Tension Continues Between Carolina & AHL-Chicago Ownership Groups Over Team's Practice Facility

Things appeared to be heading in a positive direction as the Chicago Wolves and Carolina Hurricanes came to a working resolution in May with the Hurricanes assuming full control of the hockey operations aspects of the Wolves beginning with the 2024-25 season on a three-year agreement with two one-year options that could extend the affiliation as far out as the 2029-30 season.

Here was our initial story reporting on that agreement -> https://insideahlhockey.com/article/changing-of-the-guard-ahl-chicago-gives-up-full-control-of-hockey-operations

Based off everything InsideAHLHockey.com has learned over the summer, 'Cause Chaos' might have multiple meanings for the Hurricanes organization and how it relates to how they operate their AHL affiliate in Chicago this season. And it certainly appears at the very least that Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon isn't quite taking the AHL franchise's needs too seriously.

"The AHL is just practice games, they don't even matter," one source told InsideAHLHockey.com that Dundon reportedly said of the top minor league of the NHL, suggesting the organization's approach to how they will utilize their AHL affiliate housing its top prospects this season.

Immediately following the announcement of the new affiliation agreement, within hours of the official announcement, the Hurricanes' first move was getting rid of Wolves GM Wendell Young followed shortly thereafter with the parting of ways with longtime athletic trainer Kevin Kacer.

Interestingly enough, the Wolves, with no need for medical supplies moving forward now that the Hurricanes are responsible for all costs associated with hockey operations for the AHL club, donated their supplies to Notre Dame College Prep in Niles, Illinois - a local secondary school where Kacer is currently employed as the school's head athletic trainer.

The biggest glaring issue at hand presently for the Chicago Wolves and their AHL operation this season, according to multiple sources who have confirmed to InsideAHLHockey.com in recent weeks, is that the Hurricanes still haven't secured a place for their AHL team to practice this fall with AHL training camps approaching toward the end of this month.

And here's where it gets interesting.

According to a source familiar with the situation, there's a contract dispute with the Chicago Wolves' practice setup in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The Wolves own the final year of the lease at the Scott R. Triphahn Community Center & Ice Arena and, according to the source with direct knowledge, the Hurricanes don't want to pay to use the facility.

The prevailing rumor is that Wolves owner Don Levin would allow the Hurricanes to use all of the workout equipment and hockey-related tools on-site at the practice facility for free if the Hurricanes pick up the tab for the final year of the lease - which technically is a hockey operations cost that the Hurricanes agreed they would assume 100% of the costs incurred therein back in May.

"So, there's no practice facility," an AHL source said. "The Wolves told them they'll split [the cost of the lease in Hoffman Estates]. "The Wolves offices are upstairs, and the team could have the facility downstairs, and Carolina will not pay. They want it for free."

As of Wednesday evening, the two sides were "still working on it".

"They don't have anyone that knows how things work, because Don Waddell left and no one else has run a minor league team before within their management group," one AHL source said, referring to Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky and assistant GM Tyler Dellow and associate general manager Darren Yorke, who was recently named the Chicago Wolves' GM. "They don't have anybody with experience."

During the pandemic season, then-GM Wendell Young gave fans a virtual tour of the facility on the team's YouTube channel. The facility includes two sheets of ice, a full changing area and locker room, a separate coaches room, a gym with workout equipment, a sauna, hot tub, underwater treadmill and numerous other amenities.

That video of the facility on the Wolves' YouTube channel can be viewed here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTXANu79K00), for those more interested.

The Carolina cost-cutting corners don't stop there, either.

The Wolves equipment staff was reportedly told to search the secondary market for used equipment for their players for the upcoming season, including helmets. Apparently, the Hurricanes also offered up their used leftover equipment from the NHL team from this past season as well.

On the surface, it doesn't appear that the Hurricanes' red-colored equipment will suffice the affiliation agreement which InsideAHLHockey.com learned includes a stipulation that the Chicago Wolves must wear its own team colors (which primary color is maroon) throughout the duration of the affiliation.

"The Wolves had new equipment, and Carolina didn't want to buy that. Dundon told the equipment manager to use Carolina gloves and pants and only one white helmet. They'll send some used helmets from Carolina," a source with direct knowledge explained. "That's the mentality."

To date, the Wolves have signed six players to AHL standard player contracts for the 2024-25 season in addition to Hurricanes players that can be assigned to the AHL - with one source indicating those six AHL deals accumulate a combined total of $397,000.

The same source indicated teams like the Hershey Bears and Toronto Marlies have over $2 million apiece in AHL-only contracted players signed for the upcoming season, while some high-end AHL contracts for players around the league this off-season were signed for upwards of $500,000/season per player.

In addition to a lack of AHL depth on the roster, another hiccup occurred in late August when former Wolves head coach turned Wolves assistant coach for the upcoming season, Bob Nardella, terminated his contract and parted ways with the Wolves entirely - a person who has been affiliated with the Chicago Wolves for nearly their entire existence as an AHL franchise.

That someone under contract would walk away - and potentially be permanently out of a job in the hockey world - is certainly eye-opening to the perceived lack of communication and organization with regards to how things are being put together for the Chicago Wolves for the upcoming season.

Within a few days of our first report on Nardella terminating his contract (that story here: https://insideahlhockey.com/article/report-bob-nardella-terminated-his-contract-to-be-the-wolves-assistant-coach-in-2024-25), the Hurricanes announced the hiring of two assistant coaches - Spiros Anastas and Dan Price - and a video coach - John Stainer - for the Wolves' coaching staff under first-time AHL head coach Cam Abbott.

There's still time to finalize an agreement to secure the practice facility in Hoffman Estates, or potentially another local youth hockey rink in the surrounding area, but not having a set-in-stone plan for the AHL team's practice arrangements so close to the beginning of AHL training camp - along with all of the other inconveniences thrown the coaching staff and players' way - it's safe to say Carolina's full control of their AHL operation in Chicago is off to a rocky start.