Rocky Thompson’s tenacity leads Wolves in 1st season as coach

Rocky Thompson’s playing career had ended a decade earlier and he was four years removed from coaching in the AHL when the Chicago Wolves called.

His new job as coach of the Golden Knights’ minor league affiliate didn’t exactly get off to a roaring start.

The Wolves had won just four games by the end of November, but luckily Thompson is no stranger to fighting back – a tenacity he’s taught to his players.

“He’s believed in us from day one,” defenseman Jason Garrison said. “The guys have really taken to it, and we’ve built a chemistry and culture, and it’s been successful so far.”

Thompson – whose Wolves now threaten to take over first place in the Central Division – was also a Golden Gloves boxer. The fighter showed through in his 1,919 penalty minutes – 10th all-time in the AHL – and his 94 fights. Though level-headed and positive on the Wolves bench, Thompson still carries some of that spark.

“I’m not emotional, I’m passionate. That’s what I try to pass on to my players,” Thompson said. “When you’re emotional, you make mistakes, and when you’re passionate there’s energy. Then you’re calculated in what you do.”

The way Thompson has turned around the Wolves is no surprise. He led the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League from worst to second place in the division. Thompson joined the Wolves just 10 days after he coached the Spitfires to a 2017 Memorial Cup win.

The 39-year-old has been coaching since his professional playing days wrapped up 11 years ago, with stops in the WHL, AHL and NHL, but Chicago is only his second gig as a coach.

“When you’re surrounded by great people, you get better every day,” Thompson said. “Particularly being in this division, which is very well-coached … you learn from those situations when you up against them consistently. I’ve learned a lot this year and I’m always trying to learn more.”

Home ice dominance

The Wolves have a 21-9-2-0 record at Allstate Arena, and they have the opportunity for six more wins at home before the regular season ends.

“Playing at home is huge for us. We’ve been very successful and guys feel comfortable,” Garrison said. “It’s important for sure, especially in trying to get home ice in the playoffs.”

Another bonus for Chicago: distance. The Wolves have three more away games, but they won’t have to travel far. The longest commute is five hours to Des Moines, and the road finale has back-to-back games in Milwaukee and Rockford – less than two hours away.

“At this time of year, you get a little tired, your body gets tired, you don’t want to be on the road as much,” defenseman Zac Leslie said. “It allows guys to get the rest they need, the recovery … You’re doing what you need to do to be ready for the next day.”

First round showdown

The Wolves saw the Grand Rapids Griffins for the last time in the regular season on Sunday in a 3-2 shootout win, but it may not be long before the two teams meet again.

Grand Rapids is hot on the heels of Chicago for second place in the division. If the teams finish second and third in the standings, there’s a good chance they’ll be first round opponents in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

The Wolves won the season series against the Griffins 6-2-0-0, but Grand Rapids will be looking to defend its 2017 Calder Cup Championship come April.

“They’re well-prepared, they’ve got a great history, they just won the Calder Cup and you can see how hard they play,” Thompson said. “We’ve had some success against them this year, it’s always fun when we play them, but at the end of the day, our team just wants to get into the playoffs.”

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Contact Emily Polglaze at enpolglaze@gmail.com. Follow @enpolglaze on Twitter