The people have spoken. When it came to selecting the best Chicago Wolves of the 2010s, they were big on history and on results. They liked veterans who spent years representing the franchise the right way. They also liked youngsters who helped the team reach great heights.
After the fans spent the last three weeks voting position-by-position, here are the players deemed the best of the best over the last 10 years. It’s a remarkable group that would have done great things collectively — had they ever enjoyed the opportunity to take the ice together. Heck, maybe we can get a few of them to put on the skates one more time in order to make this happen!
Without further ado, let’s cue the public-address announcer and introduce the…
WOLVES ALL-DECADE TEAM
Six months ago, Binnington was on top of the world after backstopping the St. Louis Blues to their first Stanley Cup championship. Earlier this week, he earned a spot in the NHL All-Star Game to be played Jan. 25 in St. Louis. Clearly, “Binner” has come a long way since spending 2014-17 in a Wolves uniform, when the Richmond Hill, Ontario, native posted a 59-40-12 record with 6 shutouts, a 2.62 goals-against average and .911 save percentage in 118 games.
Hague spent the final few weeks of the 2018-19 season with the Wolves. He played five games with us earlier this season. But the young giant from Kitchener, Ontario, made his reputation with the Wolves (and the fans) last season when he was a blue-line stalwart for the squad that rolled all the way to the Calder Cup Finals. Hague racked up 13 goals and 19 assists during the regular season, then added four crucial goals and seven assists during the postseason.
RIGHT DEFENSEMAN: ZACH WHITECLOUD
Who was paired with Hague for so much of the magical 2018-19 season? That’s right, Zach Whitecloud. Though both were rookies, both played like veterans who had been working together for years. Whitecloud led the American Hockey League with his +39 plus/minus rating while racking up six goals and 22 assists during the regular season. Then, despite suffering a painful injury, Whitecloud battled through the playoffs and produced three goals and 12 assists.
Brett Sterling began this decade by wrapping up his first run with the Wolves. After two years away, the Los Angeles native returned for one season. Then, after three years in Europe, he returned for two final seasons where he put his goal song “California Love” back on the Allstate Arena hits list. Sterling stacked up 57 goals and 59 assists in 179 regular-season games for the Wolves during the 2010s. His 250 career goals share 43rd on the AHL’s list.
CENTER: JASON KROG
After earning the AHL’s 2008 MVP award while leading the Wolves to the Calder Cup title, Jason Krog left for one season before returning to the fold for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons. As always, Krog piled up the points. The Fernie, British Columbia, native produced 30 goals and 83 assists in 122 Wolves games in this decade. After his Wolves tenure closed, he went to Europe and played five years before retiring at the age of 40.
Way back in the 2006-07 season, Brett Sterling, Jason Krog and Darren Haydar teamed up for the first time. Now they’re together again on this All-Decade team as Haydar was the overwhelming choice as the right wing. The Milton, Ontario, native stacked up 68 goals and 120 assists during his final three seasons in Chicago (2010-13). He also set the AHL’s all-time records for postseason goals (63) and assists (80) and will be inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame on Jan. 27.
Voting took place on our social media channels. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their opinions. Can’t wait to do it again 10 years from now!
