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The Carolina Hurricanes are reportedly on the verge of signing a multi-year affiliation agreement with the Chicago Wolves.
The news was reported by Tony Androckitis from InsideAHLHockey.com, who said the two organizations are finalizing a deal that will see them working together.
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The Wolves chose to operate on their own starting from the 2023-24 season, which resulted in the Carolina Hurricanes losing their AHL affiliate.
The agreement, when finalized, will span three years with the possibility of two one-year extensions, further solidifying the partnership.
This development likely brings relief to both teams as they have been hinting at a potential agreement in recent weeks.
Carolina Hurricanes General Manager Don Waddell addressed the situation during a media availability on Wednesday, saying:
"We're working on it daily. We've been working on it."
He added that he had another call scheduled later in the day to discuss finalizing the AHL affiliation agreement:
"I feel that there's a very quick timeline that we are going to have a deal to be able to announce and get back to where we all need to be," Waddell told local media via conference call.
Similarly, Wolves GM Wendell Young expressed optimism about a future affiliation agreement in a team-released end-of-season interview on April 24:
"We're trying to get some stuff done with a possible NHL affiliation very soon," Young said. "Hopefully, it all falls into place again and we get back to some normalcy of the Chicago Wolves and winning."
The deal was expected to be finalized last week, but a late issue emerged that needed to be resolved.
Carolina Hurricanes GM on signing multiple entry-level contracts
The Carolina Hurricanes have been signing several of their prospects to entry-level contracts in recent weeks, a move that Waddell explained was made with the knowledge that they would be able to reach a deal and secure a place for their prospects to play.
"I feel very confident that we're going to have a place for all our prospects to play," Waddell said, revealing just how close the two sides are to finalizing the affiliation agreement.
Waddell recently announced signing goaltender prospect Ruslan Khazheyev to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal will pay Khazheyev $775,000 at the NHL level and $82,500 at the AHL level over the next three seasons, along with $210,000 in signing bonuses.
Waddell expressed optimism about the 19-year-old Russian netminder's upside:
"Ruslan is a big goaltender who moves extremely well for his size and has good instincts in the crease. He has had a strong junior career in Russia, and we’re excited to see him transition to the pro level in North America," Waddell said.
In 28 games this past season for Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk of the MHL, Russia's top junior league, Khazheyev posted a 16-5-2 record with a 2.19 GAA and .927 save percentage. He also made his debut in Russia's second-highest pro league, recording a 1.00 GAA in limited action.
