As the Carolina Hurricanes continue their busy offseason, their AHL collaboration with the Chicago Wolves isn’t being overlooked. The two organizations have finally gotten back together… like ever, and will be staying together until the 2026-2027 season under a new agreement.
Near the end of the 2023-2024 regular season, the Hurricanes signed multiple major prospects within days of each other, despite the organization’s collaboration with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves being nonexistent. The Wolves were an independent AHL organization after their agreement with the Canes expired at the end of the 2022-2023 season. The results of the experiment didn’t end well for Chicago, with the Wolves having their worst season in franchise history. In 2022, Chicago won the AHL’s Calder Cup.
Chicago has been a hotspot of player development for Carolina prospects. Historically, Hurricanes stars such as Pytor Kochetkov, Seth Jarvis, Jalen Chatfield, Jack Drury, Stefan Noesen, Antii Raanta, and others have spent time with the Wolves. The wave of prospects signed in April, including Jackson Blake, Scott Morrow, Juha Jaaska, and others, will likely spend some parts of the 2024-2025 season under the Wolves organization.
On May 2, 2024, both organizations came to a three-year extension agreement. Part of this agreement includes the Hurricanes front office overseeing all of Chicago’s hockey operations.
On June 20, both organizations announced the hiring of head coach Cam Abbott. Abbott coached the Rogle BK in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) from 2017-2023. Rogle BK players will leave a mark on this summer’s NHL draft, including Simon Zether and Lucas Pettersson.
On June 21, the Hurricanes organization announced the re-signing of Ty Smith. Smith, who was brought from Pittsburgh in the Guentzel-Bunting trade, will likely be playing in Chicago with other re-signed Hurricanes prospects this next season. Recent prospect re-signings include Ryan Suzuki, who, like Smith, will be under a one-year deal.
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