For this edition of the Your Favorite Number series, presented by Jewel-Osco, we shine the spotlight on four excellent players who brought honor to the No. 21 and won a lot of games along the way.
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 clips feature four Wolves who made a difference while wearing No. 21: Gordie Roberts, Tom Tilley, Kevin Doell and Scooter Vaughan.
Roberts was one day shy of his 37th birthday when he suited up for the Wolves’ inaugural game on Oct. 1, 1994. By that time, he already owned legendary status in the hockey world — having played 311 WHA games (all with the New England Whalers) and 1,097 NHL contests (most with the Minnesota North Stars). Not only did the two-way defenseman roll up 103 goals and 503 assists prior to joining the Wolves, he helped the Pittsburgh Penguins win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992. Roberts posted six goals and 23 assists during the 1994-95 season, which included assisting on the first goal in Wolves history.
When the Wolves lured Tilley to town before the 1997-98 season, the Trenton, Ontario native already had 10 years of professional excellence on his resume — including four seasons with the NHL’s St. Louis Blues. Tilley provided exactly what the Wolves needed — a playmaker on the blue line. He rolled up nine goals and 49 assists during the 1997-98 regular season, then delivered two goals and 17 assists in the postseason as the Wolves captured their first Turner Cup. Tilley provided 34 regular-season assists for the 2000 Turner Cup champs and finished his four years in Chicago with 17 goals and 141 assists.
Doell proved to be such a sought-after teammate, he enjoyed three separate stints with the Wolves and wound up fifth on the franchise’s all-time list with 375 games played. The Saskatoon native capped his first stretch with the Wolves by producing 16 goals and 17 assists for the 2008 Turner Cup champs. He then took turns spending seasons in Europe and Chicago — capping his Wolves tenure in 2011-12. Doell produced 69 goals and 106 assists with the Wolves and his 175 points rank 12th on the all-time list.
Vaughan ranks among the most versatile players in Wolves history as well as one of the best-loved for all of the connections he made with fans and charities during his three seasons in Chicago (2015-18). The California native, who played forward and defense, posted 11 goals and 27 assists during his 174 regular-season appearances. Vaughan closed out his career with perhaps the AHL’s finest honor: He earned the 2018 Yanick Dupre Man of the Year award for his contributions to people and organizations throughout Chicago.
To vote for your favorite Wolves player who wore No. 21, 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
Your Favorite Number 14
Your Favorite Number 15
Your Favorite Number 16
Your Favorite Number 17
Your Favorite Number 18
Your Favorite Number 19
Your Favorite Number 20
