Breakaway Magazine - Volume 12 - Issue 5

Page 1

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE CHICAGO WOLVES

VOL. 12 ISSUE 5

WILL TEA M PICTURE DAY STA ND AS THE LAST TIME T H E 2 019 - 2 0 W O LV E S “ PA C K ” T O G E T H E R ?


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18

The Puck stopped here WILL TEAM PICTURE DAY STAND AS THE LAST TIME THE 2019-20 WOLVES “PACK” TOGETHER?

FRONT OFFICE & HOCKEY OPERATIONS

PARTNERSHIPS & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Seth Gold Wayne Messmer Norine Gillner

Jon Sata Greg Sprott Timothy Weaver Chris Friederich Brett Bennick Hailey Kaufman Stefanie Evans Leslie Metcalf Ann Pacione Becky Pettersen Christopher Salazar Mark Turelli Katherine Damisch

Director Senior Executive Vice President Hockey Operations Assistant

OPERATIONS & CREATIVE SERVICES Courtney Mahoney Dan Harris Anthony Domalewski Bailey Goldberg Andrew Wenz Imran Javed Troy Mueller Michael Wenzel Ross Dettman Zakk Johnson Gabriel McDonagh

Senior Vice President of Operations Senior Director of Creative Services Sr. Coordinator, Community Relations Community Relations Assistant Mascot Coord./Game Operations Asst. Digital Content Manager Senior Graphic Designer Graphic Designer Team Photographer Production Assistant Production Assistant

TICKET SALES & SERVICES

COMMUNICATIONS Lindsey Willhite Jen Jordan Samantha Cobb

Director of Public Relations Social Media Coordinator Media Relations Coordinator

BROADCAST Ron Storto Jason Shaver Bill Gardner

Senior Vice President, Partnerships and Business Development Sr. Director of Partnerships Sr. Manager of Partnerships and Media Sales Partnerships Sales Executive Client Services Coordinator Client Services Coordinator Sr. Dir. of Program Development B2B and Group Event Specialist Group Account Executive Group Account Executive Group Account Executive Group Account Executive Marketing Coordinator

Executive TV Producer Play-by-Play Announcer Color Analyst

Kevin Dooley Jackie Schroeder Eric Zavilla Mike Jucaban Pawel Sienko Brandon Yunker Alysia Zaucha Nick Aikman

Sr. Executive Director of Ticket Sales Senior Director of Ticket Retention and Services Executive Director of Ticket Sales and Retention E-Business Specialist Sales Development Manager Account Representative Account Representative Inside Sales Representative

Liam Fogarty Marc Ramm Leo Theodore Kendall Hutchinson

Inside Sales Representative Inside Sales Representative Inside Sales Representative Sales and Services Coordinatoror

MEDICAL STAFF Scott Logue, MD Team Physician/Orthopedics A.J. Acierno, DDS Team Dentist Jessica Soros, DPT Physical Therapist Jolie Holschen Caravello, MDEmergency Medicine/Sports Medicine

GAMEDAY STAFF Chris Dubiel Public Address Announcer Brittney Wissent In-Arena Host Nicole Huber In-Arena Host Jenna Adams, Matt Burns, Ben Campbell, Joe Capozzi, Hannah Carpenter, Willem Caster, Joseph Castronovo, Anthony Chicalace, Carly Crispino, Dean Davalle, Ria Dockerty, Matt Dubiel, Rebecca Erken, Tom Fumagalli, Quinlyn Garbett, Matt Glavach, Peter Gniech, Jessica Golden, Chris Guzik, Georgia Hancock, Brittnie Jackson, Allison Jensen, Kyle Johnson, Ryan Kozlowski, Nikki Lennarson, Alejandro Merlan, Jon Midlock, Jenn Myzia, Seth Novoselsky, Geoff Post, Joseph Pervan, Taylor Polak, Morgan Potter, Jackie Povitsky, Lawrence Schmidt, Lauren Stoek, William Tarpey, Joseph Testa, Kelly Tragas

BREAKAWAY MAGAZINE Editorial Producer: Courtney Mahoney Publication Writer: Lindsey Willhite Publication Photographer: Ross Dettman Feature Designer: Christina Moritz Creative Support: Imran Javed, Troy Mueller

BREAKAWAY MAGAZINE • 3


2019-2020 SEASON

Dear Fans, It is my pleasure once again to welcome you all to a new season of American Hockey League action, as we continue a tradition of excellence that dates back to our founding as a league in 1936.

DAVID ANDREWS PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE

The AHL remains proud of its role in developing nearly all of the players, coaches, executives, trainers, broadcasters and officials who you see throughout the National Hockey League today. For more than eight decades, generations of our great fans have been able to cheer on future superstars and Stanley Cup champions, and more than 100 eventual members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The 2019-20 season is sure to be another memorable one as we drop the puck in 31 cities across North America, all vying to become the next Calder Cup champion. Thank you all for your continuing support of the AHL.

Sincerely,

DAVID A. ANDREWS PRESIDENT & CEO | AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE

TheAHL.com


N W O R G E H O MMFRESH PRODUCE FA R


DON LEVIN CH A IR M A N OF T HE B O A R D / GO V E R NOR 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 V ICE CH A IR M A N 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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WENDELL YOUNG GE NE R A L M A N A GE R Wendell Young is in his 11th season as the Chicago Wolves general manager. Since being hired as GM in August 2009, the Wolves have compiled a .601 regular-season winning percentage and captured six division titles: the 2010 West, 2012 Midwest, 2014 Midwest, 2017 Central, 2018 Central and 2019 Central. The Wolves also reached the 2019 Calder Cup Finals. 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 55-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.

BILL BENTLEY A S SIS TA N T GE NE R A L M A N A GE R Bill Bentley is in his 11th 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 SE NIOR A D V IS OR / DIR E C T OR OF HOCK E Y OP E R AT IONS Gene Ubriaco, who has been with the Wolves since the franchise’s inception in 1994, is in his 23rd season as the team’s director of hockey operations and 11th 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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Rocky Thompson HE A D CO A CH Rocky Thompson has directed the Chicago Wolves to the 2018 and 2019 Central Division titles as well as the 2019 Calder Cup Finals during his two seasons as head coach. The 2018-19 campaign marked Thompson’s 12th 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. The 42-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 A S SIS TA N T CO A CH In two seasons as a Chicago Wolves assistant coach, Chris Dennis has helped to guide the Wolves to the 2018 and 2019 Central Division titles along with a run to the 2019 Calder Cup Finals. The 39-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 A S SIS TA N T CO A CH 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 two seasons as a fulltime assistant, Nardella has helped to lead the Wolves to the 2018 and 2019 Central Division crowns along with the 2019 Calder Cup Finals. 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 51-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.

BREAKAWAY MAGAZINE • 11


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MEET THE WOLVES

2

4

6

7

8

NIC HAGUE

JIMMY SCHULDT

BRAYDEN PACHAL

JAKE LESCHYSHYN

BRETT LERNOUT

D H: 6-6 W: 215 Dec., 5, 1998 Kitchener, Ont.

D H: 6-1 W: 205 May 11, 1995 Minnetonka, Minn.

D H: 6-1 W: 193 Aug. 23, 1999 Eskevan, Sask.

C H: 5-11 W: 191 March 10, 1999 Raleigh, N.C.

D H: 6-4 W: 214 Sept. 24, 1995 Winnipeg, Man.

10

9

12

15

17

GAGE QUINNEY

CURTIS McKENZIE

TYRELL GOULBOURNE

DYLAN COGHLAN

VALENTIN ZYKOV

C H: 5-11 W: 200 July 29, 1995 Las Vegas, Nev.

LW H: 6-2 W: 205 Feb. 22, 1991 Golden, B.C.

LW H: 5-11 W: 195 Jan. 26, 1994 Edmonton, Alta.

D H: 6-2 W: 203 May 22, 1997 Nanaimo, B.C.

RW H: 6-0 W: 200 May 15, 1995 St. Petersburg, Russia

22

21

20

23

24

KEEGAN KOLESAR

BEN JONES

TYE McGINN

PATRICK BROWN

JAYCOB MEGNA

RW H: 6-2 W: 223 April 8, 1997 Winnipeg. Man.

C H: 6-0 W: 194 Feb. 26, 1999 Waterloo, Ont.

LW H: 6-2 W: 205 July 27, 1990 Fergus, Ont.

C H: 6-1 W: 210 May 29, 1992 Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

D H: 6-6 W: 221 Dec. 10, 1992 Plantation, Fla.

27

25

28

LUCAS ELVENES

BRANDON PIRRI

JAKE BISCHOFF

LW H: 6-1 W: 173 Aug. 18, 1999 Angelholm, Sweden

C H: 6-0 W: 186 March 10, 1991 Toronto, Ont.

D H: 6-1 W: 194 July 25, 1994 Cambridge, Minn.

BREAKAWAY MAGAZINE • 13


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MEET THE WOLVES

35

29

37

36

CODY GLASS

OSCAR DANSK

JONAS RØNDBJERG

PAUL COTTER

C H: 6-2 W: 177 April 1, 1999 Winnipeg, Manitoba

G H: 6-3 W: 195 Feb. 28, 1994 Stockholm, Sweden

RW H: 6-0 W: 176 March 31, 1999 Horsholm, Denmark

C H: 6-0 W: 195 Nov. 16, 1999 Canton, Mich.

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JERMAINE LOEWEN

REID DUKE

GARRET SPARKS

RW H: 6-4 W: 216 Jan. 18, 1998 Mandeville, Jamaica

C H: 6-0 W: 191 Jan. 28, 1996 Calgary, Alberta

G H: 6-3 W: 201 June 28, 1993 Elmhurst, Ill.

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BREAKAWAY MAGAZINE • 15


WILL TEAM PICTURE DAY STAND AS THE LAST TIME THE 2019-20 WOLVES “PACK” TOGETHER? FOR THE CHICAGO WOLVES ORGANIZATION, TEAM PICTURE DAY ALWAYS REPRESENTS MORE THAN THE BUSINESS OF TAKING THE PHOTO DESTINED TO HANG IN A PLACE OF HONOR NEXT TO ALL OTHER WOLVES SQUADS. Because Team Picture Day is strategically placed on the calendar – after the NHL and AHL trading deadlines pass, but with a month left in the regular season – it also serves as a galvanizing moment for the players and coaches. As everyone stands shoulder-to-shoulder and smiles for longtime team photographer Ross Dettman, it’s the perfect time to look at everybody in their clean uniforms and nice suits in a new light. These are the men with whom you’ll share the journey the rest of the way. These are the teammates – the buddies – who’ll have your back as you battle to clinch a postseason berth and hopefully make a long run in the Calder Cup Playoffs. In short, it’s always a starting point.

EXCEP T FOR T H IS SEASON. In the year of the novel coronavirus, there’s a good chance Team Picture Day goes into the history books as the moment the 2019-20 season came to an end. At 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, March 12, the Wolves met in the middle of the Allstate Arena ice and grinned as Dettman snapped several pictures. Shortly thereafter, they shed their uniforms – potentially for the last time. This is the oral history of the day the American Hockey League suspended play – and how the AHL, the Wolves and the world reached this moment. The first sign everything might change came approximately 8:30 p.m. the night before, when the NBA announced a Utah Jazz player (soon identified as All-Star center Rudy Gobert) had tested positive for COVID-19 and that the league was halting play “until further notice.”

CHICAGO WOLVES


TYE MCGINN: Wolves forward

“I remember watching the TV and it came up that the NBA had gotten canceled. That was, like, ‘Wow, this isn’t good.’ I think everybody figured the NHL wouldn’t be too far behind.”

KEVIN KACER:

Instead, he was told to catch a morning flight to Minneapolis to join the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights and face the Minnesota Wild that night. McKenzie, who hadn’t played in an NHL game since March 25, 2018, had been waiting patiently for his chance to make his 100th NHL appearance.

MCKENZIE:

longtime Wolves trainer “That’s when it really hit. I wasn’t watching the NBA – I had the NHL Network on or something – and then they cut to ‘the NBA just ended their season.’ Whoa.

“We were pretty pumped because I was going to get the 100th game. I got

called up pretty late the night before – I think about 11 o’clock. I had an earlymorning flight and when I landed, I was en route to the arena and I got a text saying, “Just go to the hotel” because the pregame skate was canceled. The NBA canceled the night before, so we kind of figured it might end up happening. But we were hoping to play. “I got to the hotel and hung out with the guys for a bit there. Then they came in and announced that the season was suspended. Just jumped on a flight right back to Chicago.”

“When that happened, that was, “OK, this is it. It’s going to really snowball from there. It’s going to affect us.’ ”

JON SATA:

Wolves Senior Vice President, Partnerships and Business Development “The news that the NBA was (done) was obviously a big splash into leagues taking the initiative. They had a lot of leadership and strength to do that.” While everyone else in the Wolves camp started wondering and worrying what might happen when they reported for morning practice at Allstate Arena, Wolves assistant captain Curtis McKenzie received a phone call telling him not to drive to Rosemont.

BY LINDSEY WILLHITE TEAM PHOTO BY ROSS DETTMAN

BREAKAWAY MAGAZINE • 17


Meanwhile, McKenzie’s teammates prepared for their final practice before the weekend’s “3-in-3.” The Wolves were slated to host the San Antonio Rampage Friday night, the Rockford IceHogs Saturday night and the Manitoba Moose Sunday afternoon. With the Wolves holding a slight edge over the IceHogs, Rampage and Texas Stars for the Central Division’s final playoff spot, each game’s importance felt magnified. At the time, anyway.

MCGINN: “We were prepping all week for that 3-in-3. It was a big weekend for us. We were really mentally excited and ready to do our best.”

BILL BENTLEY:

Wolves assistant general manager “We were under the impression we were going to play the weekend, then something would be done after the weekend and we’d determine if we were going to continue after that. At that point in the morning, there was no thought of, ‘Well, that would be it.’ On most practice mornings, when the Wolves saunter into the dressing room in groups of twos and threes, conversations are light and laughs plentiful as they fit into their gear and prepare to hit the ice. Not so on this day.

MCGINN: “So everybody went into the room Thursday morning not knowing what was going on. We hadn’t heard anything. We kind of got ready for practice like a normal day. Still, there was a lot of talk in the morning about what was going on. We had our practice and, then, after practice we sat in the room and started talking more. That’s when it kind of got out on Twitter that the NHL was going to have a meeting that day. Guys were like, ‘Who knows where that can go?’ ”

CLICK TO WATCH THE TIMELAPSE ›

CHICAGO WOLVES


COURTNEY MAHONEY:

MCGINN:

“I remember as guys came off the ice from practice – before the picture – ‘Any word? Any word?’ So it was obviously on everybody’s mind.”

“The Rampage, they were down in the tunnel and they were saying that they had booked some flights for their guys to get home that night. So we kind of had an idea at that time that the games – at least that weekend – were going to get canceled. It kind of snowballed after that.”

Wolves senior vice president for operations

While the Wolves pulled on their smart burgundy jerseys and prepared for their team picture, the San Antonio Rampage entered the Allstate Arena tunnel and lingered instead of heading into their locker room. The Rampage played in Milwaukee the morning before, so their gear was ready to go for their scheduled afternoon practice – but they weren’t sure whether they ought to suit up. Daniel “Chucker” Tkaczuk, a Wolves assistant coach in 2016-17 who now serves as a San Antonio assistant, stopped to chat with Mahoney, who was there to coordinate the team picture and ensure the process was completed quickly and efficiently.

MAHONEY:

Wolves owner Don Levin, who had flown in from Europe that morning and arrived just in time to be part of the team picture, communicated with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who shared his desire for all Chicago professional sports teams to postpone their home games until at least May 1 to discourage large gatherings and help “flatten the curve.” Levin agreed. Then the NHL announced the decision to “pause” its season. The AHL’s Board of Governors scheduled an early afternoon meeting to determine its course of action. Wolves general manager Wendell Young addressed the players in the locker room and told them not to expect to play that weekend, but to go home and await further instructions.

“ ‘Chucker’ came by to shoot the breeze. His kids were supposed to come to the game Friday. We were chatting about that and whether it was going to happen. More and more of their players were milling around.”

Head coach Rocky Thompson and assistant coach Bob Nardella stuck around to do some extra work – just in case the AHL’s world hadn’t spun off its axis.

“So we took our picture and then our guys were coming off the ice. What kind of lives in my memory is watching the guys in full uniform chatting with the San Antonio players in their dress clothes, It was just an image you don’t see. Kind of in a bonding sort of way, too.”

NARDELLA: “Rocky and I were looking at some penalty-kill stuff for San Antonio. We finished what we needed to do and everyone just went home and said, ‘We’ll see what they say.’ ”

At 3 p.m. Chicago time, the AHL announced its plan to suspend the season indefinitely. The Wolves spread the word via the team’s group text.

MCGINN: “It was a little surreal, to be honest. Didn’t know what to think. I mean, you’ve heard that nobody had been through it before. But, really, nobody had been through it before. GMs. Coaches. Trainers. Anybody. So everybody was in complete shock, to be honest. I didn’t know what to say.” The AHL requested players remain in town while the league finalized more plans. In less than a week, the players were told they could go home. Wolves players packed up, grabbed their gear from the practice facility in Hoffman Estates and drove in all directions of the North American map – where they’ve done their best to stay home, stay healthy and stay prepared in case the season resumes.

YOUNG: “We’re used to, in sports, having an itinerary. We have a schedule. We’re always told where to be, what time, what you’re eating, what time you’re working out, what time practice is. We are so regimented. Then, all of a sudden, nope. Go home. Look after yourself. It’s a rude awakening for a lot of us.” 

BREAKAWAY MAGAZINE • 19


CHICAGO WOLVES


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TAKE THE ICE WITH THE SUN-TIMES. Hey Wolves Fans! This winter, get comprehensive coverage of the Chicago Wolves from the city’s best sports reporters. In celebration of hockey season, we’re giving Chicagoland’s biggest fans a special offer on the Sun-Times. GET WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY HOME DELIVERY FOR ONLY $1/WEEK! In addition to 4-day home delivery, you’ll also receive our all-sports section, Sports Saturday, and unlimited digital access. Make this your best hockey season yet.

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Offer is available to new subscribers only for the first 12 months and cannot be used with other discounts. After 12 months, your subscription will automatically renew for the regular monthly rate. You will receive notification of any subscription fee changes, and may cancel your subscription at any time. In most cases, cancellation will only affect future subscription periods. Offer subject to all applicable terms and conditions, available at suntimes.com/terms-of-sale-print-products/ or by calling (888) 848-4637. Offer expires May 11, 2020.


Speed • Power • Core

TRAIN LIKE A PRO Welcome to RedLine Athletics Youth Athletic Training Center, where our goal is to transform you into the best young athlete you can be. Get faster, stronger, build your core, improve your game, and beat the competition. Training available for any sport. No appointments necessary. 90 minute sessions start at the top of the hour. *Birthday Party Rentals Available*

SIGN UP FOR A FREE TRIAL RedLine Athletics®

1455 Busch Parkway • Buffalo Grove | 847-243-8199 | www.redlineathletics.com

We work in Chi-town. Live in Chi-town. Play in Chi-town. Proud to be part of the Chicago area for 27 years! At Pet Supplies Plus, our stores are smaller by choice, designed to help you get in, get out, and get home happy. + Price Match Guarantee + Widest selection of wet cat & natural dog foods + Carefully selected products for all of your furry, scaly & feathery friends

Let’s be text buddies! Text CHIWOLVES to 46777 and get a 15% off coupon. Hear about exclusive offers, pre-sales and more. New sign ups only. Msg & data rates may apply. Visit petsuppliesplus.com/SMS_Terms_And_Conditions.

To find a Pet Supplies Plus in your neighborhood, visit www.petsuppliesplus.com petsuppliesplus

@petsuppliesplus

@petsuppliesplus


THERE’S A BETTER WAY TO MOVE YOUR STUFF. Penske offers free unlimited miles on one-way rentals to keep Wolves fans moving forward. Visit pensketruckrental.com or call 800-GO-PENSKE.

© 2018 Penske. All Rights Reserved.


all-time franchise records & awards 358:

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)

THE ST. LOUIS BLUES CAPTURED THE 2019 STANLEY CUP WITH HELP FROM 14 FORMER WOLVES, INCLUDING GOALTENDER JORDAN BINNINGTON.

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. JAKE ALLEN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.03 3. K ARI LEHTONEN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.33 4. A NDREI TREFILOV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.36 5. K ASIMIR KASKISUO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.38 6. EDDIE LACK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.46 7. JORDAN BINNINGTON. . . . . . . . . . . . 2.62 8. DREW MacINTYRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.66 9. ROBERT GHERSON. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.67 10. FRED BRATHWAITE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.68

DANIEL CARR EARNED THE AHL’S MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD LAST SEASON, WHICH MADE HIM THE FOURTH WOLVES PLAYER IN THE LAST 13 YEARS TO EARN THE HONOR. NO OTHER AHL TEAM HAS WON AS MANY IN THAT TIME SPAN.

LEO LAMOUREUX MEMORIAL TROPHY

45:

ALL-TIME GAMES LEADERS 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)

(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

THE NUMBER OF FORMER AND CURRENT WOLVES WHO HAVE PLAYED IN THE NHL ENTERING THE 2019-20 SEASON. THAT’S 57.4 PERCENT OF ALL WOLVES PLAYERS THROUGH OUR FIRST 25 YEARS.

14: 4:

THAT’S HOW MANY WOLVES ALUMNI PLAYED IN THE NHL LAST SEASON SPREAD ACROSS 17 TEAMS.

3:

THE WOLVES WON THEIR THIRD CONSECUTIVE CENTRAL DIVISION TITLE LAST YEAR. NOW THE TEAM SEEKS TO BECOME THE FIRST IN THE AHL’S 84YEAR HISTORY TO WIN FOUR IN A ROW.

451:

LEGENDARY LEFT WING STEVE MALTAIS SCORED A FRANCHISERECORD 451 REGULAR-SEASON GOALS DURING HIS 11-YEAR CAREER.

(OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE)

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)

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

THOMAS EBRIGHT AWARD (CAREER CONTRIBUTIONS TO AHL)

50:

WHEN 20-YEAR-OLD CENTER CODY GLASS MADE HIS PROFESSIONAL DEBUT ON APRIL 5, HE BECAME THE 50TH NHL FIRST-ROUND DRAFT PICK TO PLAY FOR THE WOLVES.

WENDELL YOUNG (2017-18)

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

None Of That Corporate Garbage 630-261-0400

floodbrothersdisposal.com #FloodBrothersDisposal

BREAKAWAY MAGAZINE • 25



VISIT THE MERCHANDISE STANDS LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE LOWER CONCOURSE AND VIEW THE ENTIRE LINE AT

CHICAGOWOLVESSTORE.COM


Entertaining Made Easy Sweet & Savory Party Trays Ham & Turkey Bundles

Hye Roller Tray

A variety of tasty fresh baked mini rolls filled with premium Krakus® ham and Primo Taglio Swiss cheese along with Primo Taglio turkey and Land O’ Lakes® American cheese with relish center. Large

Made from soft flat bread and layered with a cream cheese spread then rolled with an assortment of Primo Taglio deli meats, cheeses, tomatoes and lettuce. Small Med. Large

$39.99

Serves 14-18

5900 Cal/Tray

Strawberries, red and green seedless grapes, cantaloupe and honeydew melon chunks, Primo Taglio Muenster, Cheddar and Swiss cheeses with whipped fruit dip. Serves 14-16 Serves 20-24

2600 Cal/Tray 3840 Cal/Tray 5170 Cal/Tray

Cheese & Sausage Tidbit Tray

Fruit & Cheese Tray

Small Large

Serves 6-8 $39.99 Serves 10-12 $49.99 Serves 16-18 $59.99

Eckrich® hard salami, beer salami, Busch summer sausage, Primo Taglio American cheese, Muenster cheese, Swiss cheese and bread and butter pickles.

$29.99 $49.99

Small Large

Serves 12-16 Serves 20-24

$29.99 $49.99

Signature Fried or Grilled Chicken Chicken Only 48 Pieces 12 Breasts 12 Legs 12 Thighs 12 Wings

Serves 20-24

96 Pieces 24 Breasts 24 Legs 24 Thighs 24 Wings

Serves 40-48

Party Package 48 Pieces

Chicago Tribune

CRITICS CHOICE

*Party Package includes your choice of side salads (Signature Cafe Potato Salad, Signature Cafe Macaroni Salad, Signature Cafe Coleslaw or Signature Cafe Tater Babies. See deli associate for further details.

12 Breasts 12 Legs 12 Thighs 12 Wings Two - 12 ct. King’s Hawaiian Rolls 8 lbs. of Salad* Serves 20-24

96 Pieces

24 Breasts 24 Legs 24 Thighs 24 Wings Four - 12 ct. King’s Hawaiian Rolls 16 lbs. of Salad* Serves 40-48

Chicken Caesar Salad Chopped romaine lettuce, Caesar dressing, croutons & grilled chicken. Serves 8-12

$32.99

3670 Cal/Tray

Chopped Salad Bowl Chopped cabbage, green onions, green peppers, bacon, pasta, cheddar cheese and our famous All Natural Chopped Salad Dressing. Serves 8-12

$24.99

3520 Cal/Tray

Chef’s Salad Tray

Choose six of the following salads: Sensational Seafood, Honey Fruit & Nut Chicken Salad, Crunchy Chinese Chicken, Crunchy Vegetable, Pasta Italiano, Sour Cream Macaroni & Cheddar, Variety Bean, Deluxe Cole Slaw or Broccoli Salad. Small Large

Serves 10-12 Serves 20-25

$29.99 $59.99 Prices subject to change.


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

WHAT'S THE DIFF? word jumble Unscramble the four words below. Then, use the circled letters to unscramble the final word!

FOF-DEIS AEGILO

C EI

ANSWER:

ADFORRW LINDA FRANTZ MARCH HOMETOWN: NORTHBROOK, IL CLUB TEAM: TEAM ILLINOIS

MELISA KORZENSKI MILLER APRIL HOMETOWN: LOCKPORT, IL CLUB TEAMS: JOLIET JAGUARS

To nominate a mom for the Little Debbie® Hockey Mom of the Month, visit ChicagoWolves.com/HockeyMom or the Customer Service Booth.

BREAKAWAY MAGAZINE • 29



MAZE WHAT'SCRAZE THE DIFF? START

END

DO YOU KNOW A SPECIAL HOCKEY MOM? TO NOMINATE A MOM FOR THE LITTLE DEBBIE® HOCKEY MOM OF THE MONTH, VISIT ChicagoWolves.com/HockeyMom OR THE CUSTOMER SERVICE BOOTH BREAKAWAY MAGAZINE • 31



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