By: Chris Cook | AHL Rhythm
Along the back wall of the Chicago Wolves locker room are rows of locker rooms right next to each other. Gavin Bayreuther and Dominic Badinka.
The closeness between the two is no accident — once the Wolves’ 2025-26 American Hockey League roster was set, it was decided that the defensemen should spend as much time together on and off the ice as possible.
Bayreuth was the teacher.
Badinka is a student.
But as the season progressed, a family bond developed between the two. Call him the eldest brother, the 31-year-old Bayreuth, and the younger brother, the 19-year-old Badinka.
Perhaps this may make the old Bayreuth a little dissatisfied.
“Maybe like father and son,” Badinka said with a smile. “No, he’s like a big brother to me. I’m so happy to have him.”
The duo is an unlikely pairing that includes the grizzled veteran Bayreuther — a father of two young girls from Canaan, N.H., who has played in 122 National Hockey League games and another 247 AHL games in a career that has spanned 10 seasons to date — and Badinka, a fresh-faced junior from Chomutov, Czech Republic who will be spending his first full season in North America.
“It was intentional to put the two together,” the assistant coach said Spiros Anastaswho manages the Wolves defense. “We think Badinka has a very young rookie defender who can use the guidance and experience that Bayreuth brings.
“Gavin is really excited about this opportunity,” Anastas continued. “The communication between them in the locker room, in the locker room stalls, on the ice, during practices and even mid-game makes Dominic feel like he has his own personal coach.”
Personal trainer and now close friend.
“We talk to each other all the time and do extra training together,” Badinka said. “He helps me with his experience. Obviously, he’s always there and he makes it easier for me when he’s on the ice. He helps me a lot. He’s a great guy.”
Bayreuth, who signed a free agent deal with the Carolina Hurricanes on July 11 after spending last season with Lausanne HC of the Swiss Ligue 1, had two goals in mind when he signed the deal: return to the NHL and impart some knowledge to the Wolves’ young players in the process.
This is how Badinka’s coaching began.
“I love it,” said Bayreuther, who was recently recalled to the Hurricanes after suffering a series of injuries on the blue line. “My dad was a lacrosse coach when I was growing up, so I have that in me as well. I just try to take pride in helping and treating Dominic like I wanted to be treated when I was that age.”
With Bayreuth, Badinka is starting to fulfill the potential the Canes saw when they selected him in the second round (34th overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft.
So far this season, Badinka has scored two goals in 12 games and has a plus-3 rating while establishing himself as a reliable defender.
“I’m learning every game,” said the 6-foot-3, 183-pound Badinka. “I’m still getting used to some things, but I want to get better every game. As far as points, it’s not there, but for me, it’s not about points. I’m just happy to be playing at this level.”
These quality minutes are sure to catch the attention of a proud instructor.
“I understand why he went early in the second round,” Bayreuther said. “He’s a great player. Good kid, wants to learn. He impressed me.”
The coaching staff has also been impressed with the speed of Badinka’s development.
“His ability to seal defensively, his confidence on players with the ball, his ability to contain players without the ball, his ability to use his speed to solve problems and his penetration is phenomenal,” Anastas said. “I can tell you the truth: I didn’t expect this to happen so early in the season. Having the same [Bayreuther] Made him realize the options available, the effort required to break the puck and the benefits of playing a 200-foot game. Badinka will be a real priority for the Carolina Hurricanes. “
Education isn’t limited to the games on the ice. Bayreuther also showed Badinka what it’s like to be a professional athlete off the ice – not easy for a teenager living in the United States for the first time.
“He offered to help me come to the United States and move into my new apartment,” said Badinka. “He and others have been very willing to help me.”
Anastas said: “Their relationship is very good. They are like an older brother and a younger brother. Bayreuth gives him guidance on everything, like how to prepare for games, how to stretch, how to prepare for training, what to do after training, extra work and nutrition after training. I hear them talking about everything from being a hockey player to how to live a better life.”
For Bayreuth, it has become a symbiotic relationship that benefits both parties.
“I’m trying to teach him some of the things that I have and I’m learning from him,” Bayreuther said. “I was a freshman in college when I was that age, so I was very impressed with that kid.”
