Banknorth Group to Present at Two Conferences

February 26, 2003 -- Banknorth Group, Inc. (NYSE: BNK) announced today that senior executives of the Company will present at two conferences in early March.

On Wednesday, March 5, William J. Ryan, Banknorth Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, will participate in a Northeast Regional Banking Panel at the Sandler O'Neill & Partners West Coast Financial Services Conference being held at the Four Seasons Resort, Aviara, North San Diego, California. The panel will be conducted from 7:10 a.m. to 8: 20 a.m., Pacific Time.

A webcast of the panel discussion is available at Banknorth's website - www.banknorth.com, Investor Relations. The webcast can also be accessed via: http://www.sandleroneill.com. The conference will also be available via audio conference at 800 239-8730. Callers will need to reference the "Sandler O'Neill Conference."

On Thursday, March 6, Peter J. Verrill, Banknorth Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, will present at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Eastern Regional Bank Symposium at Le Meridien Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts. Mr. Verrill's presentation will be from 8:15 a.m. to 8:45 a.m., Eastern Time.

A webcast of Mr. Verrill's presentation will be available at Banknorth's website - www.banknorth.com. The webcast is also available at www.kbw.com.

Banknorth Group, Inc., headquartered in Portland, Maine, is one of the country's 35 largest commercial banking and financial services companies with $26 billion in assets. The Company's banking subsidiary, Banknorth, N.A., has more than 350 branches and nearly 500 ATMs in six states, including Maine (Peoples Heritage Bank), New Hampshire (Bank of New Hampshire), Massachusetts (Banknorth Massachusetts), Connecticut (Banknorth Connecticut), Vermont (Banknorth Vermont), and upstate New York (Evergreen Bank). The company and its banking affiliates also operate subsidiaries in insurance (Banknorth Insurance Group), investments (Bancnorth Investment Planning Group, Inc.), a money management firm (Banknorth Investment Management Group, NA), and a leasing company (Banknorth Leasing). Other subsidiaries and divisions provide services in mortgage banking, asset-based lending, private banking, merchant services and other financial services. For more information about Banknorth, visit the company online at www.banknorth.com.
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