982, and reads like this;

Dear Patrick,

I hope that this letter finds you in top condition and that you have had an enjoyable summer – but the hockey season is just around the corner. This is to advise you that the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 1982 Training Camp will commence on Monday September 13th at North York Centennial Arena in Toronto.

What’s it like to receive an invitation to an NHL camp in the mail? “It’s a good feeling. I realize it more now that I’m around minor league hockey a little more. Some guys would just die to get a tryout at an NHL camp.” He was actually invited to four National Hockey League camps in total. Toronto’s from 1981-1983, featuring a camp along side Defenseman Barry Melrose, now of ESPN fame. In 1988, Dunn was invited to the New York Rangers camp. It was hockey legend Guy LaFleur’s comeback and crowd’s of 5000 plus were in attendance to watch the guys bag skate. “They were chanting and cheering”, Pat says of the crowd. “It was pretty neat wearing the jersey and looking back now…it was a great experience.”

As we stumble upon game programs, most written in languages that Dunn himself has no clue as to what they are, he searches for another tape. It is of the 1995-1996 French League Championships while he was playing for Rouen. Down a goal late in the game, a teammate fired a puck in front of the net that Dunn swooped in on and buried in the back of the net tying the game at two. “Watch this”, he says, as he proceeds to jump up and down in a whirlwind celebration on the television. “I’m such a goof”. During his rant around the ice, Dunn nearly clobbered the referee in the head with his stick, but as anyone in sports knows, when emotion takes over, celebration is all that matters. “I was never one to celebrate with my arms down” he recalls. “I was going crazy dancing and applauding myself. In my sixteen-year career I had never won a championship. Tying the championship game with just a couple of minutes left was a great feeling.”

As Pat continued to shuffle through the pile, which seemed to be in no particular order, he once again flashed a smile. This one was very different though. This was a memory smile…one that had a lot of meaning behind it. He picked up a homemade flag, real simple looking. A plastic stick and a piece of paper attached to it. It had the Olympic rings and Albertville ’92 written across the bottom of it. Almost shyly, he quickly dropped the flag into the already looked through pile. “My family made that”, he said. “They had a big party for me when I got back to Canada. There was like a hundred and fifty people there and they were all waving these flags and there were decorations everywhere.” You could tell that this was a very proud moment in Pat Dunn’s life. Just for an instant, although amongst family and friends, this was his moment in the sun…Pat Dunn’s ten minutes of fame. “I remember my dad picking me up from the airport and for some reason we were going to my sisters. I was very tired and just wanted to get home and take a shower.” As Pat and his dad turned the corner, onto his sister’s street, Pat saw a line of cars. He then noticed a huge French flag and the Olympic rings up on the roof. “Wow was my first thought. They had dug up all of my buddies and were cheering and singing the French National Anthem. It was a great party.”

(CONTINUED) Family happens to be a huge part of Pat’s life. He says he was always able to find time for both, playing hockey and being a husband and a father. “I don’t know if I have the right plan, or if there is a right plan”, he says. “I got married at 33 and had a baby at 34, pretty much near the end of my career.” After marriage, Pat played just three more seasons before retiring. Does he regret it? Not a chance, but there is one thing. “I just wish that my daughter could have seen me play more. It was only during the first two years of her life, so she didn’t get to see me too much.” Upon his retirement from the game, Pat Dunn went to Corpus Christi as an Assistant Coach, before coming to Albuquerque last season.

Three weeks ago, when Dunn was named Head Coach and Vice President of Hockey Operations of the team, you wouldn’t have known it by his demeanor. For the first time in maybe all of his life, Pat Dunn did not have a smile. He was very excited and jumping up and down on the inside mind you, but on the outside, he wasn’t sure how to react. Although his dream of becoming a head coach was happening, it came at a great expense…friendship. “I should be doing cartwheels down San Mateo (Blvd.) right now but I’ve been hiding it a little bit out of respect for Tony (Martino).” Dunn and Martino were teammates on the 1996-1997 edition of the New Mexico Scorpions and even roomed together while on the road. “I’m in an awkward position”, he says speaking of having to replace his friend. “But at the same time…I’m very excited. I’ve got Travis Van Tighem (Assistant Coach) to support me and I think we’ll be a great team together and we’re looking forward to an exciting season.”

So who is Pat Dunn? A letter that Pat showed me, pretty much put it all in place. It was written by his head coach in a Sheraton Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden right before the World Championships. It reads;

Pat, It has been a great pleasure to have you on this great hockey team. Your energy, your charisma, and your two-way play! It is a special night and big games need BIG PLAYERS! Thank you very much and good luck!

Another big moment has come up in Pat Dunn’s life. He is a first year Head Coach and has a young core of guys returning. As that is put in perspective for him, he flashes his grin and says, “I could go away today and leave with a smile.”

For a man who has enjoyed his life to the fullest, realizing that maybe he didn’t take advantage of some opportunities for the NHL when he had them, it is easy to see why he has no regrets, and why he smiles…that Pat Dunn smile.

(CONTINUED)

2001-2002 PLAYOFF UPDATE

NORTHERN CONFERENCE FINALS (Best of Seven Games) Memphis RiverKings (1) vs Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs (3)

Game 1 - Friday, March 29 - BOS 5 @ MEM 6 F (MEM leads 1-0) Game 2 - Saturday, March 30 - MEM 4 @ BOS 1 F (MEM leads 2-0) Game 3 - Friday, April 5 - MEM 2 @ BOS 5 F (MEM leads 2-1) Game 4 - Saturday, April 6 - BOS 4 @ MEM 2 F (Series tied 2-2) Game 5 - Thursday, April 11 - BOS @ MEM 7:05 PM Game 6 - Friday, April 12 - MEM @ BOS 7:05 PM Game 7* - Saturday, April 13 - BOS @ MEM 7:05 PM

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE FINALS (Best of Seven Games) (2) vs El Paso Buzzards (4)

Game 1 - Friday, April 5 - AUS 1 @ ELP 6 F (ELP leads 1-0) Game 2 - Saturday, April 6 - AUS 2 @ ELP 5 F (ELP leads 2-0) Game 3 - Wednesday, April 10 - ELP @ AUS 7:30 PM Game 4 - Friday, April 12 - ELP @ AUS 7:30 PM Game 5* - Saturday, April 13 - ELP @ AUS 7:30 PM Game 6* - Monday, April 15 - AUS @ ELP 7:05 PM Game 7* - Wednesday, April 17 - ELP @ AUS 7:30

A look at former Scorpions and what they are up to.

* Sylvain Naud (1996-1999)- Last team: (2000-01) Central Hockey League Working in the golf industry in Tulsa, Oklahoma

* Eric Ricard (1996-1998)- Last team: Florida Everblades (1998-99) East Coast Hockey League. Director of Recreation at a Florida Hyatt Hotel.

* Dean Shmyr (1996-97, 98-99)- Last team: Knoxville Speed (2000-01) United Hockey League. Living at home in Chicago, Illinois

* Derek Crawford (1996-2000)- Last team: New Mexico Scorpions (1999-2000) Working for Coors in Albuquerque, New Mexico

* Kurt Wickenheiser (1996-1997)- Current team: Corpus Christi Ice Rays (2001-2002) Had 25 goals and 41 assists this year for the Rays.

(CONTINUED)

CHL FINAL STANDINGS NORTHERN CONFERENCE HOME ROAD LAST TEN STREAK NORTHWEST GP W L OTL PTS PCT GF GA PIM W- L-OTL W- L-OTL W- L-OTL W-L-OTL Y-Oklahoma City 64 35 22 7 77 .602 236 203 1675 20-10- 2 15-12- 5 5- 3- 2 0- 2- 1 Tulsa 64 30 30 4 64 .500 204 215 1701 19-10- 3 11-20- 1 4- 5- 1 0- 2- 0 Wichita 64 24 34 6 54 .422 203 262 1913 12-18- 2 12-16- 4 3- 5- 2 2- 0- 0 Amarillo 64 19 39 6 44 .344 177 257 1580 8-19- 5 11-20- 1 4- 6- 0 0- 3- 0

NORTHEAST Y-Memphis 64 46 14 4 92 .719 267 186 1410 27- 2- 3 19-12- 1 6- 3- 1 3- 0- 0 X-Bossier-Shrvpt 64 33 27 4 70 .547 215 198 1685 20- 9- 3 13-18- 1 8- 2- 0 0- 1- 0 X-Fort Worth 64 30 27 7 67 .523 205 217 1929 18-12- 2 12-15- 5 5- 5- 0 0- 3- 0 Indianapolis 64 20 37 7 47 .367 192 237 2119 11-19- 2 9-18- 5 2- 7- 1 1- 0- 0

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE SOUTHWEST Y-Odessa 64 47 11 6 100 .781 203 149 1391 26- 4- 2 21- 7- 4 9- 1- 0 5- 0- 0 X-El Paso 64 36 24 4 76 .594 223 222 1495 21-11- 0 15-13- 4 9- 1- 0 2- 0- 0 Lubbock 64 30 23 11 71 .555 204 196 1469 17- 9- 6 13-14- 5 6- 3- 1 0- 1- 0 New Mexico 64 33 25 6 70 .547 210 206 1365 17-14- 1 16-11- 5 2- 6- 2 0- 1- 1

SOUTHEAST Y-Austin 64 44 15 5 93 .727 239 174 1515 24- 7- 1 20- 8- 4 6- 3- 1 6- 0- 0 X-San Antonio 64 40 16 8 88 .688 243 183 1925 22- 6- 4 18-10- 4 6- 1- 3 1- 0- 0 San Angelo 64 29 31 4 62 .484 207 228 1601 21- 9- 2 8-22- 2 1- 8- 1 0- 5- 0 Corpus Christi 64 16 35 13 45 .352 158 253 1895 12-14- 6 4-21- 7 3- 5- 2 3- 0- 0

Note - Memphis: 4 points removed from total New Mexico: 2 points removed from total X-Clinched playoff berth Y-Clinched Division Title

NEW MEXICO FIANL TEAM STATISTICS

No. PLAYER POS GP G A PTS +/- PIM PP SH GW FG SOG SOA SO% SHOTS PCT 19 MacKenzie, Chris C 20 6 20 26 5 4 2 2 0 1 1 1 100.0 45 13.3 (TOTALS) C 51 18 58 76 13 54 8 3 2 3 1 4 25.0 134 13.4 14 Richards, Chris C 64 27 39 66 18 31 4 2 10 5 7 8 87.5 190 14.2 24 Baines, Tyler RW 64 25 20 45 14 46 4 3 3 5 0 0 0.0 182 13.7 56 Tseplis, Gatis D 63 13 29 42 16 68 5 0 0 0 3 9 33.3 219 5.9 20 St. Louis, Jonathan RW 64 19 17 36 -3 154 2 0 1 3 0 1 0.0 142 13.4 42 Kupaks, Arturs D 47 9 23 32 12 56 3 0 2 2 1 3 33.3 126 7.1 27 Delisle, Jonathan RW 32 13 17 30 12 102 2 1 3 4 0 0 0.0 68 19.1 43 Cornacchia, David D 38 6 12 18 -6 62 1 0 1 1 0 0 0.0 89 6.7 33 Hearn, Jamie D 19 2 3 5 -3 68 0 0 1 1 0 0 0.0 42 4.8 (TOTALS) D 64 3 14 17 -23 124 1 0 1 2 0 0 0.0 152 2.0 8 Banach, Jay LW 27 2 8 10 -3 71 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 40 5.0 (TOTALS) LW 60 7 9 16 -22 169 0 0 1 0 0 1 0.0 96 7.3 10 O'Malley, Mike C 46 6 10 16 -4 12 1 0 1 1 0 0 0.0 87 6.9 34 Van Tighem, Travis D 61 5 11 16 -8 88 2 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 144 3.5 49 Zoryk, Steve LW 28 3 13 16 -5 10 0 0 0 1 0 0 0.0 77 3.9 9 Mauer, Nate F 21 4 9 13 -2 28 1 0 1 0 1 1 100.0 52 7.7 2 Radchenko, Sergei D 45 5 5 10 7 90 0 0 1 0 0 0 0.0 71 7.0 31 Myers, Scott G 49 0 2 2 0 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0.0 13 Morin, Etienne F 2 0 1 1 -2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 3 0.0 47 Choukalos, Donald 8 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0.0 10 Rybin, Artem LW 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 4 0.0 TOTALS 64 210 333 543 1365 39 9 33 35 15 29 51.7 2210 9.5 OPPONENT TOTALS 64 206 349 555 1256 49 9 28 29 12 28 42.9 1892 10.9

No. GPI MIN AVG W L OTL SOW EN SHO SOG SOA GA SAVES SPCT

31 Myers, Scott 49 2856:06 3.00 23 19 4 4 2 1 6 18 143 1276 0.899 47 Choukalos, Donald 8 420:28 3.14 4 1 2 0 1 0 4 4 22 167 0.884

TEAM TOTALS 64 3902:07 3.17 33 25 6 7 3 1 12 28 206 1686 0.891 OPPONENT TOTALS 64 3902:07 3.23 28 26 7 6 4 1 15 29 210 2007 0.908

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