Bob Nardella Named Head Coach of Chicago Wolves
June 13, 2023 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Chicago Wolves News Release
GLENVIEW, Ill. - The Chicago Wolves announced Tuesday that Bob Nardella has been named Head Coach of the American Hockey League team.
One of the most accomplished players in Wolves history, Nardella was promoted to assistant coach on July 12, 2017, after serving two seasons as skills development coach and three seasons as a part-time assistant for the franchise.
During his six seasons as a full-time assistant, the 55-year-old Nardella helped lead the Wolves to the 2022 Calder Cup championship, the 2019 Calder Cup Finals and four Central Division crowns - 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022.
Wolves general manager Wendell Young:
"Having been a member of the Wolves family for decades, no one embodies the organization's team philosophy more than Bob. His accomplishments as a player are well-documented, but it's his skills as a coach that make him the perfect man to lead the Wolves during the 2023-24 season."
Chicago Wolves Head Coach Bob Nardella:
"It's a thrill. I never really dreamed to be the head coach of the organization that I played with and coached under so I'm very lucky. It's worked out great.
We fully expect to win championships here and our first step is to get back in the playoffs so we can try to accomplish that."
A former defenseman, Nardella ranks second on the team's all-time regular-season list for games (476), fifth in assists (239) and sixth in points (298) after spending six full and three partial seasons with the Wolves. He was a key player when Chicago captured the 1998 and 2000 Turner Cups as well as the 2002 Calder Cup.
The Melrose Park, Ill., native made his Wolves debut during the team's inaugural season in 1994-95. After spending one season in Italy and another in Germany - punctuated by his first of two appearances in the Winter Olympics with Italy's national team - Nardella returned to the Wolves as a player in 1997.
The Wolves, who will play as an independent AHL team without an affiliation to an NHL club during the 2023-24 season, have announced that their '23-24 home opener is scheduled for Oct. 14 at Allstate Arena. The remainder of the regular-season schedule will be released next month.
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