Hurricanes name Spiros Anastas full-time Wolves coach after strong finish

Chicago’s second-half response was strong enough to erase the interim label. The Carolina Hurricanes named Spiros Anastas the Chicago Wolves’ head coach on April 21, locking in the 40-year-old after he steadied the club through a crucial stretch and pushed it to the Central Division’s No. 2 spot.

Anastas had been running the bench since Dec. 12, 2025, when Cam Abbott was relieved of his duties. From that point on, Chicago went 25-14-5-6 in 50 games, a run that did more than keep the Wolves afloat. It put them firmly back into the playoff picture and carried them to a second consecutive postseason berth under Anastas.

The finish carried real weight in a division where every point mattered. Chicago ended the regular season with 87 points in 72 games, good for second place behind the Grand Rapids Griffins, who topped the Central with 107 points. In a tight race that also included Texas, Manitoba, Milwaukee, Iowa and Rockford, the Wolves were not just surviving after the coaching change. They were winning at a pace that changed how the organization viewed the rest of the year.

The promotion also gives Carolina a clearer structure heading into offseason roster planning, when AHL continuity can shape everything from prospect development to call-up readiness. Darren Yorke, the Hurricanes’ associate general manager and the Wolves’ general manager, made the move official, formalizing a decision that reflects how the club evaluated the second-half turnaround.

For Anastas, the job became a reward for proving that the response behind the bench was sustainable, not temporary. He had joined the Wolves’ coaching staff on Aug. 28, 2024, and now becomes the 15th head coach in franchise history, with Chicago choosing to build forward on the version of the team that emerged after December rather than treat it as a short-lived correction.