July 22, 2016

Left wing Brett Sterling, the No. 2 goal-scorer in franchise history, has signed a contract to rejoin the Chicago Wolves.

The Los Angeles native and Chicago resident stacked up 167 goals and 141 assists in 302 games during his first two stints with the Wolves, which included a primary role for the 2008 Calder Cup champions.

“The Wolves are extremely pleased to bring Brett back into the fold,” said Wolves general manager Wendell Young. “He continues to compete and score goals, as proven by his work in Austria. He goes to the net and puts the puck in the net.”

Sterling, 32, spent the last two seasons helping EC Red Bull Salzburg capture back-to-back Austrian Hockey League championships. In 2015-16, Sterling produced a team-high 33 goals in 46 regular-season games and added 8 goals in 17 postseason appearances as the team reclaimed the Austrian Cup.

Sterling launched his professional career with the Wolves in 2006-07. He made an immediate impression as he scored an American Hockey League-best 55 goals in 77 games to earn the Dudley “Red” Garrett Memorial Award as the AHL’s rookie of the year in addition to the Willie Marshall Award that goes to the league’s top goal-scorer. The following year, Sterling notched 38 goals and 33 assists as he teamed with Jason Krog and Darren Haydar on the prolific line that led the Wolves to the 2008 Calder Cup title.

The four-time AHL All-Star posted 143 goals and 263 points in 254 games during his initial four-year run with the Wolves, then returned for the 2012-13 season and paced the franchise with 24 goals despite playing just 48 games due to injury. The Colorado College graduate also has contributed 5 goals and 4 assists in 30 NHL games split between the Atlanta Thrashers (2007-09), Pittsburgh Penguins (2010-11) and St. Louis Blues (2011-12).

Sterling and the Wolves host the franchise’s 23rd home opener on Saturday, Oct. 15, at Allstate Arena. To take advantage of the team’s limited Flex Pack special, which provides 12 ticket vouchers for the price of 10, visit ChicagoWolves.com or call 1-800-THE-WOLVES.