For the 15th time in team history, the Chicago Wolves are postseason-bound. After their 3-2 overtime loss to the Milwaukee Admirals, along with the Iowa Wild’s 4-3 shootout loss, the Wolves clinched a playoff berth. What does it mean for the five-time league champions to be in search of their fourth Calder Cup Trophy?
A Wolf Hunt for the Calder Cup
For the second season in a row, the Wolves are looking to bring back another title to the organization, which has won five league titles, three of them as American Hockey League (AHL) champions. Their last one came in 2022 with a stacked roster that included Jack Drury, Stefan Noesen, Jalen Chatfield, Pyotr Kochetkov, and others. Their two other AHL Calder Cup titles came in 2022 and 2008. While it has been a little bit, this Wolves team looks ready to bring home their fourth Calder Cup.
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After clinching a playoff spot on Sunday, interim head coach Spiros Anastas stated, “It’s always great to clinch as early as you can. But we’re not that interested in clinching fifth place. We’re interested in staying in second, but we have to earn it. To be in a top-tier position in this league, you have to earn it every single night.” The Wolves so far this season are 30-19-8-6 with nine games remaining. Their last game is on April 19 against the Admirals, and the playoffs begin on April 20.
The success of the Wolves this season was spearheaded by the three-headed monster of Bradly Nadeau, Justin Robidas, and Felix Unger-Sorum. Between the three forwards, they have 57 points (Robidas), 56 points (Unger-Sorum), and 51 points (Nadeau). Also, we cannot forget Ryan Suzuki, who has 46. Overall, those four players have a combined 210 points. That’s some serious firepower for Anastas heading into the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs.
The blue line has been solid for the Wolves this season as well, especially when not having Charles Alexis Legault and Joel Nystrom for long periods between injuries and call-ups. Furthermore, Domenick Fensore has 33 points in 54 games, 10 of those being goals. He is one of 16 defensemen in the AHL to have 10 or more.
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When it comes to goaltending, Cayden Primeau and Amir Miftakhov have been holding down the crease. Primeau has a record of 18-9-6 with a 2.52 goals-against average (GAA) and a .912 save percentage (SV%). It also helps that he has three shutouts on the season, along with an assist. After losing him to waivers to the Toronto Maple Leafs and re-claiming him, the Hurricanes and Wolves appreciate having Primeau back within the organization.
Miftakhov, in his own right, has a 9-8-7 record with a 3.47 GAA and a .882 SV%. He also has one shutout in 25 games compared to Primeau’s 33. While it’s been an up-and-down season for the rookie netminder, he has shown growth over the season and has potential with more time in the AHL. Regarding Primeau, the Wolves will rely heavily on him as they look to make a deep playoff run.
All in all, it’s good to see the Wolves back in the playoffs once again, especially after getting bounced early last season in a sweep to the Rockford IceHogs. This postseason, expect a hungry Wolves team to prove to people that they are legit. It’ll be an interesting journey to see if they can claim their sixth overall title and fourth Calder Cup. Either way, it’ll be fun to watch. Alexa, play Hungry Like the Wolf by Duran Duran.
