Chicago Wolves facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chicago Wolves |
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| City | Rosemont, Illinois |
| League | American Hockey League |
| Conference | Western |
| Division | Central |
| Founded | 1994 (IHL) |
| Home arena | Allstate Arena |
| Colors | Burgundy, gold, black, white |
| Owner(s) | Don Levin |
| General manager | Darren Yorke |
| Head coach | Cam Abbott |
| Captain | Josiah Slavin |
| Media | My50 The U AHL.TV (Internet) |
| Affiliate(s) | Carolina Hurricanes (NHL) |
| Franchise history | |
| 1994–present | Chicago Wolves |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | 1 IHL (1999–2000) 1 AHL (2021–22) |
| Division Championships | 4 IHL (1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01) 10 AHL (2004–05, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22) |
| Conference Championships | 3 IHL (1997–98, 1999–00, 2000–01) 5 AHL (2001–02, 2004–05, 2007–08, 2018–19, 2021–22) |
| Turner Cups | 2 (1997–98, 1999–2000) |
| Calder Cups | 3 (2001–02, 2007–08, 2021–22) |
| Current uniform | |
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 Current season |
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The Chicago Wolves are a professional ice hockey team. They are based in Rosemont, Illinois. The Wolves are part of the American Hockey League (AHL). They are connected to the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team plays its home games at the Allstate Arena.
The Wolves started in the International Hockey League (IHL). When the IHL closed in 2001, the Wolves joined the AHL.
Contents
Team History and Wins
The Chicago Wolves have won several championships. They won the Turner Cup twice in the IHL (in 1998 and 2000). After joining the AHL, they won the Calder Cup three times (in 2002, 2008, and 2022).
The team has almost always made it to the playoffs. They reached the league championship finals eight times. These were in 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2019, and 2022.
Key Players and Great Seasons
One of the most famous players for the Wolves was Steve Maltais. He played every season until he retired in 2005. He holds many of the team's scoring records. Other important players included goalie Wendell Young and former Pittsburgh star Rob Brown. Also, long-time Chicago Blackhawks stars Troy Murray, Chris Chelios, and Al Secord played for the Wolves.
The Wolves had an amazing start to their 2007–08 season. They won 13 of their first 14 games. They finished that season with 111 points, ranking first in the Western Conference.
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Team Affiliations Over Time
From 2001 to 2011, the Wolves were linked with the Atlanta Thrashers of the NHL. When the Thrashers moved to Winnipeg in 2011, the Wolves needed a new NHL partner. On June 27, 2011, they teamed up with the Vancouver Canucks for two years.
In 2013, the Wolves started a three-year partnership with the St. Louis Blues. This happened after the Canucks and Wolves ended their agreement. The Blues later decided not to continue their main affiliation with the Wolves after the 2016–17 season.
After the 2016–17 season, the Wolves became the first AHL affiliate for the new NHL team, the Vegas Golden Knights. Even though the Blues didn't renew their main partnership, they still sent some of their young players to the Wolves for that season.
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During their first season with Vegas, the Wolves set new team records. They earned points in 14 straight games. They also won 13 home games in a row. In the 2018–19 season, the Wolves reached the Calder Cup Finals. They lost to the Charlotte Checkers in five games.
The Golden Knights later decided to start their own AHL team in Las Vegas. So, the Wolves looked for a new partner. On September 10, 2020, the Wolves announced a new agreement with the Carolina Hurricanes. For the 2020–21 season, the Wolves also had a temporary link with the Nashville Predators. This was because the Predators' usual AHL team, the Milwaukee Admirals, did not play that season. During the 2020–21 season, the Wolves played their home games at their training facility. This was due to rules about fans during the pandemic.
For the 2023–24 season, the Wolves played as an independent AHL team. This means they did not have a direct NHL partner. This was the first time an AHL team was independent since the 1994–95 season. However, on May 2, 2024, the team renewed its partnership with the Carolina Hurricanes. This new agreement will last for three years, starting with the 2024–25 season.
On May 6, 2025, the Greensboro Gargoyles announced their affiliation with the Carolina Hurricanes. This new ECHL team will start playing in October 2025. This link also connects them to the Wolves, making the Gargoyles the "AA" farm team.
Television Coverage
The Chicago Wolves were once the only AHL team with all their games shown on TV. At that time, the Chicago Blackhawks' owner did not allow their home games to be televised. So, the Wolves became a popular choice for hockey fans. They even used the slogan: "We Play Hockey The Old-Fashioned Way: We Actually Win".
For their first 12 seasons, Judd Sirott was the play-by-play announcer. Later, long-time Blackhawks commentators Pat Foley and Bill Gardner took over. Pat Foley returned to the Blackhawks in 2008. Since then, Jason Shaver has been the play-by-play announcer, working with Bill Gardner.
Today, some regular-season home games are shown on WPWR-TV (My50) and WMEU-CD (The U). All games can also be watched online through AHLTV.
Recent Season Results
Here are the results for the Chicago Wolves from their last five seasons. For a full list of all seasons, you can visit List of Chicago Wolves seasons.
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||
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| Season | Games | Won | Lost | OTL | SOL | Points | PCT | Goals for |
Goals against |
Standing | Year | Div 1st Rd | Div Semi | Div Finals | Conf. Finals | Finals |
| 2020–21 | 33 | 21 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 45 | .682 | 132 | 94 | 1st, Central | 2021 | No playoffs were held | ||||
| 2021–22 | 76 | 50 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 110 | .724 | 261 | 194 | 1st, Central | 2022 | — | W, 3–0, RFD | W, 3–1, MIL | W, 4–2, STO | W, 4–1, SPR |
| 2022–23 | 72 | 35 | 29 | 5 | 3 | 78 | .542 | 227 | 244 | 6th, Central | 2023 | Did not qualify | ||||
| 2023–24 | 72 | 23 | 35 | 7 | 7 | 60 | .417 | 192 | 253 | 7th, Central | 2024 | Did not qualify | ||||
| 2024–25 | 72 | 37 | 31 | 4 | 0 | 78 | .542 | 205 | 223 | 4th, Central | 2025 | L, 0–2, RFD | — | — | — | — |
Team Players
Current Roster
Updated July 23, 2025.
| # | Nat | Player | Pos | S/G | Age | Acquired | Birthplace | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 |  |
Blake Biondi | C | R | 23 | 2025 | Hermantown, Minnesota | Wolves |
| – |  |
David Gagnon | LW | L | 25 | 2025 | Halifax, Nova Scotia | Wolves |
| – | |
Deni Goure | C | R | 22 | 2025 | Chatham, Ontario | Wolves |
| 20 | |
Yanick Turcotte | LW | L | 29 | 2024 | Quebec, Quebec | Wolves |
| – | |
Evan Vierling | C | L | 23 | 2025 | Aurora, Ontario | Wolves |
| – | |
Tyler Weiss | LW | L | 25 | 2025 | Raleigh, North Carolina | Wolves |
Team Captains Through the Years
- Steve Maltais; 1994–96, 1997–2000, 2001–05
- Troy Murray; 1996–97
- Kevin Dahl; 2000–01
- Derek MacKenzie; 2005–06
- Darren Haydar; 2007–08, 2012–13
- Jamie Rivers; 2008–09
- Jason Krog; 2009–11
- Nolan Baumgartner; 2011–12
- Taylor Chorney; 2013–14
- Brent Regner; 2014–15
- Pat Cannone; 2015–16
- Chris Butler; 2016–17
- Paul Thompson; 2017–18
- Andrew Poturalski; 2021–22
- Max Lajoie; 2022–23
- Chris Terry; 2023–24
- Josiah Slavin; 2024–present
Famous Former Players
These players played at least 100 games for the Wolves and 100 games in the National Hockey League:
- Niklas Andersson
- Ivan Barbashev
- Tim Bergland
- Jordan Binnington
- Rob Brown
- Chris Butler
- Jordan Caron
- Dylan Coghlan
- Kevin Connauton
- Joey Crabb
- Kevin Dahl
- Joe DiPenta
- Dallas Eakins
- Joel Edmundson
- Garnet Exelby
- Glen Featherstone
- Kurtis Foster
- Nicolas Hague
- Jani Hakanpaa
- Greg Hawgood
- Brad Hunt
- Keegan Kolesar
- Jason Krog
- Kari Lehtonen
- Mackenzie MacEachern
- Derek MacKenzie
- Steve Maltais
- Steve Martins
- Kip Miller
- Brian Noonan
- Scott Pearson
- Brandon Pirri
- Dan Plante
- Paul Postma
- Jordan Schroeder
- Al Secord
- Tom Tilley
- J.P. Vigier
- Mike Weaver
- Zach Whitecloud
- Wendell Young
Retired Jersey Numbers
The Chicago Wolves have honored special players by retiring their jersey numbers. This means no other player on the team will wear that number again.
| No. | Player | Position | Years Played | Retirement Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wendell Young | G | 1994–2001 | December 1, 2001 |
| 11 | Steve Maltais | LW | 1994–2005 | April 15, 2006 |
Team Records
These tables show some of the best records set by Chicago Wolves players.
Single Season Records
These are the top performances by a player in one season.
| Type | Number | Player | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goals | 60 | Steve Maltais | 1996–97 |
| Assists | 91 | Rob Brown | 1995–96 |
| Points | 143 | Rob Brown | 1995–96 |
| Penalty minutes | 390 | Kevin MacDonald | 1994–95 |
| Hat-tricks | 5 | Steve Maltais | 1996–97 |
| Power play goals | 27 | Steve Maltais | 1995–96 & 1996–97 |
| Short-handed goals | 7 | Ben Simon | 2002–03 |
| Plus–minus | +47 | Arturs Kulda | 2009–10 |
| Wins | 38 | Kari Lehtonen | 2004–05 |
| Shutouts | 7 | Jake Allen | 2013–14 |
Career Records
These are the top records for players over their entire time with the Wolves.
| Type | Number | Player |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 454 | Steve Maltais |
| Assists | 497 | Steve Maltais |
| Points | 951 | Steve Maltais |
| Penalty minutes | 1061 | Steve Maltais |
| Hat-tricks | 18 | Steve Maltais |
| Power play goals | 195 | Steve Maltais |
| Short-handed goals | 21 | Derek MacKenzie |
| Game winning goals | 67 | Steve Maltais |
| Games played | 839 | Steve Maltais |
| Wins | 169 | Wendell Young |
| Shutouts | 16 | Wendell Young |
See also
- List of Chicago Wolves award winners
