Photo: Ross Dettman/AHL
The Chicago Wolves and Carolina Hurricanes have agreed to a three-year affiliation agreement that will see the Wolves serve as the top development affiliate of the Hurricanes beginning in 2024-25.
As part of the agreement, the Hurricanes will oversee the Wolves’ hockey operations decisions.
“We’re excited to reestablish our AHL affiliation with Chicago, and thankful that we could find a solution which worked for both clubs,” said Hurricanes president and general manager Don Waddell. “Many of our prospects have already had success with the Wolves, both individually and as a team, and we’re happy to have secured a consistent environment for their development.”
The Hurricanes were previously affiliated with the Wolves from 2020 to 2023, a relationship that included two division titles and the 2022 Calder Cup championship. Current Carolina players to skate for the Wolves during that time include Jack Drury, Seth Jarvis, Stefan Noesen, Jalen Chatfield and Pyotr Kochetkov.
Carolina also won a Calder Cup championship while affiliated with the Charlotte Checkers in 2019; their prospects that season included current NHL’ers Martin Necas, Morgan Geekie, Jake Bean, Nicolas Roy, Haydn Fleury, Steven Lorentz and Alex Nedeljkovic.
The Wolves have won 10 division titles and three Calder Cups (2002, 2008, 2022) since joining the American Hockey League in 2001. Chicago operated without an NHL affiliation in 2023-24, finishing seventh in the Central Division with a record of 23-35-7-7 (60 points).