Welcome to Wolves Insider, presented by Rivers Casino: the weekly report that brought you the latest Chicago Wolves news as head coach Ryan Warsofsky’s team captured the the organization’s fifth league championship!
CELEBRATE WITH US TUESDAY AT ALLSTATE ARENA!
The Chicago Wolves have brought home the Calder Cup — and now it’s time to share it with you! Join us Tuesday at Allstate Arena to celebrate our fifth league championship! The fun starts at 5:30 p.m. and this will be your chance to visit with your Wolves heroes, collect autographs and take pictures with the Calder Cup!
The doors open at 4:30 p.m. Parking is free in the arena’s South Lot and everyone should enter through the South Doors.
Before the championship rally, visit ChicagoWolves.com and take a look at the remarkable images award-winning Wolves photographer Ross Dettman captured during (and after) Game 5 at MassMutual Center. It’s a photo gallery worthy of one of the best AHL teams in decades.
After earning the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy for posting the AHL’s best regular season, the Wolves kicked it up another notch in the postseason and outscored their opponents 76-35 — an unprecedented +41 goal differential.
No AHL team had doubled their opponents’ output since the 1988 Hershey Bears — backstopped by Wolves general manager Wendell Young — went 12-0 and outscored teams 60-28 on their way to the Cup.
GET THE GEAR
The Chicago Wolves are Calder Cup champions again — and you deserve to celebrate with the best championship gear!
To find the perfect fit, visit ChicagoWolvesStore.com to order the same T-shirts and hats that the players wore after wrapping up Game 5. There’s a Youth size as well. There are plenty of additional options that include Violent Gentlemen T-shirts, hoodies and tank tops. Don’t forget to make your postseason puck collection complete with a Champions puck.
TOP LINE
JOSH LEIVO
Leivo earned the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy awarded to the AHL’s postseason Most Valuable Player after a legendary run. Leivo’s 15 goals are three more than any other Wolves player in postseason history and his 29 points are the third-most in franchise annals — and the most in the AHL postseason since Jason Krog’s 38 points in 2008.
ANDREW POTURALSKI
At 9:43 p.m. on Saturday, June 25, in Springfield, Massachusetts, the Wolves captain accepted the Calder Cup from AHL President and CEO Scott Howson and carried it over to his teammates to share. Poturalski stacked up 8 goals and 15 assists during the postseason run, which included 3 goals and 6 assists and a +5 plus/minus rating during the five-game Finals.
PYOTR KOCHETKOV
The rookie from Russia didn’t join the Wolves until Feb. 15, but he made an indelible impact with an 18-2-1 record between the regular season and the playoffs. Kochetkov earned three wins in four days during the Finals, which featured a 36-save shutout during Game 3 and a 39-save effort during Game 4 to pull the Wolves within one game of the Cup.
REWIND (3-0)
SATURDAY, JUNE 25: CHICAGO 4, (AT) SPRINGFIELD 0
- The Wolves captured their fifth league championship while becoming the first team in AHL history to have two goaltenders earn shutouts in the same Calder Cup Finals series.
- Defenseman Max Lajoie opened the scoring late in the first period and then forwards Andrew Poturalski, David Gust and Josh Leivo followed while Jack Drury handed out two assists.
- Goaltender Alex Lyon posted 28 saves for his second shutout and ninth win of the playoffs.
FRIDAY, JUNE 24: CHICAGO 4, (AT) SPRINGFIELD 2
- Rookie center Jack Drury and veteran forward Richard Panik scored power-play goals in the first period to spark a 3-0 lead that turned into a Game 4 victory and a 3-1 series lead.
- Forwards Andrew Poturalski and Josh Leivo delivered one goal and one assist apiece and Stefan Noesen tied the team’s postseason record with 4 assists.
- Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 39 shots to earn his third win in four days.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22: CHICAGO 4, (AT) SPRINGFIELD 0
- Rookie goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov stopped all 36 shots he faced to spark the Wolves to the Game 3 win and secure a 2-1 lead in the Calder Cup Finals.
- Forwards Richard Panik, Ivan Lodnia and Stefan Noesen and defenseman Jalen Chatfield scored goals while Josh Leivo and Jack Drury handed out 2 assists apiece.
- Kochetkov improved his postseason record to 4-1 and his goals-against average to 1.58.
THE ROAD TO THE CALDER CUP CHAMPIONSHIP
DATE | VENUE | HIGHLIGHTS | FIRST STAR | SECOND STAR | THIRD STAR |
Thursday, May 12 | Allstate Arena | CHI 6, RFD 2 | Stefan Noesen (2G, A) | Joey Keane | Cavan Fitzgerald |
Saturday, May 14 | Allstate Arena | CHI 4, RFD 1 | Jack Drury (2A) | Max Lajoie | CJ Smith |
Sunday, May 15 | MetroCentre | CHI 4, RFD 1 | Alex Lyon (29 saves) | Richard Panik | Mitchell |
Saturday, May 21 | Allstate Arena | CHI 6, MIL 2 | Josh Leivo (G, A) | Jalen Chatfield | Jamieson Rees |
Sunday, May 22 | Allstate Arena | CHI 8, MIL 2 | Stefan Noesen (3G) | David Gust | Andrew Poturalski |
Wednesday, May 25 | Panther Arena | MIL 4, CHI 2 | Cooley (47 saves) | Glass | Blujus |
Friday, May 27 | Panther Arena | CHI 5, MIL 1 | Josh Leivo (3G) | Vasili Ponomarev | Stefan Noesen |
Friday, June 3 | Allstate Arena | CHI 5, STK 4 (OT) | Josh Leivo (2G, A) | Stefan Noesen | Jamieson Rees |
Monday, June 6 | Allstate Arena | CHI 3, STK 2 | Josh Leivo (GWG) | Pyotr Kochetkov | David Gust |
Wednesday, June 8 | Stockton Arena | CHI 3, STK 0 | Alex Lyon (23 saves) | Richard Panik | Ivan Lodnia |
Friday, June 10 | Stockton Arena | STK 4, CHI 3 (OT) | Gawdin (GWG) | Wolf | Kirkland |
Saturday, June 11 | Stockton Arena | STK 3, CHI 2 (OT) | Mackey | Pelletier | Duehr |
Tuesday, June 14 | Allstate Arena | CHI 3, STK 0 | Pyotr Kochetkov (28 saves) | Ivan Lodnia | Andrew Poturalski |
Sunday, June 19 | Allstate Arena | SPR 5, CHI 4 (OT) | Kessel (GWG) | Lyle | Peca |
Monday, June 20 | Allstate Arena | CHI 6, SPR 2 | Stefan Noesen (4A) | Andrew Poturalski | Josh Leivo |
Wednesday, June 22 | MassMutual Center | CHI 4, SPR 0 | Pyotr Kochetkov (36 saves) | Richard Panik | Josh Leivo |
Friday, June 24 | MassMutual Center | CHI 4, SPR 2 | Andrew Poturalski (G, A) | Pyotr Kochetkov | Richard Panik |
Saturday, June 25 | MassMutual Center | CHI 4, SPR 0 | Alex Lyon (28 saves) | Andrew Poturalski | Lindgren |