As the 2010s come to a close, we’re taking advantage of this opportunity to reflect on all of the terrific players and teams the Chicago Wolves have put on the ice over the last 10 years. It’s also time to vote for the Wolves’ All-Decade Team.
During this decade, the Wolves have captured six division titles (2010, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019) and stormed all the way to the 2019 Calder Cup Finals.
We have identified our goaltender, center, right wing and left-shot defenseman. Now we move on to the right-shot defensemen, which is a group of players with similar backgrounds. All of them are from Canada. Only one of them was drafted, but all of them have worked their way to success. It’s not going to be easy to choose the winner. Here are the candidates for the honor of Wolves Right-Shot Defenseman of the Decade in alphabetical order:
WOLVES ALL-DECADE CANDIDATES
Which Wolves defenseman scored the most goals in one season this decade? Say hello to Dylan Coghlan, an undrafted free agent who stacked up 15 goals and 25 assists in 66 games — even though he didn’t turn 21 until Feb. 18. Coghlan boasts a lethal slap shot, which he used to produce 10 power-play goals last season (tied for the most among all AHL defensemen). He’s on pace for 10 more power-play goals this year.
The Wolves acquired Brent Regner late in the 2012-13 season from the Peoria Rivermen and it turned out to be a terrific steal. The ultra-reliable Regner spent two more seasons with the Wolves and provided nine goals and 45 assists in 141 regular-season games. He also served as the captain for the 2014-15 squad. The Alberta native made his NHL debut in 2015-16 with the Florida Panthers and currently plays for Salzburg in Austria.
This Toronto native was 20 years old when he made his Wolves debut in 2011. Though Tanev went undrafted, he was an NHL talent virtually from the moment he turned pro. He contributed two goals and 24 goals in 63 games for the Wolves between the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons, but has played for the Vancouver Canucks ever since. Tanev is just 17 games away from his 500th NHL game as he has been a blueline mainstay for Vancouver.
Yet another defenseman who was not drafted, Whitecloud played two seasons at Bemidji State and then had a bunch of NHL teams hawking him. The Manitoba native signed with Vegas and spent last year — his rookie season — with the Wolves. All he did was lead the AHL in plus-minus rating with a +39. Known for always making the right play and moving pucks efficiently out of the defensive zone, Whitecloud has posted seven goals and 24 assists in 95 regular-season games for the Wolves. He also scored three goals and handed out 12 assists during the postseason run to the 2019 Calder Cup Finals.
Voting takes place on our social media. Visit Facebook, Twitter or Instagram Stories to offer your vote! The balloting for right-shot defensemen closes Saturday, Dec. 28, and then we’ll start the final poll — left wings — on Sunday. We’ll unveil the All-Decade team on New Year’s Eve!
