The Chicago Wolves are back in the American Hockey League’s Calder Cup Finals for the first time since capturing the championship in 2008. The Wolves face the Eastern Conference champion Charlotte Checkers in the best-of-seven series that begins Saturday, June 1, at Bojangles’ Coliseum.
Head coach Rocky Thompson’s Wolves, who won the Central Division and then defeated the Grand Rapids Griffins, Iowa Wild and San Diego Gulls to capture the Robert W. Clarke Trophy that goes to the Western Conference champion, become the seventh team in the franchise’s 25-year history to reach the Finals. Chicago won the Calder Cup in 2002 and 2008 as well as the International Hockey League’s Turner Cup in 1998 and 2000. The Wolves fell in the 2005 Calder Cup Finals and the 2001 Turner Cup Final.
Charlotte, the Atlantic Division champion, led all 31 AHL teams during the regular season with 110 points and a .724 winning percentage to claim home-ice advantage throughout the postseason. American Hockey League rules call for a 2-3-2 series when teams are located more than 300 miles apart, so the Wolves host Games 3, 4 and 5.
The official schedule for the 2019 Calder Cup Finals:
| Game 1 | Saturday, June 1 | Bojangles’ Coliseum | 5 p.m. | Watch |
| Game 2 | Sunday, June 2 | Bojangles’ Coliseum | 5 p.m. | Watch |
| Game 3 | Wednesday, June 5 | Allstate Arena | 7 p.m. | Tickets |
| Game 4 | Thursday, June 6 | Allstate Arena | 7 p.m. | Tickets |
| Game 5* | Saturday, June 8 | Allstate Arena | 7 p.m. | Tickets |
| Game 6* | Thursday, June 13 | Bojangles’ Coliseum | 6 p.m. | Watch |
| Game 7* | Friday, June 14 | Bojangles’ Coliseum | 6 p.m. | Watch |
These serve as the first games between the Wolves and the Checkers since Charlotte shifted from the Western Conference to the Eastern Conference prior to the 2017-18 season. Chicago and Charlotte last met in the 2017 Central Division Semifinals when the Wolves claimed the best-of-five series with a 3-2 home win in Game 5. While the Wolves don’t return any players from that series, the Checkers’ roster features eight holdovers. That includes right wing Andrew Poturalski, the leading scorer in the 2019 Calder Cup Playoffs with 8 goals and 10 assists.
Every home game will be broadcast on The U Too, which can be found over the air on 26.2 and via cable or satellite on XFinity 230, Dish Network 48, RCN 35 and WOW 170. Fans can see all Calder Cup Finals games for just $24.99 at TheAHL.com/AHLTV.
All fans attending Calder Cup Finals games at Allstate Arena receive free parking courtesy of your Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana Kia dealers. The arena’s concession stands will feature discounted prices on beer, soda, hot dogs, pretzels and other goodies.
To purchase Calder Cup Finals ticket packages, visit ChicagoWolves.com/Playoffs or call 1-800-THE-WOLVES. Single-game tickets also can be purchased by visiting Ticketmaster.com, calling Ticketmaster (800-745-3000) or visiting the Allstate Arena box office.
