FITTING RIGHT IN

December 26, 2024

Welcome to Wolves Insider, presented by Are You Really Winning?: The weekly report that gives you an inside look at the latest Chicago Wolves news and happenings. Look for a new edition of Wolves Insider each week.

NEWCOMERS MAKE BIG IMPACTS

It doesn’t seem to matter who is inserted into the lineup for the Wolves these days as they keep winning with whomever is taking the ice.

With injuries and call-ups to the Carolina Hurricanes, the Wolves have seen their roster depleted at times and in need of reinforcements.

In December alone, the Wolves have signed five different forwards–Ethan Keppen, Cam Hausinger, Yanick Turcotte, Trenton Bliss and Jordan Martel–to Professional Tryout Contracts (PTOs) and each has made a big impact during a month in which the Wolves have gone 7-1-1-0.

“We’re getting contributions from everybody pulling the jersey on,” Wolves coach Cam Abbott said. “You need to highlight the guys who have just been joining us the last couple of weeks. They’ve done a great job along with some of our leaders. Everybody has been pulling on the rope.”

In December, Martel has two goals, Bliss a score and Keppen two assists while Turcotte and Hausinger have added grit as each has a fighting major.

“It comes from them individually being really good hockey players,” Abbott said of the impact from the newcomers. “Opportunity is important and guys get that opportunity and combined with the excitement of joining this group, the appreciation level and I think the style of play allows them to come in and outwork their opponents. It’s making sure they feel comfortable and just be themselves and play hard.”

Martel and Keppen remain on the roster with the Holiday Break set to end when the Wolves face the Admirals on Friday night in Milwaukee.

JOSIAH SLAVIN ‘VERY THANKFUL’

It has also been a December to remember for Wolves captain Josiah Slavin.

The forward missed the first part of the month following a scary incident during a game against the Moose on Nov. 23 in Manitoba.

On his first shift of that contest, Slavin suffered a collapsed lung after a hit and despite feeling tightness in his chest decided to play through it. The 25-year-old remained in the game—and even scored a goal—before he laid a reverse hit on a Moose player in the second period and experienced extreme pain.

“My whole right side felt like it shut down and I couldn’t breathe because of super-sharp pain,” Slavin said. “I got an X-ray off the ice and they said I needed to go the hospital right away.”

Slavin spent seven hours in a Winnipeg hospital before he was released. With his lung damaged, he wasn’t able to fly. That was when Wolves Head Athletic Trainer Austin Kasper came to the rescue. The next day, the two rented a car and made the 12-hour trek back to Chicago—with most of the time spent listening to and watching NFL games.

“Austin took great care of me and drove me all the way home,” Slavin said. “We had a good car ride together. It was a very unique experience for both of us.”

These days, Slavin is fully healed and back in the lineup. Since returning, he has a goal and two assists in five games—all Wolves victories.

“They said my lung looks normal now,” Slavin said. “It was about as minor as a lung collapse could have been so I’m very thankful for that.”

 

IMPACT PLAY OF THE WEEK

During last Friday night’s 3-2 victory over the Wild in Iowa, forward Jordan Martel scored two goals in his American Hockey League debut, including this one off a terrific pass from Justin Robidas to give the Wolves a lead they didn’t relinquish.

 

C.D.E. COLLISION CENTERS’ COLLISION OF THE WEEK

Forward Nikita Pavlychev lowered the boom on the Iowa Wild’s Liam Ohgren during the Wolves’ 4-1 win over the Iowa Wild on Saturday night at Allstate Arena. The hit resulted in Pavlychev and the Wild’s Reese Johnson dropping the gloves.

SAVE OF THE WEEK

With the Wolves holding a one-goal advantage in the second period of Saturday night’s contest against Iowa, goaltender Ruslan Khazheyev stoned the Wild’s Caeden Bankier to preserve the lead.

Weekly rewind (2-0-0-0)

FRIDAY, DEC. 20

Wolves 3, Wild 2: Jordan Martel had two goals in his American Hockey League debut and Noel Gunler also scored to help the Wolves run their points streak to seven games.

SATURDAY, DEC. 21

Wolves 4, Wild 1: Charles-Alexis Legault notched his first American Hockey League goal and Trenton Bliss, Noel Gunler and Juha Jaaska also scored to help the Wolves sweep the weekend home-and-home series and extend their winning streak to six contests.

First Star of the Week

Where we stand

14-9-2-0, third in the Central Division.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE