Wolves expect new GM Young to continue winning ways
Chicago Wolves chairman Don Levin was prepared for the day Kevin Cheveldayoff would leave the organization for the NHL.
So it should have come as no surprise Thursday when the Wolves named Wendell Young general manager to replace Cheveldayoff, who on Monday left to become assistant GM with the Blackhawks.
"Really, I thought Chevy was going to be taken by an NHL team three or four years ago," Levin said. "So like any good business we planned a succession just in case something happened. We knew what we were going to do.
"Wendell has been involved here a long time and knows what's going on. He knows everybody. He's probably been the face of the organization since we've been here."
Young has been with the Wolves since their first season in 1994-95, when he was brought in to play goalie. Since then he has worn many hats, most recently serving the last six years as assistant coach and executive director of team relations.
"He knows our winning culture," Levin said. "His background as a player and a coach gives him the knowledge to assess players' abilities and weaknesses quickly and will allow him to find players that fit the needs of the organization."
Young steps into what many consider to be the most unique situation in the American Hockey League. While the Wolves are a developmental team for the NHL's Atlanta Thrashers, it's also an organization that is all about winning championships.
Cheveldayoff had a knack for finding the right players to make it all work. That task now falls to Young.
"This team has a tradition of excellence and we want to continue that tradition and win more championships here." Young said. "We're in the business of developing players for our parent team, the Atlanta Thrashers, but we're also in the business to win championships.
"Kevin Cheveldayoff has put this team in place with a great foundation for the future, and I intend to follow that game plan. He has set the bar very high for me and I look forward to the challenge.
"Obviously having been here, I've been in the trenches with everybody. I know what this a franchise is about. We don't feel the franchise is successful unless we win a championship."
The Wolves say their association with the Thrashers remains strong. It doesn't hurt the relationship to have former Wolves coach John Anderson as the head coach in Atlanta. Anderson attended Thursday's new conference announcing Young's promotion.
"We're in a unique situation, especially with our relationship with Atlanta," Young said. "It's kind of a mandate that we have to develop, and I think we've done a good job with that. Talking with (Thrashers GM) Don Waddell, he wants his farm team to win and his prospects to come out of the American Hockey Leaguer as winners."
As for their relationship with the Hawks, the Wolves insist they want to see their NHL neighbors continue to have success.
"We've said from Day 1 we're not really in competition with the Hawks," Young said. "We're in a different location in the city, we play a different brand of hockey, we're family oriented, all that stuff. The more hockey that's out there, the better it is. Everybody is excited about hockey and the better the Hawks do, the better it is for us."