Are you ready for the newest installment of the Chicago Wolves’ Your Favorite Number series, presented by Jewel-Osco?
Over the course of the organization’s first 26 years, most Wolves jersey numbers have been shared by several great players. To celebrate their brilliance — and to link them together in our memories — we are unveiling highlight reels of Wolves who wore the same jersey number and asking you to vote for your favorite.
This week’s video features four Wolves who excelled while wearing No. 6: Dallas Eakins, Karl Stewart, Andre Benoit and Vince Dunn.
Dallas Eakins wore four numbers during his four-plus seasons with the Wolves, but he spent most of his time in No. 6 — including when the Wolves captured the 2002 Calder Cup. Eakins was a blue-line staple for all 25 postseason games that year as he contributed six assists and endless toughness to the cause. Eakins posted 14 goals and 68 assists during his 260 regular-season appearances in Chicago from 1999 through 2003. Not long after he retired, Eakins launched his coaching career that included eight full seasons as an AHL head coach. He’s currently preparing for his second year as the Anaheim Ducks’ head coach.
Karl Stewart wore No. 6 immediately after Eakins and become a fan favorite during his three seasons from 2003-06. Joining the Wolves at the age of 20 straight out of the Ontario Hockey League, Stewart recorded 48 goals, 58 assists and 596 penalty minutes during his 207 regular-season games. He also racked up six goals and five assists in 22 Calder Cup Playoff games.
Andre Benoit owned 179 games of NHL experience when he joined the Wolves for the 2015-16 season. The gregarious defenseman was named an alternate captain and played like a leader all year long. He posted eight goals and 25 assists in 72 regular-season games and earned a spot in the AHL All-Star Challenge. Benoit retired after the 2017-18 season.
At the tender age of 19, defenseman Vince Dunn joined the Wolves for the 2016-17 season. The Mississauga, Ontario, native scored a goal in his professional debut on Oct. 15, 2016, and kept right on rolling. He piled up 13 goals and 32 assists during his rookie year while helping the Wolves win the Central Division. He earned a spot on the St. Louis Blues’ roster the next year and put his name on the Stanley Cup when the Blues won the title in 2019.
To vote for your favorite Wolves player who has worn No. 6, visit one or more of the team’s social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) and make your opinion known!
If you missed the previous episodes, here they are:
Your Favorite Number 2
Your Favorite Number 3
Your Favorite Number 4
Your Favorite Number 5