Breakaway Magazine - Volume 11 - Issue 1 by Chicago Wolves

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE CHICAGO WOLVES

VOL. 11 ISSUE 1

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APRIL JUNE

CALDER CUP PLAYOFFS

TELEVISION BROADCAST INFORMATION

HOME

AWAY

ALL TIMES ARE CENTRAL. DATES AND TIMES SUBJECT TO CHANGE. FOR BROADCASTS, CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS.

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THEAHL.COM/AHLTV

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

CRADLE TO THE CUP

THE CHICAGO WOLVES WERE BORN TO WIN

FOUR TIME LEAGUE CHAMPIONS 1-800-THE-WOLVES

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THEAHL.COM

AWARD-WINNING STAFF FRONT OFFICE Seth Gold Irwin Jann Mike Gordon Wayne Messmer Dana Wildman

Director Director President of Business Operations Senior Executive Vice President Executive Assistant

OPERATIONS & CREATIVE SERVICES

Courtney Mahoney Dan Harris Joe Muting Anthony Domalewski Kylie Thomas Imran Javed Troy Mueller Josh Villanueva Ross Dettman Cameron Most Jack Sullivan

Senior Vice President of Operations Creative Services Director Game Operations Assistant Community Relations Assistant Community Relations Assistant Digital Content Manager Senior Graphic Designer Graphic Designer Team Photographer Producer Production Assistant

COMMUNICATIONS Lindsey Willhite

BROADCAST Ron Storto Jason Shaver Bill Gardner

Director of Public Relations

Executive TV Producer Play-by-Play Announcer Color Analyst

PARTNERSHIPS & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Jon Sata Senior Vice President, Partnerships and Business Development Greg Sprott Director of Partnerships Timothy Weaver Sr. Manager of Partnerships and Media Sales Doug Ferguson Partnerships Sales Executive Katie Anstandig Client Services Manager, Partnerships Brett Bennick Client Services Coordinator Stefanie Evans Senior Director of Program Development Rob Newburg Youth Hockey Coordinator Leslie Metcalf B2B and Group Event Specialist Michelle Alcazar Group Account Executive John Brooks Group Account Executive Ann Pacione Group Account Executive Becky Pettersen Group Account Executive Katherine Damisch Marketing Coordinator

TICKET SALES & SERVICES

Kevin Dooley Sr. Executive Director of Ticket Sales Jackie Schroeder Senior Director of Ticket Retention and Services Eric Zavilla Executive Director of Ticket Sales Mike Jucaban E-Business Specialist Anthony Krzyzak Sales Development Manager Pawel Sienko Sales Development Manager Brian Cyganek Account Representative Trevor Deimel Account Representative Michael DiGioia Inside Sales Representative Evan Puppolo Inside Sales Representative Marko Stojic Inside Sales Representative Alysia Zaucha Inside Sales Representative Kendall Hutchinson Sales and Services Coordinator

HOCKEY OPERATIONS Norine Gillner Mike Nardella

Hockey Operations Assistant Hockey Operations

MEDICAL STAFF Scott Logue, MD A.J. Acierno, DDS Jessica Soros, DPT Jolie Holschen Caravello , MD

Team Physician/Orthopedics Team Dentist Physical Therapist Emergency Medicine/ Sports Medicine

GAMEDAY STAFF

Chris Dubiel Public Address Announcer Brittney Hillebrand In-Arena Host Alyssa Bergamini In-Arena Host Krystal Beauregard, Christine Bialobok, Lauren Burns, Kevin Casper, Willem Caster, Cassandra Cobb, Sydney Cosentino, Michael Demarin, Kelly DuShane, Rachel Dvorak, Rebecca Erken, Samantha Lilly, Chris Malabanan, Bridgette McGinley, Cynthia Moreno, Claire Moseley, Logan Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien, Angela Paczynski, Zachariah Paul, Caitlin Roak, Brittney Serviss, Matthew Sherman, Stefani Szenda, William Tarpey, Giuseppe Toia, Stephanie Urbancik, Delaney Werner, Anna Wisniewski, Jaimie Yagunich, Joseph Zalewski

BREAKAWAY MAGAZINE

Editorial Producer: Courtney Mahoney Publication Writers: Lindsey Willhite Publication Photographer: Ross Dettman Feature Designer: Morgan Prato, Christina Moritz Creative Support: Imran Javed, Troy Mueller

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FROM THE LEAGUE 2018 - 2019 SEASON

Dear Fans, It is my pleasure to once again welcome you to a new American Hockey League season, the latest chapter in a tradition of excellence that dates back to our founding in 1936.

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT —— DAVID A. ANDREWS PRESIDENT & CEO, AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE

The AHL remains proud of its role in developing the vast majority of players, coaches, executives, trainers, broadcasters and officials who you see throughout the National Hockey League. Since 1936, our great fans have been able to cheer for blossoming NHL stars, future Stanley Cup champions, and more than 100 eventual members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. We are coming off of a record-setting year on and off the ice, capped by the Toronto Marlies’ memorable run to the Calder Cup championship. And the 2018-19 season is sure to be another exciting one, as we drop the puck in an all-time high of 31 cities across North America. Welcome to our new fans in Colorado, and thank you to all of you for your continuing support of the AHL. Sincerely,

DAVID A. ANDREWS

TheAHL.com

PRESIDENT & CEO | AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE

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W O LV E S H I S T O R Y

HOW IT ALL BEGAN: From Creation to Champions in Four Years THE YEAR WAS 1994 – AND CHICAGO NEEDED A TEAM IT COULD ROOT FOR. Major league baseball’s owners and players engaged in a staring contest that resulted in the players calling a strike that killed the final two months of the regular season. MLB cancelled the World Series for the first time since 1904. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced Oct. 1 that the 1994-95 season wouldn’t start on time. NHL rinks stayed dark for more than three months. The Bears found themselves stuck in the early stages of a nine-year stretch with just one playoff berth. The Bulls found themselves trying to figure out life without Michael Jordan, who was pursuing a professional baseball career. During this period, a handful of new professional teams sprang up in Chicago -- including an International Hockey League franchise named the Wolves. Blessed with a strong ownership group in Don Levin and Buddy Meyers, a fervent desire to make hockey affordable for families (average ticket price: $11) and a killer marketing campaign (“These Guys Are Animals”), the Wolves made their strategic bid for a place on the Chicago sports landscape. How has that bid fared so far? Judging by the four league championships and the more than 8 million people who have clicked through the Allstate Arena turnstiles heading into the Wolves’ 25th anniversary season, things are pretty good. Here’s how the journey unfolded…as told primarily by Wolves players, coaches, owners and front office staff who lived it.

JULY 30, 1994:

OCT. 15, 1994:

OCT. 16, 1994:

JUNE 12, 1998:

JUNE 6, 2000:

University of Chicago sports economist Allen Sanderson commented in the Chicago Tribune on the Chicago Wolves, Chicago Rockers, Chicago Cheetahs and other professional sports newcomers:

Six months after being shot in the throat, Wayne Messmer sang the national anthem in front of a sellout crowd for the Wolves’ first home game. As he told the Chicago Sun-Times:

From long-time Daily Herald hockey writer Tim Sassone’s column following the Wolves’ home opener:

Detroit Vipers coach Steve Ludzik after the Wolves win Game 6 of the 1998 Turner Cup Final (the Wolves took Game 7, too, before a sellout crowd for the franchise’s first championship):

For the only time in their history, the Wolves wrapped up a championship on the road with a Turner Cup Game 6 win at Grand Rapids. Don Levin sounded relieved in the Chicago Tribune:

“(The Wolves) are just a team that’s tough to catch. It’s just pure skill. The (Edmonton) Oilers of the 80s is what you’re seeing out there.”

“I’d rather have done it at home in front of our fans, but I’m not unhappy. This is different than the first time. This has been a great season. I hate to see it end.”

“They start with hopes, go head to head with the establishment, fail or barely break even, and then they are gone. If you asked me to bet on these ventures, I wouldn’t because any success might just be a fad. It’s too risky.”

“It was an amazing feeling. If they had melted the ice, I feel I could have walked on the water.”

“There was a terrific electric atmosphere on Friday, helped by the fact every seat was filled. And the fans were there to have fun, evidenced by the slabs of sirloin tossed onto the ice. These guys are animals, remember? “The fact is they played hockey Friday at the (Rosemont) Horizon, and they’ll be doing it again tonight, Wednesday, and 38 more times after that. So go, watch, enjoy, howl and forget about salary caps, revenue sharing, small markets and free agency. Thank you, Wolves.”

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W O LV E S H I S T O R Y

JUNE 5, 2002:

APRIL 14, 2006:

APRIL 16, 2006:

MARCH 7, 2007:

After the Wolves captured the Calder Cup during the first year in the AHL, head coach John Anderson couldn’t help but crow to the Chicago Sun-Times:

Steve Maltais reflected on long-time Wolves head coach John Anderson in the Daily Herald:

When the Wolves retired Steve Maltais’ No. 11, owner Don Levin summed up in the SunTimes just how much Maltais meant to the organization:

Don Levin tells the Chicago Sun-Times why he backs the team’s Adopt-A-Dog program that, as of August 2018, has enabled nearly 1,500 shelter dogs to find forever homes:

“I had an NHL person tell me we couldn’t win with Steve Maltais and Rob Brown on the same time. Rob led the playoffs in scoring and Maltais scored three goals tonight, so what a crock. After things like that are said, all I can do is quote the famous Jackie Gleason: ‘How sweet it is!’”

“Johnny was great. I always put up big numbers, but Johnny, he taught me how to win. He involved everyone in the group. He developed an atmosphere where everybody was pulling for each other. Fortunately, we won and it kind of snowballed. There was a sixyear span where we won three championships, lost in the finals and another year where we were in the semifinals.”

“Every Chicago sport had a special guy. The Bulls had Michael Jordan, the Blackhawks had Bobby Hull, the Cubs had Ernie Banks and the White Sox had Minnie Minoso. Now, we have our guy, Steve Maltais.”

“I just think if you can save them, you should. You take so much, you just want to give some back. It’s not hard to figure out.”

APRIL 23, 2007:

MAY 25, 2007:

JUNE 11, 2008:

OCTOBER 18, 2008:

Hall of Fame broadcaster Pat Foley called his first championship with the Wolves as part of his twoyear run with the team. Here he discusses the high-scoring 2006-07 squad with the Daily Herald:

Head coach John Anderson describing Wolves general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, with whom he won four championships, in the Daily Herald:

After Jason Krog’s hat trick helped the Wolves capture Game 6 of the Calder Cup Final at Allstate Arena, which enabled the team to hoist its fourth cup in 11 seasons, John Anderson described the season for the Chicago Sun-Times:

On the morning of the 2008 home opener – the Wolves’ first game at Allstate Arena since capturing the 2008 Calder Cup -- GM Kevin Cheveldayoff told the Daily Herald why that night’s bannerraising would mean so much.

“Watching Darren Haydar, Jason Krog, Brett Sterling, Nathan Oystrick is a lot of fun. The first couple months I was shocked. Scoring 5 goals became routine for those guys.”

“He’s an A-type personality. He eats, sleeps and drinks hockey. If you ask him anything about baseball, football, he has no clue. He’s very, very intense and I’m very relaxed. It always works itself out if you win. We’re pretty honest with each other. We have arguments. We know one thing: deep down we want our team to win.”

“It was a winter that wouldn’t end and a bunch of winners who wouldn’t quit. This is a great hockey team.”

“There’s only one banner raised in the National Hockey League. There’s only one banner raised in the American Hockey League. To have that in your building, it’s a sense of pride, it’s a sense of accomplishment, it’s a sense of tradition, it’s a sense of sacrifice, it’s a sense of what it takes to reach that ultimate goal.”

BREAKAWAY MAGAZINE

DON LEVIN

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD / GOVERNOR Donald R. Levin (luh-VIN) founded DRL Enterprises, Inc., in 1969. The Glenview-based company has holdings in many industries including tobacco processing, aircraft and medical equipment leasing, licensed sports product manufacturing and distribution, and motion picture production and distribution. Levin’s film company has made nearly 20 motion pictures distributed in the U.S. and overseas. His films have featured such stars as Emilio Estevez, Charlie Sheen, Sharon Stone, Rodney Dangerfield, and Chuck Norris. Levin founded the Chicago Wolves with Buddy Meyers and Grant Mulvey in January 1994 and has served as the team’s chairman of the board since the franchise’s inception. Levin donates his time and energy extensively and serves on the board of directors for several charitable organizations. The Chicago native was recognized at the Boy Scouts of America’s Northwest Suburban Council’s Distinguished Citizens Banquet as its 2005 Honoree. Under Levin’s direction, the Wolves organization has held a scout night for the Northwest Suburban Council at a home game for the last 20 seasons. Levin was inducted into the Illinois Hockey Hall of Fame on Jan. 27, 2013. He was honored as the International Hockey League’s Executive of the Year for the 1999-2000 season, which concluded with the franchise’s second of four championships. Before beginning his business career, Levin served in the United States Marine Corps, from which he was honorably discharged.

BUDDY MEYERS VICE CHAIRMAN

Buddy Meyers, a principal owner of the Wolves who founded the franchise with Don Levin and Grant Mulvey in January 1994, has been involved in the world of hockey for more than 45 years. He is a former certified agent of the National Hockey League Players’ Association and is past attorney for the Soviet Red Army Hockey Team (CSKA). He is a practicing attorney and the principal in the law firm of William Buddy Meyers, Ltd. His concentration is in the areas of worker’s compensation and personal injury litigation. Additionally, he is a member of the Illinois Bar Association, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, and Illinois Workers Compensation Lawyers Association; a former director of the Better Boys Foundation and River North Association; and a recipient of the Shomrim Society of Illinois’ Man of the Year Award in 2006. He also supports numerous charitable and environmental organizations. Meyers, who was inducted into the Illinois Hockey Hall of Fame on Jan. 26, 2014, is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and holds a juris doctor degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology/Chicago Kent.

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BREAKAWAY MAGAZINE

WENDELL YOUNG GENERAL MANAGER

Wendell Young is in his 10th season as the Chicago Wolves general manager. Since being hired as GM in August 2009, the Wolves have compiled a .596 winning percentage during the regular season and captured five division titles: the 2010 West, 2012 Midwest, 2014 Midwest, 2017 Central and 2018 Central. He was named the 2018 Thomas Ebright Award recipient for his multiple achievements and contributions throughout his AHL tenure. Young has been a member of the Wolves organization in virtually every capacity — including player, coach, and executive — since the team’s inaugural campaign in 1994. He served as assistant coach and executive director of team relations for six seasons before transitioning into the general manager role. The 54-year-old stands as the Wolves’ all-time leader among goaltenders in games (322), wins (169), saves (8,467), minutes (17,912), and shutouts (16), and was a member of Chicago’s 1998 and 2000 Turner Cup championship squads. His jersey number “1” was retired on Dec. 1, 2001 — becoming the first Wolves player to receive the honor. The Halifax, Nova Scotia is the only man in hockey history to have won all four North American championships. He captured the 1991 and 1992 Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the 1988 Calder Cup with the Hershey Bears, the 1982 Memorial Cup with the Kitchener Rangers, and the 1998 and 2000 Turner Cups with the Wolves.

BILL BENTLEY

ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER Bill Bentley is in his 10th season as the Chicago Wolves assistant general manager and stands as one of a handful of people who has been a part of the organization since the team’s inception in 1994. Bentley has been instrumental in the hockey operations department for more than 15 years, which includes all four seasons that ended with a championship. The Chicago native joined the organization as a statistician in 1994 and was promoted to team services manager a year later. The 48-year-old spent 12 seasons as the director of hockey administration — handling team travel, immigration, and accounting for the hockey operations department — before assuming the assistant general manager role in August 2009. A graduate of Quincy College, Bentley served as the Director of Media Relations for the Chicago Cheetahs of the now-defunct Roller Hockey International during the 1993-94 season.

GENE UBRIACO

SENIOR ADVISOR/DIRECTOR OF HOCKEY OPERATIONS Gene Ubriaco, who has been with the Wolves since the franchise’s inception in 1994, is in his 22nd season as the team’s director of hockey operations and 10th as senior advisor. Ubriaco was hired in 1994 as the Wolves’ first head coach and guided the expansion team to a 34-33-14 record and a berth in the 1995 Turner Cup playoffs. “Ubie” began his coaching career at Lake Superior State University in 1972-73. Four years later, he led the Milwaukee Admirals to the Turner Cup playoffs to become the first International Hockey League coach to lead an expansion team into the postseason. In 1988-89, Ubriaco moved on to the National Hockey League to coach the Pittsburgh Penguins. Under his tutelage, the Penguins shattered several team records and advanced to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after a seven-year absence. Ubriaco gained international coaching experience by heading up the Italian Olympic Team during the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville, France. The Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, native also played professional hockey for 10 years, which included three seasons in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Oakland Seals and Chicago Blackhawks. He posted 39 goals and 35 assists in 177 NHL games.

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BREAKAWAY MAGAZINE

THE WOLVESâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 25TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON STARTS WITH A BLAST

REPLICA MASK FOR WENDELL YOUNG, FIRST GOALIE TO WIN A WOLVES GAME AND 1998 AND 2000 TURNER CUP CHAMPION

(FRO NT LE F T)

JORDAN BINNINGTON 2014-17 GOALTENDER

CHICAGO THEATR

2 5T H A N N I V E R SA RY K I C K- O F F The Chicago Wolves kicked off the celebration of the franchise’s 25th anniversary season on Monday, Aug. 13, with a day-long party on The Magnificent Mile. Technically, the excitement began the night before when the Wolves unveiled Chicago’s latest public art attraction. Under the cover of darkness, 14 oversized Wolves goaltender masks were installed all over Michigan Avenue. Each mask replicated a design from Wolves goalies past and present such as Wendell Young, Kari Lehtonen, Ondrej Pavelec, Max Lagace and Oscar Dansk. The next morning on Pioneer Court adjacent to the Tribune Tower, Wolves owner Don Levin held a news conference attended by more than 20 Wolves alumni from all over the country. Levin introduced the #LastTeamStanding concept that sums up the team’s desire to win the league championship every year.

“WE’VE STAYED TRUE TO THE IDEALS WE WERE FOUNDED ON. WE WANTED TO BE A TEAM LIKE OUR CITY, A TEAM LIKE CHICAGO: TOUGH, HARD-WORKING, COMMUNITY-ORIENTED.”

PH OTOS BY DALE WO LTMAN

“From Day 1, we’ve been a team with on the biggest ambitions – for ourselves and for Chicagoland,” Levin told the crowd. “Some of you might remember the night of our first home game, October 14, 1994, when more than 16,000 people squeezed into the Rosemont Horizon to find out what the Chicago Wolves were all about. That night set the tone for the attitude we carry with us to this very day. “We’ve delivered four league championships, 19 playoff appearances, more than 1,000 wins and too many fireworks explosions and pyro blasts to count. We’ve stayed true to the ideals we were founded on. We wanted to be a team like our city, a team like Chicago: Tough, hard-working, community-oriented. “The support we had that very first night is the kind of support that is the lifeblood of this team. Giving our fans the best hockey, giving them a great experience, giving them wins – that’s why we’re still in the game all these years later. We’re here to win it for our fans.” After the news conference, all of the former Wolves greats stayed at Pioneer Court to reconnect with fans and each other. Then came a special dinner held at the Chicago Sports Museum in Water Tower Place. Following the dinner, everyone boarded trolleys to return to Pioneer Court for a sneak preview of the Wolves’ new pregame show concocted by Strictly FX – the world-renowned special effects company whose creation can be traced to the Wolves’ early days.

CHICAGO WOLVES OWNER DON LEVIN

REPLICA MASK FOR ONDREJ PAVELEC, 2008 CALDER CUP CHAMPION

Strictly FX’s pyro and laser show provided the perfect capper to a marvelous day. Tour buses and other Michigan Avenue traffic came to a halt to witness the comets soaring 25 stories high and the lasers reflecting off the Wrigley Building across the avenue.

OUR business is YOUR future!

TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM, CALL 1-800-THE-WOLVES OR VISIT CHICAGOWOLVES.COM

M E E T T H E W O LV E S

FORWARDS DANIEL CARR

REID DUKE

ALEX GALLANT

TOMAS HYKA

KEEGAN KOLESAR

H: 6-0 W: 194 November 1, 1991 Sherwood Park, AB 2017-18 Montreal (NHL) Laval (AHL)

H: 6-0 W: 192 Jan. 26, 1996 Calgary, Alberta 2017-18 Chicago (AHL)

H: 6-0 W: 185 Dec. 8, 1992 Summerside, PEI 2017-18: Syracuse (AHL)

H: 5-11 W: 160 March 23, 1993 Mlada Boleslav, Czech Republic 2017-18 Vegas (NHL) Chicago (AHL)

H: 6-2 W: 227 April 8, 1997 Winnipeg, Manitoba 2017-18 Chicago (AHL) Quad City (ECHL)

BRANDON PIRRI

STEFAN MATTEAU

FORWARD

Pirri has been instant offense wherever he has played â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and that was certainly the case during his first season with the Wolves. Pirri shared the team lead with 29 goals and handed out 23 assists in 57 games for the Wolves. He also appeared in two games for the Vegas Golden Knights and produced 3 goals. The 27-year-old Chicago resident entered this year with 97 goals and 155 assists in 295 AHL games.

Born in Chicago while his father, Stephane, was playing for the Blackhawks, Matteau made the most of his first season playing in Chicago last year. The physical 24-year-old produced 15 goals and 12 assists in 60 games for the Wolves, which included his first career hat trick on Feb. 2 vs. Milwaukee. Matteau also appeared in eight games for the Vegas Golden Knights.

BROOKS MACEK

CURTIS MCKENZIE

STEFAN MATTEAU

BRANDON PIRRI

GAGE QUINNEY

H: 5-11 W: 181 May 15, 1992 Winnipeg, Manitoba 2017-18 EHC Munchen (DEL)

H: 6-2 W: 205 Feb. 22, 1991 Golden, BC 2017-18 Dallas (NHL) Texas (AHL)

H: 6-2 W: 220 Feb. 23, 1994 Chicago, Illinois 2017-18 Vegas (NHL) Chicago (AHL)

H: 6-1 W: 186 April 10, 1991 Toronto, Ontario 2017-18 Vegas (NHL) Chicago (AHL)

H: 5-11 W: 201 July 29, 1995 Las Vegas, Neveda 2017-18 Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton (AHL)

T.J. TYNAN

RYAN WAGNER

MATTHEW WEIS

TYLER WONG

H: 5-8 W: 165 Feb. 25, 1992 Orland Park, Illinois 2017-18 Chicago (AHL)

H: 5-8 W: 185 April 15, 1996 Park Ridge, Illinois 2017-18 Chicago (AHL) Wisconsin (NCAA)

H: 5-10 W: 178 May 23, 1995 Madison, New Jersey 2017-18 Ohio State (NCAA)

H: 5-9 W: 174 Feb. 28, 1996 Cochrane, Alta. 2017-18 Chicago (AHL) Quad City (ECHL)

DEFENSEMEN JAKE BISCHOFF

ERIK BRANNSTROM

DYLAN COGHLAN

NICOLAS HAGUE

ZAC LESLIE

H: 6-1 W: 194 July 25, 1994 Grand Rapids, Minn. 2017-18 Chicago (AHL)

H: 5-10 W: 173 Sept. 2, 1999 Eksjo, Sweden 2017-18 HV71 J20 (SuperElit), HV71 (SHL)

H: 6-2 W: 188 Feb. 19, 1998 Duncan, BC 2017-18 Tri-City (WHL)

H: 6-6 W: 215 Dec. 5, 1998 Kitchener, Ontario 2017-18 Chicago (AHL) Mississauga (CHL)

H: 6-0 W: 174 Jan. 31, 1994 Ottawa, Ontario 2017-18 Chicago (AHL) Ontario (AHL)

THE

BREAKAWAY MAGAZINE

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M E E T T H E W O LV E S

DEFENSEMEN KEVIN LOUGH

JIMMY OLIGNY

GRIFFIN REINHART

ZACH WHITECLOUD

H: 5-11 W: 185 March 4, 1992 Kanata, Ontario 2017-18 Chicago (AHL) Adirondack (ECHL)

H: 5-10 W: 196 April 30, 1993 Saint-Michel, BC 2017-18 Milwaukee (AHL)

H: 6-4 W: 212 Jan. 24, 1994 North Vancouver, BC 2017-18 Chicago (AHL)

H: 6-2 W: 209 Nov. 28, 1996 Brandon, Manitoba 2017-18 Vegas (NHL) Bemidji State (NCAA)

TOMAS HYKA

JAKE BISCHOFF

FORWARD

DEFENSEMAN

The third player to sign in 2017 with the fledgling Vegas Golden Knights, Hyka’s first professional season in North America was a huge success. The 25-year-old Czech Republic native flashed world-class speed as he stacked up 15 goals

Bischoff’s first full season as a professional was solid from start to finish. The Wolves coaching staff learned early that they could rely on the 24-year-old Minnesota native to play at a high level every night. Bischoff contributed 7 goals and 16 assists in 69 games and he led the Wolves with a +23 plus/ minus rating.

and 33 assists in 50 games for the Wolves. He also made his NHL debut with Vegas and contributed 1 goal and 2 assists in 10 appearances.

GOALTENDERS OSCAR DANSK

ZACH FUCALE

MAX LAGACE

H: 6-3 W: 195 Feb. 28, 1994 Stockholm, Sweden 2017-18 Vegas (NHL) Chicago (AHL)

H: 6-2 W: 185 May 28, 1995 Rosemère, Quebec 2017-18 Laval (AHL) Brampton (ECHL)

H: 6-2 W: 190 Jan. 12, 1993 Longueuil, Quebec 2017-18 Vegas (NHL) Chicago (AHL)

HOCKEY OPERATIONS

KEVIN KACER

RYAN SHOUFER

ERIC RIVARD

STAN DUBICKI

JEFF CONKLE

HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER

EQUIPMENT MANAGER

ASSISTANT EQUIPMENT MANAGER

GOALTENDING COACH

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH

BREAKAWAY MAGAZINE

THE CHICAGO WOLVES WERE BORN TO WIN

BY LINDSEY WILLHITE | PHOTOS BY ROSS DETTMAN

1 9 9 4 - 9 8 W O LV E S H I S T O R Y

BEHIND THE BENCH

GENE UBRIACO “WHAT HAPPENS IF THE WOLVES PUT A GOOD, EXCITING TEAM TOGETHER…” On Jan. 28, 1994, Don Levin, Buddy Meyers and Grant Mulvey held a news conference in Rosemont to introduce the International Hockey League’s newest franchise: the Chicago Wolves. Positioned as high-quality hockey at an affordable price for families, the Wolves’ arrival struck a chord with local media who wondered how this alternative to the Chicago Blackhawks might fare. “If someone wants to see a puck dropped in Chicago, he or she won’t have to float a loan anymore,” wrote veteran Daily Southtown hockey reporter Tim Cronin. “The new minor-league team scheduled to begin play next fall at the Horizon will be competition for (the) Hawks, whether the club wants to recognize it or not,” wrote long-time Daily Herald hockey reporter Tim Sassone. “What happens if the Wolves put a good, exciting team together and market the heck out of it while the Hawks plod along playing the same kind of boring hockey they’ve played this year?” Sassone (and everyone else) didn’t have to wait long for an answer. On Oct. 14, 1994, with the Blackhawks and the rest of the NHL locked out by

ownership, the Wolves hosted their first game. These guys were popular animals. More than 16,000 fans jammed the Rosemont Horizon to rejoice in Wayne Messmer singing the national anthem for the first time since being shot in the throat six months earlier, Wendell Young stalking the crease as the team’s goaltender and the Wolves capturing a 4-2 victory. It was a fabulous feast from start to finish – and not just because fans threw raw meat on the ice when Todd Harkins scored the Wolves’ first goal just 74 seconds into the game. As the Chicago Tribune’s Robert Markus wrote: “It was one part hockey, nine parts magic.” The magic returned night after night at the Horizon. Head coach Gene Ubriaco – hired in part because he had started six franchises prior to the Wolves – built a team long on toughness and sprinkled with big names that drew huge crowds most nights. Former Blackhawk Al Secord, who stepped out of retirement at age 36 to join the Wolves, received the loudest ovation on Opening Night and delivered 13 goals and 20 assists in 1994-95. Forward Tim Breslin, an Addison native, and Melrose Park defenseman Bob Nardella represented the Wolves’ commitment to having local products on the Wolves.

Defenseman Gordie Roberts utilized his 1,097 games of NHL experience to serve as a player/assistant coach. Young split time in goal with 1992 United States Olympian Ray LeBlanc. Then there was Steve Maltais, the 25-year-old left wing from Quebec who had scored 9 goals in 94 NHL games spread over several seasons. He was eager to find a place that he could call home and make his mark. “When I started here, he was one of the top guys on my list,” Ubriaco said. “He was going to be our designated scorer, our star. He fulfilled that.” Oh, did he fulfill that. Maltais scored 2 goals in the Wolves’ inaugural game. He led the IHL with 57 goals in the Wolves’ inaugural season. It seemed like every night on the TV news, there was a highlight of Maltais blasting a slap shot past a hapless goalie. When he retired after 11 seasons with the Wolves – fitting for the man who saw his No. 11 jersey raised to the rafters – Maltais owned three championship rings along with a ton of Wolves records that still stand including 454 goals, 497 assists and 67 game-winning goals. Despite being a first-year team, Maltais and Co. earned a winning record and a spot in the Turner Cup Playoffs – setting the baseline for future Wolves teams.

BREAKAWAY MAGAZINE

NOTHING SCORES LIKE THE ‘BMW’ LINE When the Wolves braintrust assessed the team’s needs for the 1995-96 season, they decided the offense needed a boost – and Ubriaco knew just whom to call. In 1988-89, Ubriaco served as the Pittsburgh Penguins coach when he paired young Rob Brown with the legendary Mario Lemieux. Brown stacked up 49 goals and played in the NHL All-Star Game. Seven years later, the Wolves signed Brown and Ubriaco put him on a line with Maltais and center Brian Wiseman to form the BMW Line – and they became the scourge of the IHL. On March 24, 1996, for example, the Wolves piled up 8 power-play goals on the way to a 10-3 victory over the Kansas City Blades. Brown handed out 6 assists and scored 8 points to set single-game franchise records that still stand, Dan Currie became the first player in Wolves history to score 4 goals in a game and Maltais added 2 goals to reach the 50-goal mark for the second year in a row.

L E A D E R O F T H E PAC K

JOHN ANDERSON

At season’s end, Brown led the league in assists (91) and points (143). Maltais ranked third in goals (56) and points (122) while Wiseman contributed 88 points before suffering a broken leg . The Wolves rode that firepower to their first playoff series victory – taking a best-of-five series against the San Francisco Spiders.

ADDING ANOTHER STAR TO THE CONSTELLATION Before the 1996-97 season, the Chicago Wolves lost two important forwards. Brian Wiseman joined the Toronto Maple Leafs organization while Al Secord decided to retire and resume his career as an airline pilot (Years later, Secord told the Chicago Tribune that his two seasons with the Wolves were “the most enjoyable experience I had in hockey.”). To fill their void, Wolves general manager and head coach Grant Mulvey lured former Blackhawks teammate Troy Murray into the fold. The 34-year-old center with 12 years of NHL experience helped to solidify the middle of the ice. “They have the scoring they feel is necessary to take them to the top of the league,” Murray told the Daily Herald when he signed. “I’m supposed to bring some leadership and some experience and help the younger players. It’s a role that I look forward to.” While the Wolves continued to fill nets with pucks – Maltais led the IHL with a career-high 60 goals while Brown won the IHL crowns with 80 assists and 117 points – the team didn’t fill the win column and bowed out of the playoffs in the first round. More important, the Wolves had the chance to hire a head coach and a general manager after Mulvey was removed from those posts in early March. Don Levin, Buddy Meyers and Gene Ubriaco wanted to find winners to fill those jobs – and did they ever find them.

GOAL SCORER

STEVE MALTAIS

On Sept. 4, 1997, they introduced 27-year-old Kevin Cheveldayoff as the general manager and 40-year-old John Anderson as the head coach. Cheveldayoff had led the Utah Grizzlies to the 1996 Turner Cup while Anderson had just directed the Quad City Mallards to the 1997 Colonial Hockey League championship. Over the course of the next 11 years, they’d team up to bring four championships to Chicago. They needed less than 10 months to deliver their first.

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BREAKAWAY MAGAZINE

WE ARE THE

CHAMPIONS “IT WAS LIKE GOING BACK TO THE OLD CHICAGO STADIUM” With less than a month between his hire and the start of the 1997-98 season, Cheveldayoff wasted no time revamping the Wolves roster. While Maltais (46 goals) remained the team’s offensive leader, Cheveldayoff added forwards Scott Pearson (34 goals), Chris Marinucci (27 goals), Ravil Gusmanov (27 goals), Alexander Semak (26 goals) and Steve Martins (20 goals) around him as the Wolves led the IHL in scoring with 3.67 goals per game. Wendell Young (31 wins) served as the iron man in goal for most of the season, but Cheveldayoff made his life easier by welcoming back defenseman Bob Nardella and adding NHL vets Tom Tilley, Marc Potvin and Kevin Dahl to the blue line. The Wolves stormed out of the gate and led the Western Conference virtually from start to finish. From Nov. 15, 1997 to Jan. 3, 1998, Young won 16 straight starts as Chicago established itself as a legitimate threat to bring home the city’s first hockey title since 1961. As the Turner Cup Playoff unfolded, Anderson alternated Young and Stephane Beauregard in goal. The Wolves swept Manitoba, powered past Milwaukee in six games and launched top-seeded Long Beach in the Western Conference Final to earn their first trip to the Turner Cup Final – but Young suffered a shoulder injury in

Game 1 against the Detroit Vipers that kept him from playing the rest of the year. Beauregard had to step up for what developed into an all-time-great sevengame series. The Wolves won two of the first three, but the Vipers defended their home ice in Games 4 and 5 to force the Wolves to return to Rosemont with their backs against the wall. The Wolves took Game 6 by a 3-1 score to force the climactic Game 7. The teams had two days off to let the suspense build. Vipers coach Steve Ludzik tried to paint his team as the underdog. “The (Wolves) are just a team that’s tough to catch. It’s just pure skill. The (Edmonton) Oilers of the 80s is what you’re seeing out there.,” Ludzik said. “We’ve really got to come out with a great performance on Monday. All you can do is make sure your defensive coverage is letter-perfect. We’re just trying to get one for the working man.” With 16,701 people pouring into the Rosemont Horizon, the Vipers tried to get one for the fighting man, too. After most of the players left the ice following pregame warmups, a fight broke out involving Detroit tough guy Andy Bezeau and Beauregard – something to do with firing a puck into a net. Young, who was dressed for the game even though he was too injured to play, skated over to defend Beauregard and slammed into Bezeau. Players from both teams began racing back to the ice – many in various stages of undress – to be a part of the brawl.

The game’s start was delayed for 30 minutes as security gradually restored order. The lengthy wait only made the crowd louder and more insistent that the Wolves needed to pull off the win. After two scoreless periods, the Wolves finally broke through at 5:04 of the third period as Nardella chased a puck into the corner and centered it to Marinucci for a perfectly placed one-timer. Just 24 seconds later, playoff MVP Semak made it 2-0 and the Wolves added an emptynetter late as Beauregard posted 29 saves for the shutout and the franchise’s first Cup. “It was like going back to the old Chicago Stadium,” Wolves coach John Anderson said after the game. “Now I remember why, as a (Toronto) Maple Leaf, it was so hard to win in that building. It meant a lot. (The fans) are part of this victory, too.” Several months afterward, Levin still was trying to comprehend the magnitude of the achievement. “It’s still difficult to talk about, even now,” Levin told the Chicago Tribune. “It’s 0-0 to start the third period, and I’m chewing through my nails. It was so, so tense. Three we scored three goals in the third period and it was over. I was floored…very emotional. I was in a state of shock. Still am.” It was a feeling he’d come to relish – and it wouldn’t take too long before he and the Wolves would celebrate again. ✶

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BREAKAWAY MAGAZINE

NETFLIX SERIES BINGED CUPS OF COFFEE PAIRS OF SHOES (AND SHOE SIZE) CITIES LIVED IN

NON-HOCKEY JOBS

SUITS OWNED

SIBLINGS SURGERIES

HOCKEY STICKS PER SEASON

YEAR PRO

PASSPORT STAMPS

HOURS OF SLEEP ON AN OFF DAY

PIZZA TOPPINGS

MINUTES TO GET READY

SPOKEN LANGUAGE

TIMES SHAVED PER WEEK

BEST GOLF SCORE

JAKE

BISCHOFF

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COACHES CORNER

ROCKY THOMPSON HEAD COACH

Rocky Thompson led the Chicago Wolves to the 2018 Central Division title in his first season with the organization. The 2017-18 campaign marked Thompson’s 11th season as a coach, which included two seasons as the head coach for the Ontario Hockey League’s Windsor Spitfires. His tenure with the Spitfires culminated with a Memorial Cup on May 28, 2017, and he was hired as the Wolves head coach on June 7, 2017. The 41-year-old spent eight years as a coach in the Edmonton organization prior to joining Windsor, which was capped by a stint as an Edmonton Oilers assistant in 2014-15 alongside former Wolves Dallas Eakins and Todd Nelson. Prior to coaching, Thompson played professional hockey – split between the NHL and AHL – for parts of 11 seasons from 1995 to 2007. Selected in the third round of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft by the Calgary Flames, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound right wing made his NHL debut on Jan. 28, 1998, and went on to appear in 25 games between the Flames and the Florida Panthers and racked up 117 penalty minutes. In AHL competition, Thompson appeared in 566 regular-season games and compiled 69 points (17G, 52A). His 1,919 penalty minutes rank 10th on the AHL’s all-time penalty-minute list.

CHRIS DENNIS T:11”

B:11.25”

S:10.5”

ASSISTANT COACH

In his first year as a Chicago Wolves assistant coach, Chris Dennis – who focuses on the team’s blue liners – helped to guide the Wolves to the 2018 Central Division title. The 38-year-old spent the previous two seasons as the head coach for York University in Toronto, where he took over a last-place program and transformed it into the champions of the 20-team Ontario University Athletics conference. The Lions captured the 2017 Queen’s Cup with a dramatic 4-3 victory on March 11. Prior to taking the job at York, Dennis spent 10 years in the Maple Leafs organization in a variety of roles spanning the head-coaching tenures of Hall of Famer Pat Quinn, Paul Maurice, Ron Wilson and Randy Carlyle. Dennis served as a Maple Leafs assistant coach from 2013-15 and worked as an assistant for the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies when they reached the Calder Cup Finals in 2012.

BOB NARDELLA ASSISTANT COACH

One of the most accomplished players in Chicago Wolves history, Bob Nardella was promoted to assistant coach on July 12, 2017, after serving for two seasons as skills development coach and three seasons as a part-time assistant for the franchise. During his first year as a full-time assistant, Nardella helped lead the Wolves to the 2018 Central Division crown. Nardella ranks second on the team’s all-time regular-season list for games (476), fifth in assists (239) and sixth in points (298) after spending six full and three partial seasons with the Wolves. He was a key player when Chicago captured the 1998 and 2000 Turner Cups as well as the 2002 Calder Cup. The 50-year-old Melrose Park native made his Wolves debut during the team’s inaugural season in 1994-95. After spending one season in Italy and another in Germany – punctuated by his first of two appearances in the Winter Olympics with Italy’s national team – Nardella returned to the Wolves from 1997 to 2002.

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2018-19 AHL TEAM LANDSCAPE AROUND THE LEAGUE

THE AHL EXPANDS TO 31 TEAMS One year after the NHL expanded and the newborn Vegas Golden Knights capitalized by storming all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, the AHL has matched the move and added a 31st team. The Colorado Eagles, winners of the ECHL’s last two Kelly Cups, have joined the league and taken up residence in the Western Conference’s Pacific Division. To balance out Colorado’s arrival, theSan Antonio Rampage and Texas Stars have shifted from the Pacific Division to the Central Division. That means it will be that much tougher for the Chicago Wolves to capture the Central Division title for the third year in a row (the Wolves were the only AHL team to defend their division title last season). With the Rampage and Stars moving to the Central, the Cleveland Monsters are leaving the Western Conference and going from the Central Division to the Eastern Conference’s North Division. The Wolves and Monsters will maintain their rivalry, which means the Wolves have their first chance since the 2008-09 season to face an Eastern Conference opponent. While a handful of teams have changed divisions, the path to the Calder Cup championship remains the same. In each of the four divisions, the top four teams (as ranked by points percentage) will qualify for the 2019 postseason.

WESTERN CONFERENCE CENTRAL DIVISION CHICAGO WOLVES VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS

GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS DETROIT RED WINGS

IOWA WILD

Bakersfield Condors • Belleville Senators • Binghamton Devils • Bridgeport Sound Tigers • Charlotte Checkers EASTERN CONFERENCE Chicago Wolves • Cleveland Monsters • Colorado Eagles • Grand Rapids Griffins • Hartford Wolf Pack PACIFIC DIVISION NORTH Moose DIVISION Hershey Bears • Iowa Wild • ATLANTIC Laval RocketDIVISION • Lehigh Valley Phantoms • Manitoba • Milwaukee Admirals Bruins SOUND • Rochester IceHogs • San Antonio Rampage BAKERSFIELD CONDORSOntario Reign • Providence BRIDGEPORT TIGERSAmericans • Rockford BELLEVILLE SENATORS EDMONTON OILERS NEW YORK ISLANDERS OTTAWA SENATORS Jose Barracuda • Springfield ThunderbirdsBINGHAMTON • Stockton Heat • Syracuse Crunch COLORADO EAGLES San Diego Gulls • SanCHARLOTTE CHECKERS DEVILS COLORADO AVALANCHE NEW JERSEY DEVILS Texas Stars • TorontoCAROLINA Marlies • HURRICANES Tucson Roadrunners • Utica Comets • Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

ONTARIO REIGN

HARTFORD WOLF PACK

CLEVELAND MONSTERS

MINNESOTA WILD

LOS ANGELES KINGS

NEW YORK RANGERS

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

MANITOBA MOOSE

SAN DIEGO GULLS

HERSHEY BEARS

LAVAL ROCKET

WINNIPEG JETS

ANAHEIM DUCKS

WASHINGTON CAPITALS

MONTREAL CANADIENS

MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS

SAN JOSE BARRACUDA

LEHIGH VALLEY PHANTOMS

ROCHESTER AMERICANS

NASHVILLE PREDATORS

SAN JOSE SHARKS

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

BUFFALO SABRES

ROCKFORD ICEHOGS

STOCKTON HEAT

PROVIDENCE BRUINS

SYRACUSE CRUNCH

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

CALGARY FLAMES

BOSTON BRUINS

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE

TUCSON ROADRUNNERS

SPRINGFIELD THUNDERBIRDS

TORONTO MARLIES

ST. LOUIS BLUES

ARIZONA COYOTES

FLORIDA PANTHERS

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

TEXAS STARS

WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PENGUINS

UTICA COMETS

DALLAS STARS

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

VANCOUVER CANUCKS

BREAKAWAY MAGAZINE

THE RINK

HOCKEY LINGO

ASSIST

BAR DOWN

Credited to a player who helps set up a goal. The last two offensive-team players to touch the puck prior to the goal scorer are awarded assists.

When the puck hits the bottom of the crossbar and falls down into the net.

COAST-TO-COAST

FLEX

When a player skates from one end of the ice to the other while evading all the opposing skaters.

BREAKAWAY

BOTTLE-ROCKET SHOT

A clear scoring When a shot (or goal) hits opportunity where no the goaltender’s water defensive player is bottle and breaks it. between the puck carrier and the goaltender.

GORDIE HOWE HAT TRICK

IRON

Measure of stiffness When a player scores a The red pipes that when force is applied to goal, registers an assist highlight the goalmouth. a hockey stick. Flex and logs a fighting major in If a puck deflects off one rating indicates pounds the same game. It honors or more of these pipes of force necessary to NHL legend Gordie Howe, it is said a player “hit bend a stick one inch. who was revered for his the iron.” A higher flex rating brawn and skill as he often means a stiffer stick. completed this trifect.

BUCKET

CELLY

Another term for helmet.

Refers to the expression of joy after a player scores a goal; a celly comes in many forms and the amount of exuberance is usually correlated to the importance of the goal.

OFFSIDE

SAUCER PASSING

When a player crosses the offensive-zone blue line before the puck.

An elevated pass; typically used to evade an opposing player’s stick blocking the on-ice pass lane.

TITLE OF SECTION

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BREAKAWAY MAGAZINE

We Celebrate

Local Personalities We’re putting the focus on the ones who make our stores run smoothly—our valued employees. From friendly cashiers and crafty floral experts to experienced managers and savvy stockers, we salute over 31,000 Jewel-Osco associates. All of these local personalities add a special flair to our stores while working hard to make sure you have the best shopping experience possible. Here’s to our superstars!

Denise S.

Jesus C.

Floral Manager

Cake Decorator Be Social.

ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORDS & AWARDS

FRANCHISE RECORD BOOK

ALL-TIME POINTS LEADERS

GOALS LEADERS

1. STEVE MALTAIS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 951 2. ROB BROWN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 483 3. DARREN HAYDAR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368 4. BRETT STERLING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362 5. JASON KROG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342 6. BOB NARDELLA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298 7. STEVE LAROUCHE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 8. CHRIS MARINUCCI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220 9. STEVE MARTINS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 10. DEREK MACKENZIE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184

1. STEVE MALTAIS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454 2. BRETT STERLING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 3. ROB BROWN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 4. DARREN HAYDAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 5. CHRIS MARINUCCI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 6. JASON KROG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 7. STEVE LAROUCHE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 8. J.P. VIGIER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 DEREK MACKENZIE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 10. SCOTT PEARSON. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

ALL-TIME WINS LEADERS

GOALS-AGAINST AVERAGE LEADERS

(GOALTENDERS)

(MINIMUM 25 APPEARANCES)

1. WENDELL YOUNG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169 2. MATT CLIMIE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 3. KARI LEHTONEN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 4. JORDAN BINNINGTON . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 5. MICHAEL GARNETT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 6. RAY LEBLANC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 7. ONDREJ PAVELEC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 8. NORM MARACLE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 9. PETER MANNINO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 10. JAKE ALLEN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

1. RICHARD SHULMISTRA. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.89 2. J AKE ALLEN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.03 3. K ARI LEHTONEN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.33 4. ANDREI TREFILOV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.36 5. K ASIMIR KASKISUO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.38 6. EDDIE LACK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.46 7. J ORDAN BINNINGTON. . . . . . . . . . . . 2.62 8. DREW MacINTYRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.66 9. R OBERT GHERSON. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.67 10. FRED BRATHWAITE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.68

ALL-TIME GAMES LEADERS

LEO LAMOUREUX MEMORIAL TROPHY

1. STEVE MALTAIS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 839 2. BOB NARDELLA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 476 3. DEREK MACKENZIE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377 4. KEVIN DOELL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375 5. ROB BROWN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369 BRIAN SIPOTZ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369 7. BRETT STERLING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363 8. TIM BERGLAND. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361 9. DARREN HAYDAR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342 10. TIM BRESLIN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330

LES CUNNINGHAM AWARD (AHL REGULAR-SEASON MVP)

DARREN HAYDAR . . . . . . . . . . . . (2006-07) JASON KROG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2007-08) KENNY AGOSTINO . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2016-17)

WILLIE MARSHALL AWARD (AHL’S LEADING GOAL-SCORER)

BRETT STERLING . . . . . . . . . . . . (2006-07) JASON KROG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2007-08) WADE MEGAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2016-17)

YANICK DUPRE MEMORIAL AWARD (AHL MAN OF THE YEAR)

KURTIS FOSTER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2003-04) SCOOTER VAUGHAN . . . . . . . . . . . (2017-18)

(IHL REGULAR-SEASON SCORING CHAMPION)

ROB BROWN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1995-96) ROB BROWN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1996-97) STEVE MALTAIS. . . . . . . . . . . . (1999-2000) STEVE LAROUCHE . . . (2000-01) (Shared)

JOHN B. SOLLENBERGER TROPHY (AHL’S LEADING REGULAR-SEASON SCORER)

STEVE MALTAIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2002-03) DARREN HAYDAR . . . . . . . . . . . . (2006-07) JASON KROG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2007-08) KENNY AGOSTINO . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2016-17)

IHL MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD (OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE)

TIM BRESLIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1996-97) CHRIS MARINUCCI . . . . . . . . . . . . (1998-99) WENDELL YOUNG . . . . . . . . . . . . (2000-01)

THOMAS EBRIGHT AWARD (CAREER CONTRIBUTIONS TO AHL)

WENDELL YOUNG (2017-18)

THE WOLVES WERE THE ONLY AHL TEAM TO WIN A DIVISION TITLE IN 2016-17 AND THEN REPEAT THE FEAT IN 2017-18.

SCOOTER VAUGHAN BECAME THE SECOND WOLVES PLAYER TO EARN THE YANICK DUPRE MEMORIAL AWARD AS AHL MAN OF THE YEAR FOR HIS SERVICE TO THE CHICAGO COMMUNITY.

THE WOLVES SHATTERED THE FRANCHISE RECORD BY WINNING 13 CONSECUTIVE HOME GAMES FROM DEC. 6, 2017, TO FEB. 17, 2018.

CHICAGO TIED THE TEAM RECORD FOR SINGLE-SEASON POINT STREAK BY FORGING A 12-0-1-1 RECORD FROM DEC. 9, 2017, TO JAN. 6, 2018.

THE WOLVES PLAYED THE LONGEST GAME IN TEAM HISTORY WHEN THEY WENT NEARLY THREE FULL OVERTIMES IN GAME 3 OF THE WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINAL AGAINST THE ROCKFORD ICEHOGS. MAX LAGACE PLAYED EVERY SECOND IN GOAL FOR THE WOLVES AND DELIVERED A TEAM-RECORD 72 SAVES – BREAKING THE PREVIOUS MARK BY 15.

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GAME TIME

WHAT'S THE DIFF? WHAT S THE DIFF Find the 10 differences in the two photos below.

WHAT'S THE DIFF? MEET AND GREET Circle the team the Chicago Wolves will meet for the first time this season.

BREAKAWAY MAGAZINE

WORD SEARCH Search for the notable names from the first 25 seasons below by looking in the grid forward, backward, up, down, and diagonally!

BERGLAND BROWN CHEVELDAYOFF EXELBY HAYDAR KROG

LAGACE LAROSE LEBLANC LEVIN MALTAIS MARTINS

NARDELLA NOONAN PIRRI PLANTE STAPLETON STERLING

TILLEY VAUGHAN VIAL YOUNG

P L AY E R â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S A U T O G R A P H