‘A constant culture of belief’

June 12, 2026

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WOLVES SET FOR RUN AT SIXTH LEAGUE TITLE

With each passing series, the Wolves appear more and more like a team of destiny.

After a hard-fought Western Conference Finals against the Colorado Eagles, the Wolves have advanced to the 2026 Calder Cup Finals where they will face the Toronto Marlies in a best-of-seven series that begins with Game 1 on Friday night at Allstate Arena.

During their run through the postseason, the Wolves have faced adversity against the Texas Stars, Grand Rapids Griffins and Eagles, respectively, and each time battled through it to stay alive.

“It’s such a resilient group and a group that rallies together no matter the circumstance,” Wolves coach Spiros Anastas said of his team. “They’re never down, they’re never too high. This past series really showed our identity. We just have to be who we are. If we play to our identity, we’ll have a really great chance to win this.”

The Wolves appeared down and out against the Eagles, needing to win two consecutive games in a hostile environment in Colorado to advance and they did just that.

According to Anastas, it all came down to believing in each other—starting with the coaching and support staff.

“Everybody on our staff—and I mean everybody from our equipment managers to our athletics trainer to our coaches—have such an utmost belief in this group and there’s never any panic from us,” Anastas said. “That trickles down to the team. These guys never panic. They have such a belief in each other.

“Everybody is a leader in their own way on our team,” he continued. “When you have that kind of pulse in your locker room, anything is possible. It’s just a constant culture of belief and pulling on the rope for each other and I think that’s what makes us never out of a game.”

The journey is not yet complete. The Marlies stand between the Wolves and their sixth league championship. Anastas knows it won’t be an easy task to hoist the Cup in the end.

“(The Marlies) are a very mature, veteran team that has a lot of high-IQ players,” Anastas said. “They have some reinforcements, a couple of guys who didn’t even play in a regular season game in the American League so it’s a bit of a different look for us.”

The Wolves and Marlies faced off four times during the 2025-26 regular season with each team winning twice—including once in each building. Forward Noel Gunler led the Wolves in scoring with a goal and four assists in the four contests while Skyler Brind’Amour and Dominik Badinka each had two goals. Marc Johnstone and Jacob Quillan led the Marlies in scoring against the Wolves, each with four points.

“They’re super-well-coached with John Gruden, Michael Dyck and Mark Giordano,” Anastas said. “It’s going to be a great chess match and that really excites you as a hockey coach.”

The teams have met twice previously in the postseason with the Wolves prevailing in the 2008 Western Conference Finals in five games and the Marlies taking the 2014 Western Conference Semifinals in four contests.

Thanks to finishing with a better regular-season record than the Marlies—the Wolves went 36-21-8-7 for 87 points while Toronto was 36-26-5-5 for 82 points—Chicago has home-ice advantage with Games 1 and 2 at Allstate Arena and, if necessary, Games 6 and 7.

“It means the world to us,” Anastas said of having the home edge. “We love our fans, we love our ice, we love our building and we hope we can pack it. We just want to make all our followers proud. They’ve been there for us all season through thick and thin. It’s a big advantage.”

–Chris Kuc

MIFTAKHOV’S MOMENT

Wolves goaltender Amir Miftakhov’s mind was spinning.

After receiving the news that he was taking the net for Games 6 and 7 of the Western Conference Finals against the Colorado Eagles, he quickly called his father.

‘I’m playing tomorrow, so maybe you’re not gonna sleep these next two nights,’ he calmly expressed to him.

Miftakhov had remained patient and upbeat, ready for whenever his chance could come. When Cayden Primeau went down with an injury during Game 5 against Colorado, it was Miftakhov’s opportunity.

“I love to play hockey, and I was waiting a long time, but it was okay for me if I’m not playing,” Miftakhov said. “(Primeau) was playing great and I’m trying to support him as much as I can as I know he would for me. Things happen and you have to make the best of it.”

That he did.

The 26-year-old native of Kazan, Russia, backstopped the Wolves to two consecutive wins–both on the road–to help his team secure a trip to the Calder Cup Finals.

Miftakhov was sensational in net, stopping 75 of 80 Eagles shots in Games 6 and 7.

For a netminder who admitted it was his first Game 7 of his hockey career, he stayed composed and never let the moment get too big.

“I woke up in the morning (of Game 7) and was feeling good,” he said. “It’s a dream to play in these games and in front of my teammates.”

His dream continues in preparation for a series against the Toronto Marlies that begins Friday night at Allstate Arena.

He is particularly excited to potentially play against Marlies starting goalie Artur Akhtyamov–a friend and fellow countryman.

“We are from the same city so it’s pretty cool to maybe go against him,” Miftakhov said. “I think we’re not going to talk during this series and catch up after it’s all done. It’s very interesting. I couldn’t even imagine that we would play against each other in the Finals.”

–Danny Karmin

 

IMPACT NETWORKING PLAY OF THE WEEK

During Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals against the Eagles on Monday night in Colorado, Wolves forward Ryan Suzuki broke a 2-2 tie with his fifth goal of the postseason. The veteran wheeled into the offensive zone and wired a wrist shot from the top of the left circle that solved Eagles netminder Trent Miner to the stick side.

 

C.D.E. COLLISION CENTERS’ COLLISION OF THE WEEK

Wolves forward Ivan Ryabkin delivered an open-ice check to the Colorado Eagles’ Matt DiMarsico during Game 6 in Colorado.

SAVE OF THE WEEK

Wolves goaltender Amir Miftakhov denied Colorado’s T.J. Hughes’ chance with a sprawling blocker save in Game 6 against the Eagles.

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE finals rewind (4-3)

THURSDAY, MAY 28

Wolves 3, Eagles 2: Justin Robidas had a goal and an assist and Bradly Nadeau and Noel Gunler each scored—all tallies came on the power play—to propel the Wolves to a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven American Hockey League series.

SATURDAY, MAY 30

Eagles 5, Wolves 2: Joel Nystrom and Ivan Ryabkin scored but the Wolves couldn’t hold a third-period lead as the Eagles rallied.

TUESDAY, JUNE 2

Eagles 3, Wolves 2: Domenick Fensore and Cal Foote each scored in the third period for the Wolves but it wasn’t enough.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3

Wolves 2, Eagles 1: Bradly Nadeau had a goal and an assist and Justin Robidas scored to help the Wolves even the  series at 2-2.

FRIDAY, JUNE 5

Eagles 7, Wolves 3: Skyler Brind’Amour, Justin Robidas and Bradly Nadeau scored for the Wolves but the Eagles again rallied for the win.

SUNDAY, JUNE 7

Wolves 3, Eagles 2: Ronan Seeley notched the winner late in the third period and Juuso Valimaki and Joel Nystrom also scored to propel the Wolves.

MONDAY, JUNE 8

Wolves 4, Eagles 3: Noah Philp and Ryan Suzuki each had a goal and an assist, Bradly Nadeau and Ivan Ryabkin scored and Juuso Valimaki added two assists to help the Wolves sweep back-to-back contests in Colorado and advance to the Calder Cup Finals.

First Star of the WEEK

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For information on Wolves tickets for the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs, visit ChicagoWolves.com or call 1-800-THE-WOLVES.