Wolves claw their way back
For many, it was tough to watch.
The Chicago Wolves, one of the most consistently successful franchises in Chicago, were coming off just their second time failing to qualify for the postseason and struggling with a 1-5 start.
It was toughest on Wolves general manager Wendell Young, who, after all, had been used to nothing but winning since joining the franchise as a goalie.
Young had been a part of all four Wolves championships as a player or a coach, and after watching his team sleepwalk through its first six games this season, he decided enough was enough.
"It was a really, really frustrating year last year," Young said. "For me, being part of the organization for so long, it's frustrating to see that we're not achieving what we want.
"We don't strive to make the playoffs; we strive to win championships. For us not even getting to the playoffs to give ourselves a chance for a championship was really, really frustrating."
So, after the poor start, gone were head coach Don Granato and assistant Jason Christie, replaced by Don Lever and longtime assistant Ron Wilson.
"When it happened, I told the coaches if we had made the playoffs last year we wouldn't be having this conversation," Young said. "After not making the playoffs, we had to get off to a good start this year, and we didn't. I didn't see our team progressing quick enough. It was time to make a change."
So Young asked the Blackhawks for permission to talk with Lever, who at the time was working as a pro scout, and in a matter of days the Wolves had their new coach - a no-nonsense guy who would give the players just what they needed.
"He gives them a sense of direction; he's the boss," Young said. "The guys, whether they know it or not, are begging for accountability. Don Lever and Ron Wilson give that.
"I told the players they're not going to get a lot of hugs from the coaches. They're there to teach and correct what's wrong."
It sure looks like Young made the right move.
Since moving behind the Wolves' bench, Lever's team has gone from cellar dweller in the West Division to just 4 points out of first place at the all-star break with a showdown against division-leading Milwaukee on tap Friday.
"The guys were really searching for some kind of identity, and it took us awhile to get it," said Lever, 23-11-0-2 since taking over. "We needed to find out what type of a team we wanted to be. That was one of the first things we looked at.
"We've really come a long way. We're really playing as a team."
The turnaround is all the more impressive considering Lever really didn't know much about his team when he accepted the job, coincidently taking over at the same time 47-year-old defenseman Chris Chelios signed on.
"It was pretty much a crash course for me," Lever said. "You don't know personalities, you don't know how to treat guys - can you be hard on this guy, be hard on that guy? You didn't know exactly what their skill level was and where they fit.
"But I think the most important thing was, where is the leadership going to come from?"
That's where the signing of Chelios has paid off.
"He's really helped a lot of guys," Young said. "Here's a guy of his stature who goes out and battles every night, so how can you not? You're almost guilted into doing it. It's almost like shame on you if you can't keep up with a 47-year-old."
In addition to the play of Chelios, other Wolves have been key to the success. Among them is Brett Sterling, who scored a pair of goals in the AHL All-Star Game on Tuesday. The veteran forward is tied for the league lead with 22 goals.
Defenseman Arturs Kulda leads the AHL with a plus-29 plus/minus rating, and goalie Peter Mannino is third in the league with 1.94 goals-against average.
And those are just a few of the many who have shifted their game into second gear, a gear Lever is hoping the Wolves stay in the rest of the way.
"We're still reaching, still have a ways to go," Lever said. "But from the goaltending on out, the work ethic is unbelievable, and that's what you like to see as a coach."