Spiros Anastas Has Wolves Prepared for 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs – The Hockey Writers – Chicago Wolves

For the second consecutive season, the Chicago Wolves punched their ticket for the Calder Cup Playoffs. Ahead of their Central Division semifinal matchup against the Texas Stars, head coach Spiros Anastas joined me at Locked On Hurricanes to discuss the 2025-26 season overall, their playoff prep against the Stars, and more.

Spiros Anastas’ Locked On Hurricanes Appearance

Over the course of the regular season, Anastas was named interim head coach and given the keys to lead the Wolves in hopes of making the Calder Cup Playoffs. He went on to go 25-14-5-6 in the last 50 games and secured the second seed in the Central Division. Ahead of the Wolves’ first playoff game on April 28, the interim tag was removed, and Anastas became the 15th head coach in franchise history.

When asked about his new role, Anastas stated, “I’m excited to finally get this going with the news coming out, just having that security, questions answered over the last few weeks. It’s really an exciting time for me, my family, and this team. I’m happy to be a part of this organization for the next few years.”

Anastas brings with him some head coaching experience from the ECHL’s Brampton Beast and South Carolina Stingrays, along with international duties with Greece, China, Serbia, Estonia, and South Korea. Furthermore, he brings a winning pedigree, having won a Calder Cup with the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2013. He joined the Wolves as an assistant coach on Aug. 28, 2024, and is now the bench boss ahead of the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs.

Early on in the season, the Wolves had to see players like Joel Nystrom, Charles Alexis Legault, and others get called up due to a plethora of injuries with the Hurricanes. Even at the back end of the season, ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, seven players made the call-up, with some debuts for Felix Unger Sorum and Ronan Seeley. Anastas stated when asked about seeing his players get called up to Carolina and seamlessly transition at the NHL level.

“For me, it’s really exciting. Guys go up, and they’re achieving a lifelong goal that they’ve had for a long time. It’s something special for them and their families. It’s exciting for us to be a small part of that. Seeing them seamlessly transition reaffirms that we are getting some things right. When they execute what Rod [Brind’Amour], Tim [Gleason], and Jeff [Daniels] want up there on a regular basis, that gives us a boost that we’re on the right track.”

The Wolves will take on the Stars to begin the playoffs. While the regular season did not reflect head-to-head, there was lots to learn and prepare for heading into the postseason. Anastas, when asked about getting ready for the Stars, stated, “It’s about squashing their counterattack with great gaps and angles. It’s something we’ve been doing at practice this week. They have a lot of speed. When they get their opportunities, they can execute. They have some guys with great finishing abilities.

It’s something we’ve identified that has hurt us against them. But out of the six losses against them, we had the lead in five of the six. We didn’t have a full lineup against them once; now we do. If we can slow down their counterattack, that will be key.”

Getting the chance to begin the 2026 Playoffs in the semifinals’ best-of-five series against the Stars as the second seed will bring higher expectations, along with a chance for a deeper playoff run. Furthermore, it will come with more pressure on one of the youngest teams in the American Hockey League (AHL), which is something the Wolves have managed throughout the season.

When keeping up with the Wolves, it’s easy to keep an eye on Unger Sorum, Bradly Nadeau, Justin Robidas, and some of the other fringe NHL guys. There are also some underrated players to watch in the postseason. One of those players is Seeley, who was finally given his chance to make his NHL debut.

Anastas said, “You look at his history; it’s not very often a seventh-round pick plays for Team Canada in the World Juniors. That is why he is a very rare case of doing that. He was the captain at Everett [Silvertips]. I got to coach him when he was 15 with Team Alberta. He’s someone who always performs and is versatile. He’s a great leader, just a great human being, and how he conducts his life. He is someone who could easily be a six-seven or a five-six [role] in the NHL.”

Anastas went on to describe Noah Philp as well, along with a few other players who bounced between the Wolves and the ECHL Greensboro Gargoyles. The Wolves look like a focused team to emulate what the Hurricanes are doing right now in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The vibes around the Wolves locker room are high as they are watching the Hurricanes succeed and want to bring that as well in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

The Wolves are making it a mission to win their sixth championship in franchise history, with hopefully their fourth Calder Cup. It’ll be interesting to see how the youngest team will get it done, but if the last 50 games of the regular season are any indication, this will be a group to watch in the postseason. Make no mistake, the Wolves are hungry and are looking to kickstart the hearts of Wolves fans once their postseason begins on April 28.