Hurricanes sign Chase Wheatcroft to AHL deal with Chicago Wolves

The Carolina Hurricanes added Chase Wheatcroft to a one-year AHL contract, giving the Chicago Wolves a 6-foot-3 center with recent Dallas Stars pedigree and a clear path into the middle of the lineup. It is the kind of move that quietly shapes an affiliate roster, where one stable forward can help protect younger players from being pushed into roles they are not ready to carry.

Wheatcroft, 24, became a free agent after Dallas did not extend him a qualifying offer. NHL.com lists him as a left-shooting center from Calgary, Alberta, born May 28, 2002, at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, a frame that gives Chicago another forward built to handle minutes in traffic and around the net.

Dallas signed Wheatcroft to a three-year entry-level contract on March 18, 2023, after he had posted 101 points and ranked second in Western Hockey League scoring. PuckPedia listed that deal at $2,587,500 total with a cap hit of $862,500 per season, and it expired at the end of the 2025-26 season. That junior production, paired with a recent stretch inside an NHL organization, is what makes this AHL signing more than just another summer depth add.

For Carolina, Wheatcroft fits the kind of support piece teams use to stabilize the affiliate level. He gives the Wolves another center/forward option who can absorb assignments, help balance the lineup, and keep Chicago from leaning too heavily on younger prospects when injuries or NHL recalls hit. If he settles in quickly, the contract can also serve as a low-cost bridge to something more, whether that is a two-way opportunity down the line or an emergency-callup option when the Hurricanes need bodies during the season.