BILOXI, Miss. � Mississippi Sea Wolves general manager and head coach Bob Woods announced today that the team has agreed to terms with veteran free agent left wing Bates Battaglia (bah-TAG-lee-ah).

Battaglia, 29, joins his 25-year-old brother Anthony Battaglia on the Sea Wolves roster. A veteran of seven National Hockey League seasons and 485 games, Battaglia has totaled 68 goals and 99 assists for 167 points along with 333 penalty minutes while playing for the Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche and Washington Capitals. A native of Chicago, Illinois, Battaglia registered an assist in four games last season with Colorado before finishing the 2004-05 campaign with Washington, where he tallied four goals, six assists and 38 penalty minutes in 66 games. The 6-foot-2 and 210-pound Battaglia was selected by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the sixth round, 132nd overall in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft.

Battaglia becomes the second player to join the Sea Wolves after playing in the NHL in 2003-04, joining goaltender Phil Sauve, who appeared in 17 games with Colorado.

Battaglia is expected to make his Mississippi debut at 7:05 p.m. tomorrow as the Sea Wolves host the Columbia Inferno at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.
 
Individual tickets for tomorrow�s game can be purchased at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum box office, all Ticketmaster locations, by calling (228) 385-2600 and online at ticketmaster.com.

Flex packs, discounted groups tickets, birthday packages and fundraiser opportunities are available by calling (228) 275-WOLF or online at msseawolves.com.