25 years and counting for Chicago Wolves
By John Dietz
jdietz@dailyherald.com
The Chicago Wolves, 2-0 in their silver anniversary season, have their home opener against the Grand Rapid Griffins at 7 p.m. Saturday at Allstate Arena.
The Wolves are 15-6-2-1 in home openers. Steve Maltais, the franchise's all-time leading scorer (454 goals, 497 assists in 11 seasons) and three-time league champion, drops the ceremonial puck.
The Wolves began the season last weekend with back-to-back victories over the Colorado Eagles. Defenseman Erik Brannstrom, a first-round pick of the Vegas Golden Knights, scored twice in the opener Oct. 5. The second goal came 48 seconds into overtime of the 3-2 win. Rookie center Reid Duke and newcomer Gage Quinney scored 2 goals the next night in a 5-1 win.
This marks the first time since 2012 - and sixth time in history - the Wolves are off to a 2-0 start. Fourteen players return from last season, including forwards Brandon Pirri (3 assists in the first two games) and Stefan Matteau (who scored last Saturday).
The Wolves, who have won the Central Division title the last two seasons, host the Milwaukee Admirals at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Here are 25 facts about the franchise:
1. First game
Oct. 1, 1994 - The Wolves lost 6-5 in a shootout against the Detroit Vipers.
2. First home game
Oct. 14, 1994 - The Wolves defeated Detroit 4-2 in front of a sellout crowd of 16,623. Wendell Young (now the GM) made 31 saves. Nancy Faust was the organist for Wayne Messmer's first rendition of the national anthem since he was shot in the throat six months earlier.
The Daily Herald's Tim Sassone wrote: "There was a terrific electric atmosphere on Friday, helped by the fact every seat was filled. And the fans were there to have fun, as evidenced by the slabs of sirloin tossed onto the ice. These guys are animals, remember?"
3. Championships
1998 Turner Cup (International Hockey League)
2000 Turner Cup (IHL)
2002 Calder Cup (AHL)
2008 Calder Cup (AHL)
4. Playoff appearances
19 in 24 seasons
5. Most games played
Steve Maltais - 839
Bob Nardella - 476
6. Most goals
Steve Maltais - 454
Brett Sterling - 193
7. Most points
Steve Maltais - 951
Rob Brown - 483
8. Most wins by a goalie
Wendell Young - 169
9. Jerseys retired
Wendell Young - 1
Steve Maltais - 11
The team also honors the late Tim Breslin (16) and Dan Snyder (19)
10. Most wins by a coach
John Anderson, a longtime Glen Ellyn resident, won 624 regular-season games and 110 postseason games during his 14 years behind the bench (1998-2008; 2014-16)
11. Longest game in franchise history
117 minutes, 22 seconds - A 4-3 loss to Rockford in Game 3 of the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs on April 26, 2018. Wolves goalie Max Lagace made 72 saves, breaking the franchise record by 14.
12. Most goals in a game
11 - against the Peoria Rivermen on Dec. 30, 2005, as they solved future Blackhawk Patrick Lalime and Chris Beckford-Tseu for 6 power-play goals
13. Top four Wolves to play in the NHL
1. Hall of Famer Chris Chelios capped his 28-year playing career with the Wolves in 2009-10.
2. Kari Lehtonen was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2002 NHL draft, started his professional career with the Wolves and went on to earn 310 NHL wins.
3. Bryan Little isn't a name most casual hockey fans know, but the Winnipeg Jets veteran got his start with the Wolves and has piled up 200 career goals during his 11-year NHL career. He was an important part of the Jets' push to the Western Conference finals last season.
4. Troy Murray, who scored 103 goals for the Blackhawks and 230 in the NHL, finished his career with a 21-goal, 29-assist campaign for the Wolves in 1996-97.
14. Best average attendance season
11,512 in 1994-95
15. Attendance in 24 years
More than 8 million
16. NHL affiliations
Atlanta Thrashers (2002-11)
Vancouver Canucks (2012-13)
St. Louis Blues (2013-17)
Vegas Golden Knights (2017-present)
17. Top promotions for Silver Anniversary
Free parking all season; "Star Wars" Night (Nov. 24); Teddy Bear Toss (Dec. 2); Superhero Night (Dec. 29); 25th anniversary edition trading cards (Jan. 19); Brandon Pirri Bobblehead giveaway (Feb. 2); Max Lagace Bobble Magnet giveaway (March 16).
18. Top returning players
Winger Brandon Pirri (29 goals in 57 games last year); C Orland Park native T.J. Tynan (15 goals, 45 assists in 70 games last year); G Max Lagace (14-5-1, 2.84 GAA); Oscar Dansk (13-3-2, 2.44 GAA); C Stefan Matteau (15 goals)
19. Last season
The Wolves owned the worst record in the AHL on Dec. 8, but Rocky Thompson's team then went on a franchise-record 13-game home winning streak and a franchise-record-tying 14-game point streak. The Wolves won the Central Division then were swept by the Rockford IceHogs in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs.
20. Home opener
7 p.m. Saturday vs. Grand Rapids.
21. Sweet home, Chicago
Forty-eight players have suited up for the Wolves and Blackhawks. That group includes Chris Chelios, Troy Murray, Eddie Olczyk, Adam Burish, Brent Sopel, James Wisniewski and Brandon Pirri.
22. Movin' on up
Thirty-one former Wolves were on NHL opening-night rosters
23. Movin' on up II
Nearly 60 percent of all players to wear the Wolves jersey have played in the NHL
24. Woof, woof!
The Wolves' Adopt-A-Dog program, which has featured one Adopt-A-Dog Night each month for the last 15 years, has resulted in almost 1,500 dogs finding forever homes.
25. He said it
"We've delivered four league championships, 19 playoff appearances, more than 1,000 wins and too many fireworks explosions and pyro blasts to count. We've stayed true to the ideals we were founded on. We wanted to be a team like our city, a team like Chicago: Tough, hardworking, community oriented. The support we had that very first night is the kind of support that is the lifeblood of this team. Giving our fans the best hockey, giving them a great experience, giving them wins - that's why we're still in the game all these years later. We're here to win it for our fans."
- Co-founder and owner Don Levin