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It’s down to two teams.
From 32 teams across the AHL, the Chicago Wolves and Toronto Marlies are the last remaining clubs still playing. They have been through a combined seven rounds of hockey in the Calder Cup Playoffs and more than a few scares, but they play on still.
They’ll settle it in the best-of-seven Calder Cup Finals starting Friday night at Allstate Arena.
Back when the Calder Cup Playoffs started in April, neither team looked like a strong bet to still be playing in June. Toronto had finished fourth in the North Division at 36-26-5-5. Chicago (36-21-8-7) finished second in the Central Division. In the Eastern Conference loomed powers like the Laval Rocket, the regular-season champion Providence Bruins, and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins among others. For Chicago, they had the 107-point Grand Rapids Griffins in their own division, to say nothing of the remainder of the deep Western Conference field.
But the Marlies and Wolves handled their business while getting the sort of outside help that any team needs on its way to the Calder Cup Finals. Toronto knocked out Laval. Providence fizzled early. Then the Marlies took care of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the Eastern Conference Finals. For Chicago, they ousted the stubborn Texas Stars and then eliminated Grand Rapids themselves. Matched up against the stacked Colorado Eagles in the Western Conference Finals, the Wolves survived potential elimination in Games 6 and 7 on the road to earn themselves this match-up with the Marlies.
In short, both clubs earned their bruises and scars. Four wins separate each club from the Calder Cup. Here are players to watch for each club.
Watch Live
Cayden Primeau: Primeau took the Wolves all the way through Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals before missing the final two games. His availability, if any, for this series has not been disclosed.
Amir Miftakhov: Carolina recalled Primeau’s replacement late Thursday. Is he in or out? If he is not available, and Primeau remains out, then the goaltending job goes to Ruslan Khazheyev, who played just one game all season for Chicago. Miftakhov provided dominant goaltending in Games 6 and 7 to send the Wolves past Colorado.
Domenick Fensore: Fensore led all Chicago defensemen in regular-season scoring (10-25-35) and continues to be someone they count on heavily.
Joel Nyström: Nyström split his season between Carolina and Chicago before settling in with the Wolves for the Calder Cup Playoffs. His Game 6 third-period goal put the Wolves on their way to a win that fended off elimination.
Ronan Seeley: A strong leader, he had 11 goals from the blue line this season. His biggest goal of all came in Game 6 at Colorado, when he sent the Wolves ahead for good late in the third period.
Juuso Välimäki: Leading the Chicago blue line with 3-8-11 in the postseason, Välimäki continues a strong run with the Wolves. He came over to the organization midseason and quickly added experience to the Chicago back end.
Bradly Nadeau: After a 27-goal regular season, Nadeau is pushing for the Calder Cup Playoff scoring lead at 5-9-14 through 16 games. If he is producing, the Wolves can be difficult to stop.
Justin Robidas: Robidas, a 2021 fifth-rounder, continues to make a strong case for work with the Hurricanes. This postseason should have him in contention for a much longer look with Carolina come training camp.
Ivan Ryabkin: After an early-season spin with Chicago, Ryabkin went to the QMJHL. When he came back from the Charlottetown Islanders, he looked much more ready to handle the AHL. At 19 years old, he is playing major minutes for a Calder Cup contender.
Josiah Slavin: The Chicago captain is a calm, steadying, high-character presence.
Ryan Suzuki: Suzuki’s goal in Game 7 at Colorado put the Wolves ahead to stay. He’s a crucial part of their top-six.
Felix Unger Sörum: Unger Sörum tied for fifth in AHL regular-season scoring (17-49-66) and had put together a strong postseason. However, he missed the final five games of the Western Conference Finals. The Wolves managed offensively without him, but his absence leaves a significant hole in their line-up.
Artur Akhtyamov: It was far from clear whether it would be Akhtyamov or Dennis Hildeby. It turned out to be Akhtyamov, who settled in for the Laval-Toronto series and took control of the net.
Dennis Hildeby: Should Akhtyamov falter or need to be replaced, the Marlies have someone in Hildeby who played 20 NHL games this season.
Matt Benning: Benning has played 465 career regular-season NHL games, and it shows. When the Marlies got him back, they quickly became a much more polished team.
Ben Danford: Somehow Danford managed to jump directly into the Calder Cup Playoffs midstream and look like a reliable pro. He’s only 20 and already has a head start on his pro development.
Dakota Mermis: Another blueliner with some significant NHL time, Mermis has been an AHL captain and is a top leader in this league.
Marshall Rifai: Rifai brings a surly, physical look.
William Villeneuve: Solid all year, Villeneuve’s game has taken another significant step forward this postseason.
Easton Cowan: After a full season in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs, how would Cowan handle what can be a rather different play style in the AHL? He did not always seem completely engaged earlier in the postseason, but his play came together quite well in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Bo Groulx: A late-season spin with the Leafs proved helpful to Groulx. Unlike other players whose play sags after coming back to the AHL, Groulx came back to the Marlies and has become dominant.
Luke Haymes: The Leafs have long had a knack for finding overlooked free-agent talent. Haymes could be another one of those players. He had a 17-goal AHL rookie season and also got time with the Leafs.
Vinni Lettieri: Long a productive scorer at the AHL level, Lettieri has found a new gear on this playoff run.
Jacob Quillan: Quillan’s play should make him a candidate for more work with the Leafs next season.
Logan Shaw: Shaw is a foundational piece for the Marlies.
Ryan Tverberg: Like Haymes, Tverberg has been another solid undrafted addition to the Leafs organization. He’s willing to battle and overtake bigger, stronger players for space on the ice.
The AHL is streaming globally on FloHockey. Watch every single game from the regular season through the Calder Cup Playoffs, as well as key events like the AHL All-Star Classic and the AHL Outdoor Classic. Subscribe to FloHockey today so you never miss a moment. All games will be available on FloHockey.tv or via the FloSports mobile and connected TV apps.
The best, and most complete, coverage of the NHL, minor-league hockey and NHL Draft is found on FloHockey. Don't miss the latest new prospect guides, rankings and more from Chris Peters and the FloHockey staff.
FloHockey is the streaming home to some of the best hockey leagues in North America, including the ECHL and more. Check out the broadcast schedule to watch more hockey.
Continue reading...
From 32 teams across the AHL, the Chicago Wolves and Toronto Marlies are the last remaining clubs still playing. They have been through a combined seven rounds of hockey in the Calder Cup Playoffs and more than a few scares, but they play on still.
They’ll settle it in the best-of-seven Calder Cup Finals starting Friday night at Allstate Arena.
Back when the Calder Cup Playoffs started in April, neither team looked like a strong bet to still be playing in June. Toronto had finished fourth in the North Division at 36-26-5-5. Chicago (36-21-8-7) finished second in the Central Division. In the Eastern Conference loomed powers like the Laval Rocket, the regular-season champion Providence Bruins, and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins among others. For Chicago, they had the 107-point Grand Rapids Griffins in their own division, to say nothing of the remainder of the deep Western Conference field.
But the Marlies and Wolves handled their business while getting the sort of outside help that any team needs on its way to the Calder Cup Finals. Toronto knocked out Laval. Providence fizzled early. Then the Marlies took care of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the Eastern Conference Finals. For Chicago, they ousted the stubborn Texas Stars and then eliminated Grand Rapids themselves. Matched up against the stacked Colorado Eagles in the Western Conference Finals, the Wolves survived potential elimination in Games 6 and 7 on the road to earn themselves this match-up with the Marlies.
In short, both clubs earned their bruises and scars. Four wins separate each club from the Calder Cup. Here are players to watch for each club.
Watch Live
2026 Toronto Marlies vs Chicago Wolves
Chicago Wolves
Cayden Primeau: Primeau took the Wolves all the way through Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals before missing the final two games. His availability, if any, for this series has not been disclosed.
Amir Miftakhov: Carolina recalled Primeau’s replacement late Thursday. Is he in or out? If he is not available, and Primeau remains out, then the goaltending job goes to Ruslan Khazheyev, who played just one game all season for Chicago. Miftakhov provided dominant goaltending in Games 6 and 7 to send the Wolves past Colorado.
Domenick Fensore: Fensore led all Chicago defensemen in regular-season scoring (10-25-35) and continues to be someone they count on heavily.
Joel Nyström: Nyström split his season between Carolina and Chicago before settling in with the Wolves for the Calder Cup Playoffs. His Game 6 third-period goal put the Wolves on their way to a win that fended off elimination.
Ronan Seeley: A strong leader, he had 11 goals from the blue line this season. His biggest goal of all came in Game 6 at Colorado, when he sent the Wolves ahead for good late in the third period.
Juuso Välimäki: Leading the Chicago blue line with 3-8-11 in the postseason, Välimäki continues a strong run with the Wolves. He came over to the organization midseason and quickly added experience to the Chicago back end.
Bradly Nadeau: After a 27-goal regular season, Nadeau is pushing for the Calder Cup Playoff scoring lead at 5-9-14 through 16 games. If he is producing, the Wolves can be difficult to stop.
Justin Robidas: Robidas, a 2021 fifth-rounder, continues to make a strong case for work with the Hurricanes. This postseason should have him in contention for a much longer look with Carolina come training camp.
Ivan Ryabkin: After an early-season spin with Chicago, Ryabkin went to the QMJHL. When he came back from the Charlottetown Islanders, he looked much more ready to handle the AHL. At 19 years old, he is playing major minutes for a Calder Cup contender.
Josiah Slavin: The Chicago captain is a calm, steadying, high-character presence.
Ryan Suzuki: Suzuki’s goal in Game 7 at Colorado put the Wolves ahead to stay. He’s a crucial part of their top-six.
Felix Unger Sörum: Unger Sörum tied for fifth in AHL regular-season scoring (17-49-66) and had put together a strong postseason. However, he missed the final five games of the Western Conference Finals. The Wolves managed offensively without him, but his absence leaves a significant hole in their line-up.
Toronto Marlies
Artur Akhtyamov: It was far from clear whether it would be Akhtyamov or Dennis Hildeby. It turned out to be Akhtyamov, who settled in for the Laval-Toronto series and took control of the net.
Dennis Hildeby: Should Akhtyamov falter or need to be replaced, the Marlies have someone in Hildeby who played 20 NHL games this season.
Matt Benning: Benning has played 465 career regular-season NHL games, and it shows. When the Marlies got him back, they quickly became a much more polished team.
Ben Danford: Somehow Danford managed to jump directly into the Calder Cup Playoffs midstream and look like a reliable pro. He’s only 20 and already has a head start on his pro development.
Dakota Mermis: Another blueliner with some significant NHL time, Mermis has been an AHL captain and is a top leader in this league.
Marshall Rifai: Rifai brings a surly, physical look.
William Villeneuve: Solid all year, Villeneuve’s game has taken another significant step forward this postseason.
Easton Cowan: After a full season in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs, how would Cowan handle what can be a rather different play style in the AHL? He did not always seem completely engaged earlier in the postseason, but his play came together quite well in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Bo Groulx: A late-season spin with the Leafs proved helpful to Groulx. Unlike other players whose play sags after coming back to the AHL, Groulx came back to the Marlies and has become dominant.
Luke Haymes: The Leafs have long had a knack for finding overlooked free-agent talent. Haymes could be another one of those players. He had a 17-goal AHL rookie season and also got time with the Leafs.
Vinni Lettieri: Long a productive scorer at the AHL level, Lettieri has found a new gear on this playoff run.
Jacob Quillan: Quillan’s play should make him a candidate for more work with the Leafs next season.
Logan Shaw: Shaw is a foundational piece for the Marlies.
Ryan Tverberg: Like Haymes, Tverberg has been another solid undrafted addition to the Leafs organization. He’s willing to battle and overtake bigger, stronger players for space on the ice.
How To Watch The AHL
The AHL is streaming globally on FloHockey. Watch every single game from the regular season through the Calder Cup Playoffs, as well as key events like the AHL All-Star Classic and the AHL Outdoor Classic. Subscribe to FloHockey today so you never miss a moment. All games will be available on FloHockey.tv or via the FloSports mobile and connected TV apps.
NHL Prospect Coverage On FloHockey
The best, and most complete, coverage of the NHL, minor-league hockey and NHL Draft is found on FloHockey. Don't miss the latest new prospect guides, rankings and more from Chris Peters and the FloHockey staff.
Watch the AHL, ECHL, OHL, QMJHL, And More On FloHockey
FloHockey is the streaming home to some of the best hockey leagues in North America, including the ECHL and more. Check out the broadcast schedule to watch more hockey.
Join The Hockey Conversation On FloHockey Social
- Follow us on Twitter @FloHockey
- Follow us on Instagram @flohockey
- Follow us on TikTok @flohockeytv
- Watch us on YouTube
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