The Top Dogs

As a guy who lived in an IHL city for a long time, you never quite lose the animosity that you held for a former rival. That's not to say that the Chicago Wolves aren't still a thorn in the sides of the other AHL teams, but the amount of success that they've had in both the IHL and AHL makes one a little envious of that franchise. Tonight, they added to their legacy as the Chicago Wolves earned their third Calder Cup since joining the AHL in 2001 by downing the Springfield Thunderbirds in five games. To the victors go the spoils, but this was an exceptional season by a very good team.

This was the first time since 2019 that the Calder Cup was awarded after the league decided to cancel both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons due to the pandemic, and it was the first time new AHL President and CEO Scott Howson was able to present the Calder Cup as well. The Carolina Hurricanes will celebrate a second-straight Calder Cup championship thanks to the Charlotte Checkers winning in 2019, so there were a number of changes since the last time the Calder Cup was awarded despite the Wolves still exhibiting championship-quality hockey as they seem to do annually.

Alex Lyon was stellar once more in the Chicago net, making 28 stops for his second shutout in the 4-0 win as his playoff record improved to 9-3 while sporting a 2.03 GAA and a .923 save percentage. He allowed just 25 goals in the 12 games he played as the former Philadelphia Flyers netminder looked impressive throughout the postseason. Chicago was bolstered by the arrival of Pyotr Kochetkov after Carolina was eliminated in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and he went 5-1 with a 1.65 GAA and a .950 save percentage to give the Wolves an impressive netminding tandem.

Former Maple Leafs forward Josh Leivo was named as the Jack A Butterfield Trophy winner as playoff MVP as his 15 goals and 29 points in postseason were tops in the AHL. Leivo scored in the Game Five victory and was one of the best players on the ice every night that Chicago took the ice, so being named as the AHL's best player in the playoffs wasn't surprising. While Leivo's opportunities with the Hurricanes were limited, I suspect a handful of teams will come calling this summer during free agency.

Another free agent that may entice NHL general managers is Wolves captain Andrew Poturalski. Poturalski recorded 101 points in 71 AHL games this season before tacking on another 23 points in the playoffs, and he was noticeable throughout the entire playoffs. Alongside him is former Devils and Sharks forward Stefan Noesen whose 85-point regular season was followed by another 25 points in the playoffs. Both Poturalski and Noesen are free agents this summer, and they too should be fielding calls from NHL general managers.

I'd expect Carolina to promote Jack Drury next season after his impressive playoff showing. The 22 year-old centerman had a solid 52 points in the regular season, but kicked it into another gear in the Calder Cup Playoffs as he scored 24 points. Drury might only be scratching the surface of his potential with his breakout postseason performance, but it would seem he's made for the run-and-gun Hurricanes if they needed a replacement for a player like Martin Necas or Vincent Trochek. This could be his time after winning the Calder Cup.

Defensively, Max Lajoie led the way in goals with four from the blue line while Joey Keane led the way with 12 points. Both are restricted free agents for the Hurricanes, but I'd suspect that Don Waddell may want to start clearing space for them as both players looked more like seasoned veterans rather a 24 year-old and a 22 year-old, respectively. Both players could step in nicely in place of outgoing free agents Ian Cole and Brendan Smith.

I can't imagine head coach Ryan Warsofsky not being contacted after leading the Wolves to the Calder Cup and the AHL's best record this season. After 50 wins and 115 points this season, Warsofsky has amassed a record of 105-47-18 over three seasons with the Wolves as he's proven time and again he's one of the brightest head coaches in the AHL. His resumé also includes a trip to the Kelly Cup Final in the ECHL with the South Carolina Stingrays in 2016-17, so it's pretty clear that Warsofsky knows how to get the most out of his players. Because of this, I suspect Warsofsky will be a target for teams needing a change behind the bench.

Chicago's fifth championship in the IHL and AHL and third exclusively in the AHL saw them defeat Rockford, Milwaukee, Stockton, and Springfield to capture this year's Calder Cup. Oddly enough, Chicago defeated Milwaukee and Rockford - in that order - to advance to the Conference Finals in 2008. Milwaukee missed the playoffs in 2001 and Rockford didn't exist until 2007, so the similarities between 2001 and 2022 are non-existant, but it's kind of weird to see the same two teams defeated, albeit in different rounds, in both of Chicago's most recent championships.

In any case, congratulations to the Chicago Wolves, your 2022 Calder Cup Champions, and I suspect that a number of these players will either be in Carolina's lineup in the near future or some other NHL team's lineup for the unrestricted free agents! If you're looking for quality players, the AHL is where to look and the Chicago Wolves have a pile of them who can all be called 2022 AHL Champions!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!