HAULA, VEILLEUX AND LAAKSONEN HEADLINE WELLS FARGO MINNESOTA WILD ROAD TOUR
Jun 16, 2014
HAULA, VEILLEUX AND LAAKSONEN HEADLINE WELLS FARGO MINNESOTA WILD ROAD TOUR
TOUR HITS DES MOINES TUESDAY AT 11 AM
Des Moines, IA – The Minnesota Wild and Wells Fargo announced on Tuesday the celebrities and exact locations for the Southern Tour of the Wells Fargo Minnesota Wild Road Tour, set for Tuesday, June 24.
The Southern Tour, which starts in Des Moines on June 24, features Wild players Erik Haula and Stephane Veilleux, alumni Antti Laaksonen and Wild television play-by-play announcer Anthony LaPanta. The event runs from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. in the parking lot of the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center. As part of the festivities, the Iowa Wild is providing outdoor games with room for pictures and autographs with the players, as well as a check presentation for a donation from the Iowa Wild players to the Des Moines Youth Hockey Association.
The road tour heads to Waterloo after the Des Moines appearance.
Southern Tour (Haula, Veilleux, Laaksonen, LaPanta*)
Tuesday, June 24
Des Moines, Iowa: 11 a.m.-12 p.m. at the Parking Lot adjacent to Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center (5th Ave. and Crocker St.)
Waterloo, Iowa: 4-5 p.m. at Young Arena (125 Commercial St.)
Haula, 23 (3/23/91), recorded seven points (4-3=7) in 13 playoff games with the Wild. He led NHL rookies in goals and shots (29) and ranked tied for third in playoff scoring. The 5-foot-11, 192-pound native of Pori, Finland, tallied 15 points (6-9=15) and a franchise rookie-record plus-14 rating in 46 games with Minnesota this season. Haula had 27 points (14-13=27) in 31 games with the Iowa Wild in the American Hockey League (AHL). He was also among the team leaders in scoring during his time in Iowa. Haula was drafted by Minnesota in the seventh round (#182 overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. After an impressive playoff performance with Minnesota, Haula won a silver medal with Finland at the 2014 IIHF World Championships in Belarus
Veilleux, 32 (11/16/81), played in 34 games with the Iowa Wild during the 13-14 season, scoring five goals and adding nine assists for 14 points. He also played in 34 games for the Minnesota Wild, scoring three goals and adding 21 penalty minutes. Veilleux was scoreless in four Stanley Cup Playoff games with Minnesota this past spring. He is a veteran of 494 NHL games, scoring 49 goals and adding 55 assists for 104 NHL points. The 14-year pro has also played in 336 AHL games, scoring 68 goals and adding 100 assists for 168 points. He was drafted by Minnesota in the third round (#93 overall) of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.
Laaksonen played left wing for the Minnesota Wild from 2000-04. He scored 55 goals and added 63 assists for 118 points in 293 games. His NHL career began with Boston in 1998 and finished with Colorado in 2007. In all, the Finnish native played in 483 NHL games, scoring 81 times and adding 87 assists for 168 points. He was drafted by Boston in the eighth round (#191 overall) of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. Laaksonen won the AHL’s Calder Cup in 1999 with the Providence Bruins.
The Iowa Wild regular season is presented by Mercy Medical Center. Season tickets to see the Wild play at Wells Fargo Arena start at just $9 per game. For more information on tickets, please contact the Wild ticket office by calling 515-564-8700 or go to www.iowawild.com.
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