An NHL first-round pick. A forward with one of the game’s greatest slapshots. A fiery center who built a great reputation in Chicago. And, finally, an all-time fan favorite who went on to enjoy a long NHL career. These are your four choices for this edition of the 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, 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. 24: Derek MacKenzie, Mark Mancari, Colin Fraser and Jordan Schmaltz.
MacKenzie’s career was the personification of persistence. He turned pro with the Wolves in 2001 at the age of 20 and won a championship right away as he posted 13 goals during the 2001-02 regular season. Then, in the playoffs, he suited up for all 25 games and contributed three goals and two assists as the Wolves captured the 2002 Calder Cup.
The Sudbury, Ontario, native spent six seasons with the Wolves — four brief stints with the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers mixed in — and stamped his name all of the franchise’s history books. His 377 games rank fourth. His 83 goals share eighth with J.P. Vigier. His 184 points stand 10th. After leaving the Wolves, he spent three more years trying to earn a full-time job in the NHL before finally breaking through with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2010-11. MacKenzie wound up playing 611 NHL games, scoring 51 goals and 74 assists and becoming the Florida Panthers’ captain. Now he’s in his second year as a Panthers assistant coach — working for Joel Quenneville.
Mancari joined the Wolves in 2011-12 with a massive reputation thanks to the record-setting 102.8 mile-per-hour slap shot he unleashed during the 2008 AHL All-Star Skills competition. The lanky London, Ontario, native didn’t disappoint during his first season with the Wolves as he posted a team-high 30 goals and 58 points to help Chicago win the Midwest Division title. He returned to the team in 2013-14 and contributed nine goals and 22 assists in 44 games before being moved to the Florida Panthers at the trade deadline.
Fraser brought a champion’s resume back to Chicago when he suited up for the Wolves in 2014-15. He played 70 regular-season games for the Blackhawks’ 2010 Stanley Cup champions, then helped the Los Angeles Kings bring home the 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cups. “Fraz” delivered intensity at both ends of the ice for the Wolves as he contributed nine goals and eight assists in 59 games during his final season in North America.
Schmaltz was the St. Louis Blues’ first-round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. He opted to spend three years at the University of North Dakota before turning pro with the Wolves in 2015. The Wisconsin native was a staple on the blue line during his rookie year and ranked second on the squad with 30 assists. During his two seasons in Chicago, Schmaltz posted nine goals and 52 assists in 113 games while also earning his first stint with St. Louis. Schmaltz played 20 regular-season games for the 2018-19 Blues squad that went on to capture the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.
To vote for your favorite Wolves player who wore No. 24, 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
Your Favorite Number 21
Your Favorite Number 22
Your Favorite Number 23
