Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League, making the Wolves the official AHL affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights. Under the terms of the affiliation arrangements, the Golden Knights will be able to transfer players to and from Chicago during the 2017-18 season.

"If you look at George McPhee's history, he has always been a general manager who believes that winning is an important part of developing players," said Wolves owner Don Levin. "Professional playoffs are different than the regular season and he understands that and he wants his players to be ready to win."

The Wolves finished first in the 2016-17 Central Division and made it to the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs before falling to the Grand Rapids Griffins. The team finished with its best regular-seasonwinning percentage (.664) since 2008. The Golden Knights' first signee, Reid Duke, joined the Wolves on April 7 after signing a professional tryout contract.

The Wolves will be the primary affiliate of the Golden Knights.

Founded as part of the International Hockey League in 1994, the Chicago Wolves have enjoyed two decades of consistent success on the ice as home to some of the most prominent names in American hockey, like Chris Chelios, Troy Murray and Rob Brown. When the IHL folded in 2001, the franchise joined the AHL.

About American Hockey League Affiliates

An American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate is an NHL organization's highest level of minor league affiliation.

Throughout the season, AHL players will be promoted ("recalled") to the partner NHL club for a number of reasons. If an NHL player