Report: Bob Nardella Terminated His Contract To Be The Wolves' Assistant Coach in 2024-25
Chicago Wolves
Multiple sources have confirmed to InsideAHLHockey.com that Bob Nardella, the head coach of the Chicago Wolves this past season, had a contract with the Carolina Hurricanes to be an assistant coach of the Wolves under new head coach Cam Abbott's staff for the 2024-25 season.
Nardella recently resigned earlier this month citing the Hurricanes' lack of organization on how things with the AHL affiliate were being put together for the upcoming season.
One source revealed Carolina has since been working to fill Nardella's recent vacancy, and that the Wolves will have two assistant coaches under Abbott this fall.
This news comes after quite an uneventful offseason for Carolina at the AHL level, as now the Hurricanes have full control of the Wolves' AHL hockey operations along with 100% of the costs therein.
To date, the Wolves have announced just six players (defenseman Bryce Montgomery and forwards Dominic Franco, Danny Katic, Sahil Panwar, Nikita Pavlychev and Nick Swaney) on AHL contracts for the 2024-25 season with an AHL source indicating those six contracts total under $400,000.
That number is significant when understanding that some high-end AHL level free agents have signed contracts for $400k or more this summer, though the Hurricanes haven't signed any high-level AHL free agents to AHL deals this summer.
It seems the Hurricanes haven't had much success in being able to sign AHL-level free agents this summer, with two of their main signings ticketed for the AHL coming in the form of forward Josiah Slavin (whose brother Jaccob is a member of the NHL club) and defenseman Joakim Ryan (a one-time former member of the Hurricanes organization who has spent the last several years overseas).
Carolina also acquired defenseman Ty Smith via trade last spring as well as signed defenseman Riley Stillman to an NHL two-way contract in free agency this summer for the upcoming season.
It's possible that Tyson Jost could be assigned to Chicago, but he would have to pass through waivers in order to do so. Goaltender Spencer Martin also needs waivers to be sent to the AHL.
There could be more contracts coming as training camps approach, but as it stands the Hurricanes' AHL affiliate has plenty of prospects turning pro with little to no depth or talented veterans to help them along this season.
An Early Look At the 2024-25 Chicago Wolves
Going by PuckPedia.com's projected NHL roster for Carolina (13 forwards + RFA forward Seth Jarvis, seven defensemen and goaltenders Frederik Anderson and Pyotr Kochetkov), here is what the AHL's Chicago Wolves appear to be working with to start the season.
Goaltenders (2): Spencer Martin and Yaniv Perets
Defensemen (9): Charles Alexis-Legualt, Domenick Fensore, Anttoni Honka, Aleksi Heimosalmi, Bryce Montgomery (AHL contract), Joakim Ryan (veteran), Ronan Seeley, Ty Smith, Riley Stillman (veteran-extra)
Forwards (13): Jackson Blake, Dominic Franco (AHL), Noel Gunler, Juha Jaaska, Danny Katic (AHL), Sahil Panwar (AHL), Nikita Pavlychev (AHL), Justin Robidas, Nick Swaney (AHL), Josiah Slavin, Ryan Suzuki, Gleb Trikozov, Felix Unger Sorum
