Wolves Feel Young Again
September 25, 2003 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Chicago Wolves News Release
The Chicago Wolves have named Wendell Young  the only man in hockey history to win all four major North American championships  as an assistant coach. The retired Wolves goaltender will instruct the goalies and be responsible for the strength and conditioning of the team while continuing to serve as the team's executive director of team relations, a position he has held since the 2001-02 season.
The 40-year-old, who served as the goaltending coach for the National Hockey League's Calgary Flames from 2001 to 2003, is the only player in history to have won the Turner Cup, Stanley Cup, Memorial Cup and Calder Cup. Young is the Wolves franchise leader among goaltenders in games-played (322); wins (169); saves (8,467); minutes (17,912); and shutouts (16), and is the only player in team history to have had his jersey retired.
"Not many teams at this level have a goaltending coach or a strength and conditioning coach," said Young, who has been with the Wolves since the team's 1994 inception. "It just goes to show how committed the Wolves are to winning. It also shows how committed they are to developing the [Atlanta] Thrashers' prospects. I'm going to follow Atlanta's protocol with strength and conditioning, so when players are called up, they're not in for a shock and they know what's expected of them.
During the final season of his 18-year professional playing career, the Halifax, Nova Scotia, native helped the team climb from last place to first place, winning nine of his last 11 games to finish 17-16-3 during the regular season, earning his seventh consecutive trip to the postseason and his third Turner Cup Finals appearance in four years. Young was named the IHL's Man of the Year and the Professional Hockey Players' Association US Airways Man of the Year for his outstanding community service during the 2000-01 season.
A member of both the 1998 and 2000 Turner Cup Championship teams, Young set a Wolves record and ranked second in the IHL with a personal-best 32 wins (32-12-4) in 1999-2000, eclipsing his previous mark of 31 wins (31-14-3) set in 1997-98. Young also placed second in the league with a Wolves-record and personal-high six shutouts. During the 2000 Turner Cup Playoffs, he posted a 5-3 mark with a 3.32 goals-against average to capture his second Turner Cup Championship with the Wolves and his fifth professional title overall.
A member of the 1991 and 1992 Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup Championship teams, Young played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League, compiling a 59-86-12 record in 187 NHL games with the Vancouver Canucks (1985-1987); Philadelphia Flyers (1987-88); Tampa Bay Lightning (1992-1994); and Penguins (1988-1992 and 1994-95).
Young was named the American Hockey League Playoffs Most Valuable Player in 1988, registering a 12-0 record to lead the Hershey Bears to the Calder Cup Championship.
Vancouver's third choice in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, Young won the 1981 Memorial Cup with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League.
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