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Chicago Wolves to become first independent AHL team since 1994-95

Posted on 4/5/23 at 11:25 pm
Posted by Draconian Sanctions
Markey's bar
Member since Oct 2008
84893 posts
Posted on 4/5/23 at 11:25 pm
LINK

quote:

Jacob Stoller of The Hockey News is reporting that the Chicago Wolves have e-mailed agents to let them know that the club is planning to end its affiliation with the Carolina Hurricanes at the end of this season and operate as an independent organization without an NHL affiliate. They will become the first AHL independent organization since 1994-95.


quote:

”some organizations are development-only, but we think if we have development and win playoff games, guys learn how to win, which you’re trying to do all the time. That’s changed. It’s time to go independent and follow our own philosophy.”


quote:

The news today gives Chicago a lot of flexibility heading into next season, but it also makes Young’s job as general manager a whole lot more difficult. He will no longer have an NHL club providing players to the Wolves, which will require him to sign a lot more players to AHL contracts. The Wolves will also still be required to follow the AHL’s development roster rule which states that 13 of 18 skaters must have played 260 games or less of pro hockey.


Will be interesting to see how this works out, makes me want to root for them.
This post was edited on 4/6/23 at 12:42 pm
Posted by pmacneworleans
Member since Dec 2013
1991 posts
Posted on 4/6/23 at 4:23 am to
During the regular season, it probably will work out pretty good. Once playoffs start drawing near, minor league affilliates tend to get a stash of decent major league quality talent; that's when they could be in trouble.
Posted by tccdc
Washington, DC
Member since Sep 2007
3599 posts
Posted on 4/6/23 at 7:09 am to
Great club...Rosemont tends to have lively crowds...
Posted by RoyalAir
Detroit
Member since Dec 2012
5896 posts
Posted on 4/6/23 at 7:19 am to
This is just making something official that has been known for a long time. The Wolves have always operated as if they're independent. They're a dogshit development club, as they don't really put emphasis on developing players- they are more committed to a quality product and winning. As a result, a lot of NHL teams have purchased a controlling stake in their minor affiliates, such as the Knights, Wild, and Sharks.

Wolves games are a blast. Really close to O'Hare. During the late 90s/Early 2000s, they were outgrowing Blackhawks games because the Hawks were so poorly run.
Posted by TheWalrus
Member since Dec 2012
40756 posts
Posted on 4/6/23 at 8:32 am to
I went to a few games when I was a kid
Posted by LSUGrad9295
Baton Rouge
Member since May 2007
33561 posts
Posted on 4/6/23 at 8:48 am to
quote:

since 1995-95


Posted by nvasil1
Hellinois
Member since Oct 2009
15930 posts
Posted on 4/6/23 at 11:02 am to
I have been going to Wolves games since their inaugural season. They really filled a void for hockey fans in the area when the Blackhawks sucked and seemingly did everything they could to push fans away.

As RoyalAir pointed out, that's why the Wolves already sort of operated as an independent anyway because the focus was their own on-ice product and fan relations, not those of their affiliates.

That also probably explains why the Blackhawks have never affiliated with them, and eventually purchased the Rockford IceHogs as their feeder club. There are a lot of Hawks fans who dislike the Wolves, especially since the early 2010s when the Wolves were affiliated with the Canucks and Blues.
Posted by AUCE05
Member since Dec 2009
42578 posts
Posted on 4/6/23 at 11:07 am to
Man, I love minor league hockey. I wish the south had a better league in our footprint
Posted by nickp
Member since Jul 2014
78 posts
Posted on 4/6/23 at 8:38 pm to
Dundon just needs to buy the Checkers and make them the Canes AHL affiliate again
This post was edited on 4/6/23 at 8:39 pm
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