Next in a series looking back at the Wolves’ five league championships.
By DANNY KARMIN
The 2007-08 Chicago Wolves can be characterized in three ways: Duos, records and moustaches.
The Wolves, on their way to their fourth championship, and third in eight seasons, had established themselves as one of the franchise’s best and most memorable.
Forwards Jason Krog and Darren Haydar formed the one-two scoring punch that brought the Wolves fans out of their seats — as well as coach John Anderson.
“I remember there was a game … when Haydar took the puck into the offensive zone, button-hooked toward the corner and threw a pass without looking right on the tape of Krog, who fired it in,” Anderson said. “I thought right away this could be something special.”
Krog finished the ’07-08 campaign as the AHL’s Triple Crown leader, pacing all AHL skaters in goals (39), assists (73) and points (112). Haydar placed second on the team in points per-game average (1.14) with 58 in 51 games.
The pair helped the Wolves cruise through the regular season and top the West Division with a 53-22-2-3 record.
It was more of the same in the playoffs.
Haydar and Krog set individual postseason streaks that still stand to this day: Haydar an 11-
game assist streak (May 9 – June 4) and Krog a 13-game point streak (May 7 – June 6).
“Their regular seasons were a bit of a foreshadowing of what could happen (in the postseason),” Anderson said.
Despite the accolades and streaks, the one series that challenged Chicago was the Division Finals against the rival Rockford IceHogs.
Rockford featured an assortment of up-and-coming NHL players like Corey Crawford, Kris Versteeg, Bryan Bickell, Troy Brouwer, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Colin Fraser.
After Chicago won the first two games of the series, Rockford stole the next three and pushed the Wolves to the brink.
In need of a spark, the team sought a grooming change.
Forward Colin Stuart suggested that the team shave their playoff beards into moustaches to alleviate the intense levity of the do-or-die situation.
“Stuart brought it up right before the game, and we were immediately on board,” Wolves forward Steve Martins said. “So that became the motto for the rest of the playoffs for us and the rest is history.”
The Wolves won the next two games to win the series and advance to the Western Conference Final. They defeated Toronto in five games and then Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in six to win their fourth title.
Whether it was the moustaches or destiny, the 2008 Wolves will always be remembered for their scoring prowess and personality.
“On our 2008 Championship rings, we actually have a little moustache that was engraved into it,” Martins said. “So that was a nice little thing that I will remember forever, too, with that team.”
The 2008 Calder Cup champions
Players: Jason Krog, Brett Sterling, Jesse Schultz, Darren Haydar, Steve Martins, Joel Kwiatkowski, Nathan Oystrick, Jordan Smotherman, Alexandre Giroux, Brian Fahey, Joey Crabb, Kevin Doell, Karel Pilar, Bryan Little, Joe Motzko, Andre Deveaux, Colin Stuart, Grant Lewis, Boris Valábik, Scott Lehman, Chad Denny, Brian Sipotz, Colton Fretter, Guillaume Desbiens, Chad Painchaud, Arturs Kulda, Matt Anderson, Tomas Pospisil, Mike Hamilton, Angelo Esposito, Riley Holzapel, Ryan Reid, Jim Slater, Jared Nightingale, Kari Lehtonen, Fred Brathwaite, Robert Gherson, Ondrej Pavelec.
Head Coach: John Anderson.
Coming soon: Part Five, the 2022 Calder Cup. For Part Three of the series, go here.