
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS AGAIN!
The Chicago Wolves wrapped up their fifth league championship Saturday night with a 4-0 victory over the Springfield Thunderbirds in Game 5 of the 2022 Calder Cup Finals.
Forward Josh Leivo earned the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the postseason Most Valuable Player after stacking up a franchise-record 15 goals along with 14 assists in 18 games. His 29 points were the most in the AHL playoffs since the Wolves’ Jason Krog produced 38 points for the 2008 Calder Cup champions.
At 8:43 p.m. Chicago time, AHL President and CEO Scott Howson presented the Calder Cup to Wolves captain Andrew Poturalski. Then the party began on the MassMutual Center ice.
THE ROAD TO THE CALDER CUP CHAMPIONSHIP
DATE//STATS | 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 |
The Calder Cup Finals featured the AHL’s regular-season champions in head coach Ryan Warsofsky’s Wolves — they set a franchise record with a .724 points percentage (50-16-5-5) — versus a Springfield squad that tied for the Atlantic Division title with a .625 points percentage.
The Wolves finished with the top four scorers in the playoffs in Leivo, Stefan Noesen (9G, 16A), Jack Drury (9G, 15A) and Andrew Poturalski (8G, 15A). Goaltenders Pyotr Kochetkov and Alex Lyon became the first pair in AHL history to each earn a shutout in the Finals while seven players — a group that includes defensemen Jalen Chatfield, Cavan Fitzgerald and Josh Jacobs — posted plus-minus ratings of +10 or better.
The Wolves thank all of the fans who gave the team such a home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs — and all of the fans who made the trip to Massachusetts to see the team claim the Cup once again.
And, hey, it’s less than four months until we raise a banner and defend our title!