The newest installment of the Chicago Wolves’ Your Favorite Number series, presented by Jewel-Osco, delivers four forwards who scored a bunch of key goals for the Wolves. Take a look and then pick your favorite one who wore No. 14!
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, we are creating 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. 14: Lee Davidson, Brad Tapper, Jordan Lavallee-Smotherman and Tim Miller.
Davidson played in the first Wolves game on Oct. 1, 1994, and quickly became that team’s No. 2 scoring threat behind Steve Maltais. The Winnipeg native stacked up 28 goals and 36 assists during the 1994-95 regular season and added two scores during the team’s inaugural playoff appearance. Davidson posted six goals and 14 assists during the first 18 games of the 1995-96 season before becoming the headliner in a six-player deal with the Atlanta Knights that brought Doug Barrault, Eric Dubois and Corey Beaulieu to the Wolves.
Tapper joined the Wolves when the organization moved from the International Hockey League to the American Hockey League in 2001. He quickly became a fan favorite and racked up 14 goals and 12 assists during the 2001-02 season. The Scarborough, Ontario, native added three goals during the Calder Cup Playoffs, which included the game-winner in Game 4 of the Calder Cup Finals against Bridgeport. Tapper split the next season between the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers and the Wolves. He finished his Wolves tenure with 24 goals and 34 assists in 98 games — but returned in 2014 to spend two years as an assistant coach for John Anderson.
Drafted by Atlanta in the fourth round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, Lavallee-Smotherman turned pro with the Wolves in 2006-07 and racked up 16 goals and 18 assists. He added 20 goals and 22 assists the following year while helping the Wolves hoist the 2008 Calder Cup — while also making his NHL debut and scoring his first NHL goal for the Thrashers. The Corvallis, Oregon, native finished his three-year Wolves run with 55 goals and 52 assists in 219 appearances.
After playing for four years at the University of Michigan, Miller made his Wolves debut midway through the 2010-11 season. On March 11, 2011, Miller tied the franchise record for fastest goal by scoring just nine seconds into the Wolves’ 5-4 shootout loss to Peoria. The Davisburg, Michigan, native played with the Wolves for parts of four seasons and produced 32 goals with 32 assists in 168 regular-season appearances. He also notched two goals in the 2012 Calder Cup Playoffs.
To vote for your favorite Wolves player who wore No. 14, visit one or more of the team’s social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) and make your opinion known!
If you missed any of the previous episodes, here they are:
Your Favorite Number 2
Your Favorite Number 3
Your Favorite Number 4
Your Favorite Number 5
Your Favorite Number 6
Your Favorite Number 7
Your Favorite Number 8
Your Favorite Number 9
Your Favorite Number 10
Your Favorite Number 12
Your Favorite Number 13
