Cerrato Takes Center Stage

October 29, 2026

Welcome to Wolves Insider, presented by Are You Really Winning?: The weekly report that gives you an inside look at the latest Chicago Wolves news and happenings. Look for a new edition of Wolves Insider each week.

rookie anchors wolves’ top line

Just three days before he was set to make his highly anticipated professional regular-season debut with the Wolves, the pain hit Charlie Cerrato.

In the Awful Timing Dept., Cerrato suffered an appendicitis just prior to the Season Opener, delaying the start of the forward’s 2026-27 American Hockey League campaign. The operation and recovery kept the second-round (No. 49 overall) selection by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft sidelined until Tuesday when the Wolves took on the Manitoba Moose at Allstate Arena.

The waiting game was arguably more painful than the appendicitis.

“It’s weird, they take it out and you’re banged up for a week and you feel good but then they’re like, ‘you have to wait, there’s still stuff healing,’ ” Cerrato said. “I was like, ‘man, I just sat out half the year last year (with an injury while at Penn State) so I was annoyed. But the surgery went well and the training staff was great to help make it an easy and smooth recovery.”

Cerrato then made centering the Wolves’ top line flanked by Bradly Nadeau and Felix Unger Sorum appear easy and smooth. The 21-year-old from Great Falls, Virg., recorded his first career multi-point game with assists on both Unger Sorum goals during the Wolves’ 6-3 victory that extended Chicago’s points streak to five games.

“It felt good to be out there,” Cerrato said. “I knew I was going to be a little rusty with the injury I had because I couldn’t really skate or work out. I just need to get better every game and hopefully get back to normal pretty quick.”

The desire to improve is what drives Cerrato, who was named to the 2024-25 Big Ten All-Freshman Team while at Penn State before last season’s injury-shortened campaign.

“I just want to keep getting better,” Cerrato said. “Adapt to the system, get more and more detailed every game, get my faceoffs to where they should be and do whatever I have to do to help the team win.”

When asked to describe his game, Cerrato replied, “compete, win draws, hit and make plays—that’s my game.”

–Chris Kuc

FORWARD THINKER

When Bryce Montgomery ripped a one-timer from the left dot past Milwaukee Admirals netminder Isak Posch during the Wolves’ 4-2 victory on Saturday night at Allstate Arena, the 23-year-old certainly looked the part of a forward.

Fact is, Montgomery is a defenseman who answered the call from Wolves coach Spiros Anastas for help up front.

“It’s something we talked about even last season that if they needed me to be up there and I said, ‘yeah, no problem,’ ” Montgomery said. “I want to be in the lineup no matter what. It was an opportunity that came up when we were short on forwards and I took it with no hesitation.”

Montgomery’s willingness to adapt paid off when he netted his first career American Hockey League goal, setting off a raucous celebration with his Wolves teammates.

“It’s been a while so I was wondering when it was going to come,” said Montgomery, who has spent parts of the last three seasons with the Wolves. “It was a really special moment to get that one in.”

Callups and injuries led to Montgomery’s shift to forward, though it was short-lived as he was back on defense later in Saturday’s game and then again during games Sunday and Tuesday, respectively.

What is the mindset when moving from the back end to up front?

“It’s pretty weird, I’m not going to lie,” Montgomery said. “I can’t really explain it—I just show up. It’s what they pay me to do. In the future now I just know I can go back and forth.”

Montgomery, a sixth-round (170^th overall) selection by the Hurricanes in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, believes his game is progressing as his career advances.

“One-hundred percent I feel like I’m taking a step,” Montgomery said. “It comes from experience. I’m older now and I’ve been around this group for a while and I kind of know the systems pretty well. It’s coming together a lot more and the more games and experience you get the more comfortable you feel.”

–Chris Kuc

 

IMPACT NETWORKING PLAY OF THE WEEK

During Saturday night’s tilt against the Milwaukee Admirals at Allstate Arena, Bryce Montgomery’s first career AHL goal staked the Wolves to a 4-0 lead early in the second period. After a cross-ice pass from Aleksi Heimosalmi, Montgomery wired a one-timer from the left dot that sailed by Isak Posch to the stick side.

 

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

Wolves defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph delivered a booming hit to the Manitoba Moose’s Parker Ford during Tuesday’s matchup at Allstate Arena.

 

SAVE OF THE WEEK

On Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee, Wolves goaltender Zach Sawchenko stopped the initial Admirals’ high-danger shot and denied Tyson Jost’s rebound bid. Sawchenko was sensational in net, stopping 38 of 39 shots.

Weekly rewind (2-0-0-1)

SATURDAY, OCT. 24

Wolves 4, Admirals 2: Aleksi Heimosalmi, Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Bryce Montgomery each had a goal and an assist and Viktor Neuchev also scored to propel the Wolves.

SUNDAY, OCT. 25

Admirals 2, Wolves 1 (SO): Viktor Neuchev scored for the Wolves but Chicago came up short and had its three-game winning streak snapped to settle for a split of the weekend series between the Central Division rivals.

TUESDAY, OCT. 27

Wolves 6, Moose 3: Felix Unger Sorum (two goals, assist), Pierre-Olivier Joseph (goal, assist), Bradly Nadeau (goal, assist), Justin Robidas (goal), Gabriel Seger (goal), Noel Fransen (two assists) and Charlie Cerrato (two assists) provided the offense as the Wolves won for the fourth time in five contests to erase an 0-4-0-0 start to the season.

First Star of the Week

Where we stand

4-4-0-1, fourth in the Central Division.

For information on Wolves tickets, visit ChicagoWolves.com or call 1-800-THE-WOLVES.