The 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs are heating up, and the Central Division Finals deliver a matchup between two of the division’s best: the second-seeded Chicago Wolves and the top-seeded Grand Rapids Griffins. This best-of-five series begins Thursday, May 14 at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, with Games 1 and 2 on the road for Chicago before the series shifts to Allstate Arena.
Round One Recap
The Chicago Wolves advanced in a gritty, back-and-forth Central Division Semifinal against the Texas Stars. After dropping Game 1, the Wolves showed resilience, forcing overtime in Game 2 and eventually closing out the series in five games with a decisive Game 5 victory at home.
The Grand Rapids Griffins dispatched the Manitoba Moose 3-1. The Griffins dropped Game 1 1-0 before rattling off three-straight wins to close the series. Carter Mazur’s back-to-back multi-goal games powered the offense, while the defense and goaltending locked things down late in the series. Grand Rapids allowed two of fewer goals in all four games.
Head-to-Head This Season
The Wolves and Griffins faced off 10 times in the regular season, and Chicago finished with a 4-2-2-2 record (including a solid 2-0-2-1 mark in Michigan). Two OT losses, an OT win and two shootout losses. Lots of tight games should give us a very entertaining series.
Goaltending Breakdown
Chicago Wolves – Cayden Primeau has been the clear No. 1 in the postseason. The former Montreal prospect has delivered strong numbers through the first round (approximately 2.27 GAA and .918 SV% in limited action), giving the Wolves timely saves and stability. His experience and athleticism will be crucial against Grand Rapids’ speed.
Grand Rapids Griffins – Michal Postava has been lights-out. The young Czech netminder has posted elite playoff stats so far (1.10 GAA and .945 SV%), including standout performances and a shutout. His poise and ability to steal games make him one of the hottest goalies remaining in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Michal Postava has the clear advantage in recent form in both goals against average and save percentage. The Wolves will need a big series to get past Postava.
Griffins Skaters to Watch
Carter Mazur and Amadeus Lombardi lead the way and have teamed up with Michael Brandsegg-Nygård to form the most dangerous line for Grand Rapids. The other line that been particularly difficult has been made up of Sheldon Dries, Dominik Shine and John Leonard.
Defensively, the Griffins top line has been made up of 34-year-old Erik Gustafsson and 25-year-old Antti Tuomisto. Tuomisto finished the series with Manitoba at +4.
Wolves Skaters to Watch
For the Wolves, the top line of Bradley Nadeau, Ryan Suzuki and Justin Robidas is the line to watch. Suzuki put in four goals and led the Wolves with 16 shots against Texas. The third line of Josiah Slavin, Skyler Brind’Amour and Ivan Ryabkin were the best in terms of +/- so keep an eye on that line as a source of offense for Chicago. The fourth line of Evan Vierling, Noel Gunler and Nikita Pavlechev struggled against Texas and will have to have a better series against Grand Rapids.
Defensively, the top pair of Joel Nyström and Cal Foote lead the way (each +3 last round).
This is a classic Central Division showdown between two well-coached, competitive teams with playoff experience. The Griffins bring the top seed and home-ice edge, while the Wolves carry the confidence of a hard-fought series win and strong regular-season results against their opponent.
Game 1 is set for Thursday, May 14 at 6:00 p.m. CT in Grand Rapids.
Series Schedule
| Game | Date | Time (CT) | Home Team |
| Game 1 | Thursday, May 14 | 6:00 | Grand Rapids |
| Game 2 | Saturday, May 16 | 6:00 | Grand Rapids |
| Game 3 | Tuesday, May 19 | 7:00 | Chicago |
| *Game 4 | Thursday, May 21 | 7:00 | Chicago |
| *Game 5 | Saturday, May 23 | 6:00 | Grand Rapids |
*If Necessary