News Release

       Contact: Pete Krupsky                                                   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

       Phone: (734) 453-8400                                                 Tuesday, December 11, 2007

AFTER AN OUTSTANDING YEAR, MIKE VELLUCCI TO FOCUS ON COMPUWARE ARENA GROWTH

       Vellucci Remains President and General Manager of Compuware Arena and Whalers 

PLYMOUTH – Compuware CEO and Plymouth Whalers owner Peter Karmanos, Jr. announced the promotion of Mike Vellucci to Governor, President and General Manager of the Plymouth Whalers and Compuware Arena, effective immediately.

In relation with the promotion, Vellucci named Greg Stefan as new head coach of the Whalers. Stefan resigned as an assistant coach of the Carolina Hurricanes today and rejoins the Whalers for the third time in his coaching career.

Joe Stefan remains with Plymouth as an assistant coach. Greg and Joe Stefan will be behind the bench Thursday when the Whalers resume action in Peterborough against the Petes.

“Mike’s had tremendous success as a head coach, while balancing the demands of three different jobs,” said Karmanos. “He’s created stability and has built a winning environment within the organization. He has taken our on-ice performance in Plymouth to another level. I’m proud of the fact that Mike was able to bring home a championship to Plymouth. Mike will now have an opportunity to focus his energies towards running Compuware Arena and the Whalers without the day-to-day time restraints of coaching.”

After losing in the OHL Rogers Championship Series in 2000 to Barrie and in 2001 to Ottawa, Vellucci went behind the bench in the summer of 2001 and led Plymouth to the second championship last season in the Whalers 18-year history.

Vellucci recently became the winningest coach in Plymouth history, compiling a record of 246-132-37-22, good for a .630 winning percentage, second in franchise history behind Paul Maurice (.681), now with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Vellucci became the first American to win the Ontario Hockey League’s Matt Leyden Award last season as Coach of the Year.

Plymouth won four West Division titles and never finished lower than second place during Vellucci’s tenure behind the bench. The Whalers are currently 18-8-1-2 and in third place in the ultra-competitive OHL West, eight points behind the first place Windsor Spitfires (21-6-2-3) and seven points behind the second place Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

Greg Stefan, 46, worked as an assistant for the Whalers originally from 1993-98 and rejoined the Whalers from 2003-05 before moving to the Hurricanes in 2005, helping Carolina to the first Stanley Cup in their history in 2006.

Stefan played in the OHL as a goaltender with the Oshawa Generals from 1978-81 before being selected in the seventh round of the 1981 National Hockey League Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings. Stefan turned to coaching after retiring as a player in 1991.

“I’ve worked closely with Greg for a long time and he has been loyal to the organization,” Vellucci said. “He deserves this opportunity to become a head coach. I am confident he will develop our players for the next level and continue our winning tradition. He knows what it takes to make it to the National Hockey League, both as a player and a coach.”

On the business side, Compuware Arena is enjoying its most successful year since opening in 1996. The Arena hosted the OHL Rogers Championship Series last May and is the home of the Major Indoor Soccer League’s Detroit Ignition, the MHSAA Boys’ High School Hockey Championships, Ginopolis on the Ice Restaurant and the Compuware Arena Drive-In Theatres. Compuware Arena is also the home of eight Compuware AAA travel programs and hosts dozens of special events every year, including high school and college graduations, youth hockey tournaments, corporate events, and Kronk’s Ultimate Night of Boxing.

On December 22, the Compuware Arena will host “Home For the Holidays, A Celebration of Ice”, featuring Olympians Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto.

Carolina Hurricanes Announce Coaching Changes

Michael Vellucci
President and General Manager, Compuware Arena and Plymouth Whalers

Michael Vellucci is working in his eighth season as President of Compuware Arena and the Plymouth Whalers and seventh as Whalers general manager. His roots with Compuware hockey started early when he played for the first-ever Compuware youth team formed in the late 1970's that later won a midget national title. Vellucci then went on to play for the Belleville Bulls of the OHL and was drafted by the Hartford Whalers in the 1984 National Hockey League Entry Draft. Vellucci made his NHL debut with Hartford during the 1987-88 season. Vellucci concluded his playing career in Europe for Lusteau, Austria in 1989 before turning to hockey management and coaching.

During his seven years as the President/General Manager/Head Coach of the Compuware Ambassadors, Vellucci built a perennial powerhouse. Overall he racked up a regular season record of 241-82-27 for an impressive .689 winning percentage. For six consecutive years, from 1994 to 1999, he took his team to the Gold Cup National Jr. 'A' Championship Tournament and brought home National Championships in 1994 and 1999. Vellucci also claimed four Robertson Cup playoff titles and two NAHL regular season crowns. He was named NAHL Executive of the Year in 1994 and 1999 and was NAHL Coach of the Year in 1998.

Vellucci was promoted to President of the Plymouth Whalers in 2000 and was appointed the team's general manager and head coach in 2001. Plymouth went 246-132-37-22 over six season-and-a-half seasons for Vellucci for a .630 winning percentage. The Whalers won four West Division titles - never finishing below second place - and an Ontario Hockey League championship during Vellucci's tenure behind the bench. In 2007, Vellucci won the Matt Leyden Trophy as Ontario Hockey League Coach of the Year - the first American ever to win the award.

Greg Stefan
Head Coach, Plymouth Whalers

Stefan re-joins the Plymouth Whalers after more than two seasons with the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, first as Goaltending Coach/Pro Scout, and more recently as Assistant Coach/Goaltending Coach. Stefan began his coaching career in 1993 with the Detroit Junior Red Wings (now Plymouth Whalers) and contributed to the team’s first OHL championship in 1995. He served as an assistant coach in Plymouth until 1998, and re-joined the Whalers as director of player development and assistant coach in 2003.

Stefan played in the OHL as a goaltender with the Oshawa Generals from 1978-81 before being selected in the seventh round of the 1981National Hockey League Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings. Stefan retired from playing  in 1991.

Plymouth Whalers

The Plymouth Whalers are the only Metro Detroit team in the Ontario Hockey League, a developmental league for National Hockey League players. The Whalers all range in age from 15-21 years-old and are consistently one of the top teams in the OHL. In 2006-07, the Whalers won the OHL Championship and had 7 players sign NHL contracts.   www.plymouthwhalers.com.

Compuware Arena

Compuware Arena is home to the 2007 Ontario Hockey League Champion Plymouth Whalers, the Major Indoor Soccer League’s Detroit Ignition, the Compuware Arena Drive-In Theatres, the MHSAA Boys State Hockey Championships and eight AAA Compuware Hockey youth teams. Compuware Arena also hosts high school and college graduations, corporate events and a host of other diverse activities.  Built in 1996, Compuware Arena serves more than one million patrons each year, and is located in Plymouth, Michigan. www.compuwarearena.com.