 He missed the majority of the 1996–97 season due to abdominal surgery, as he only played in 1 game with the Leafs, getting no points, and played in 14 games with the St. John's Maple Leafs, getting 7 points (5G-2A).For the 1997–98 and 1998–99 seasons, Pearson would find himself with the Chicago Wolves of the IHL, where he would have some good success.Pearson put up 51 points (34G-17A) in 78 games, then put up 18 points (12G-6A) in 21 post-season games in the 97–98 season, while the next year he had 36 points (23G-13A) in 62 games, before adding on 5 points (4G-1A) in 8 playoff games.