The Chicago Wolves and the Colorado Eagles understood the assignment before them. After Chicago won Game 6 on Sunday night to keep its season alive, the sides were right back at it on Monday to determine who would represent the Western Conference in the 2026 Calder Cup Final. The Wolves mounted a serious comeback in Game 6, getting two late goals to steal a 3-2 win.
The teams appeared to be heading to a scoreless first period until the Wolves capitalized on a late power play. With less than 15 seconds remaining in the period, Noah Philp and Juuso Valimaki played catch. Valimaki slid it to Philp, who snapped it over Trent Miner's shoulder. Justin Robidas provided the screen, pushing Chicago ahead by a goal after 20 minutes.
The Wolves quickly added to their lead in the second. Swarming pressure forced the Eagles to turn it over. Philp and Valimaki were in on the action again. This time, Valimaki found a streaking Bradly Nadeau for a tap-in and a two-goal lead. This multi-goal lead lasted 40 seconds. Wyatt Aamodt scored to cut the Wolves' lead back to one, where it stood for the remainder of the period.
Jason Polin needed just 14 seconds to tie the game in the third, but the Wolves were quick to get it back. Ryan Suzuki stole a puck, dragged around a defender, and snapped it home to put Chicago up a goal once more. Ivan Ryabkin won a battle in front of the net to pot a rebound, providing a little insurance. Colorado scored late, but the Wolves held on, claiming the West's crown with a 4-3 victory.
Chicago was dealt a rough hand when Felix Unger Sorum went down with an injury early in the series. The Wolves might've stumbled a little, but their depth proved to be strong. Noah Philp was great down the stretch, finishing with six points, including two points in Game 7. Ivan Ryabkin showed up in a big way. Juuso Valimaki had five points. Evan Vierling provided three helpers.
Still, you need your best players to shine in the biggest moments. Bradly Nadeau tied Philp for the team lead in points (6) while scoring a team-high four goals. Justin Robidas had five points, all on special teams. Ryan Suzuki also had five points, though none bigger than his go-ahead goal tonight. They helped get the job done, keeping their season going for one more round.
Speaking of stepping in, Amir Miftakhov hadn't played since mid-April before stepping into Game 5 to relieve an injured Cayden Primeau. Then, in his first start, he backstopped the team to a season-saving win to force Game 7 with 36 saves. On Monday night, Miftakhov upped the ante. He stopped 39 shots, a new season-high, to outduel Trent Miner again, sending his team to the Calder Cup Final.
With the conference finals completed, the AHL announced that the Calder Cup Final will begin in Chicago on Friday. The Wolves hold home ice advantage over the Eastern Conference Champions, the Toronto Marlies, in a series whose format will follow the same 2-3-2 that we saw during the conference finals. There's one hill left to climb for Chicago. Four more wins, and the job is complete.
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