Chicago Wolves vs Colorado Eagles: Spiros Anastas Breaks Down the Series!

The Chicago Wolves don’t look confident because they’re winning. They’re winning because they prepare like confidence is earned, not wished for.

We’re joined by Chicago Wolves "Insider" Andrew Rinaldi and Wolves' head coach, Spiros Anastas, to unpack a playoff run that has already pushed past the Texas Stars and the Grand Rapids Griffins and now heads into a massive Western Conference Finals showdown with the Colorado Eagles. Spiros shares what changed when the interim label disappeared, why certainty matters inside a locker room, and how a “zero panic” coaching mindset keeps the bench steady when games tighten up and momentum swings.

We dig into the details that separate an AHL playoff team from a Calder Cup threat: workload management that connects the physical to the mental, a penalty kill that trusts its process, and goaltending that starts with pro-level habits. Spiros also explains how video prep helps the Wolves solve hot goalies, why depth allows smart line juggling, and what it takes for young players to grow into high-stakes roles. You’ll hear specific insight on the top line’s production, Felix Unger Sorum’s development, and the impact of reinforcements like Noah Philp, Juuso Valimaki, and Cal Foote.

Then we preview the Colorado Eagles: elite speed, dangerous east-west looks, and the “next play” counters that can break games open. We talk matchups, what the Wolves can leverage from prior meetings, and why nobody inside the room expects anything to be easy.

Highlights:
• The interim tag coming off and what stability does for the room
• Why resilience is built through routines, workload management, and support staff
• How a zero-panic bench changes the team’s mindset in tight games
• What made the Wolves a strong matchup against Grand Rapids
• Road routine, five-on-five confidence, and why playoff overtime matters
• Penalty kill process versus power play results and closing out games
• Why goaltending confidence starts with daily preparation
• Top line production, tough conversations, and young players embracing bigger roles
• Depth advantages, mixing lines, and a next-man-up roster
• Felix Unger Sorum’s leap through strength, diet, and explosiveness work
• The impact of reinforcements like Noah Philp, Juuso Valimaki, and Cal Foote
• Scouting the Colorado Eagles, their speed, and what it takes to slow them down
• Fan questions on Ivan Ryabkin’s position and expectations versus “easy” wins

Subscribe to stormTRacker, share this with a Wolves fan, and leave a review with your prediction: how many games does this series go?

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Transcript

Playoff Run & Spiros Anastas Introduction

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Well, Chicago Wolves are off to a great start in the playoffs, knocking off the Texas Stars in five games in the first round, and then dispensing with the Grand Rapids Griffins in four games in the second round to advance to the Western Conference Finals versus the Colorado Eagles. The Wolves received standout performances throughout the lineup and were led by the brilliant goaltending of Caden Cream. Joining me to wrap up the scinillating second round series win versus the Grand Rapids Griffins and look ahead to the upcoming series with the Colorado Eagles. I'm delighted to welcome in our storm tracker, Chicago Wolves insider, Andrew Rinaldi, and a very special guest, Chicago Wolves head coach Spiros Hanastis. Gentlemen.

SPEAKER_01 0:55

What a time to be alive. Hey Tom, thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_00 0:59

Yeah, so thank you. Thank you, uh Spiros. Um man, lots to be excited about. In the Keynes world, in the Wolves world, we're going nuts these days. Um congrats on knocking out the Griffins and the Texas Stars. Well done, Spiros.

SPEAKER_02 1:17

Thank you. They're both a really hard-fought series, so we're we're happy to be through them.

SPEAKER_00 1:21

Yeah, no kidding. They were uh very hard fought. And that's been the case with, of course, the Hurricanes as well. Have you been following any of the action with the Canes and now the Canadian?

SPEAKER_02 1:34

Yeah, I've been watching every game. Uh exciting hockey, obviously uh historic start for the Canes and a great response in uh games two and three in this series. So yeah, I've been watching as much as I can.

SPEAKER_00 1:45

I bet. And you know, we had some fun with uh with Ryan when he was on Ryan Suzuki, of course, brother Nick. Uh and he had a chance at overtime last night to seal the deal and uh didn't quite get it done. So that'll be kind of an interesting conversation in the back rooms, I'm sure. Um in any case, uh I thought we'd kick things off and spent a couple of minutes on the Texas Stars series. And Andrew, fire away.

SPEAKER_01 2:12

Yeah, first off, coach, uh just kind of want to dial it back to April there real quick. You know, after uh, you know, obviously you got promoted in season back in December, but leading into those playoffs, Carolina removes that interim tag and you're named full-time bench boss heading into the postseason. I know

Head Coach Announcement & Playoff Mindset

SPEAKER_01 2:30

for sure that the boys were psyched for you, so but you know, on your end, is that boat of confidence heading into that first round series of Texas pumped you up, or do you just more kind of take it as business as usual?

SPEAKER_02 2:40

Uh no, I obviously it was a really exciting time for me and my family and for the team. Uh you know, it was really great to go into the playoffs with that certainty and that security. And I think it was great for our players to know what kind of the future had in store and uh just kind of put that to bed and you know focus in on our playoff drive. So definitely I thought I thought it gave us an uptick in energy. But uh, you know, regardless if that was announced or not, uh, you know, we were kind of dialed in on what we had to do, but uh it the timing of it was really nice, and I think it worked out well for our vibes in our room.

SPEAKER_01 3:14

Yeah, absolutely. And um, you know, you kind of needed all the vibes you could get because all season that Texas team kind of had your number in the regular season, and they uh they definitely didn't go down without a fight. We we talked to uh Ryan Suzuki earlier about this team's resilience being uh defining trade to this club, and it definitely showed in both D series so far here. So much of the game is just between the ears, you know. What's kind of helped you guys give you uh a mental edge to battle through the adversity here at these playoffs?

SPEAKER_02 3:45

Uh well I think I think you're absolutely right. A lot of it is between the ears, a lot of it is mental. Um, but I think there's a physical to mental connection. So, first and foremost, uh, you know, we do such a great job through our support staff in making sure our guys are always prepared. Uh, whether it's our equipment staff from uh Rob Kennedy and Luke Hunter, right through to our strength and conditioning coach, Jack Renzel, and then our medical department of Austin Casper and Jim Schroeder, we put a lot of effort into workload management, uh, you know, structuring our practice days like a series, having the right uh days off, you know, knowing what kind of how much we can push and how much we need to taper back on certain days. So I think the physical to mental connections are real advantage for us because we put a lot of thought into that science and we're all pulling on the same, you know, in the same direction uh in trying to achieve those goals on a day-to-day basis. And then, you know, secondary to that in terms of mental preparation, I think, you know, I'm really fortunate to be surrounded with really good coaches and Dan Price and Zach Richards. There is absolutely zero panic in our room or on the bench or in the you know the video room or the coach's office at any given time uh through adversity, through great times, through low times. Um we're just a staff that's really steady on the rudder at all times, and I think the guys feed off of that. So, you know, I'm really fortunate to be surrounded with really great people, and I think that helps our players' mentality on a day-to-day basis.

SPEAKER_01 5:14

Absolutely. And so, you know, everyone's pulling the same rope there. You guys make it through Texas. Your reward in the second round is a Griffin's team that began the season, what, 29 and 1 and 2, you know, and they get some late season reinforcements from Detroit, you know, the captain Dom Schein coming back, a talented kid in Axel, Sandy, and Pelica. Um, you guys kept everything tight with Grand Rapids all season long, though, and probably felt more confident than just about any other club that stood against them. You could just kind of like point to one or two things. What made this team so effective against the Griffins during the regular season?

SPEAKER_02 5:48

Yeah, so we we were really confident against them. Uh we often used weekends against them as an opportunity to pull ourselves out of you know a funk or a tough stretch of games. Uh we didn't have too many of them. We had we had them in March, but through the season we were pretty consistent. But anytime we came off a loss, we were facing GR next, we actually used that as a platform to jump off to you know our next streak or our next you know segmented game. So we always had that confidence going in. We thought we matched up really well with them because you know we're just a really fast team, and uh, we thought there was a lot of holes in their game in terms of their details that you know allowed us to take advantage of on our entries and our slot opportunities. And when you give guys like Bradley Nadeau and Justin Robodaugh and Felix Anger Sorum that time in space, it would just really match up well against them. Uh, you know, we thought their offense was pretty predictable through the regular season, definitely through playoffs. So that also when you have a guy like Caden Primo in between the pipes, um, you know, it makes it a lot easier to kind of keep their offense at bay. So, you know, we have we did a great job pre-scouting, great job preparing, but there was uh never any worry about them through the regular season and and almost a desired matchup in the playoffs. So when we got through Texas and slayed that beast, um, I think our guys were really excited and real confident and it showed in our first two games in Grand Rapids.

SPEAKER_01 7:12

Yeah, you guys go in, take not one, but two games on the road and shock the Griffins. Not just that, but coming from behind in both games on as well. You know, we've already talked a lot about the mental focus of the group and kind of weathering adversity there. But, you know, for you guys, when you're on the road, is there anything different about you know pre-game routine, practice, or just kind of going in and quieting the opposing fans? It's different from the home mice that you guys love so much?

SPEAKER_02 7:37

Yeah, we had almost identical records at home and and on the road this year, so that's beneficial to know that we've had success in both areas. Um our routine is pretty similar at home as it is on the road in terms of meeting times and you know, the the off days that we have or the morning skates, uh, whether they're optional or mandatory. Um yeah, we're just a team that's really great at just getting down to business and you know being focused at the right times and loose enough at other times. So, you know, we have some of our superstitions that we do from the coaching staff right through the roster and our support staff, but no, it it it's a place that we knew that we had a lot of success in. And we knew that you know the games they beat us there in Grand Rapids that they had to go to shootout or overtime. Right. Uh we also knew that in playoffs there's no three on three overtime and there's no shootouts. So we really liked our chances five on five against them. So it just really boosted our confidence going in there.

SPEAKER_01 8:32

Absolutely. And you know, coming back home, GR gets one back, and and but you guys learned an important lesson, I think, against Texas about uh just kind of how to close the team out there. I know you mentioned it in kind of the post-game speech at the end of the Griffin series, but you know, the Grand Rapids really punished you on the power play for a couple and earlier in the series, but you know, game four, I feel like that PK really won it for you guys. And uh and Skylar Brinnamore kind of really led the charge. He was a monster in the face-off dot and was a real big part of that. And I know you know, uh, at your heart, you're still the defensive guy, so how much did you love seeing that performance?

SPEAKER_02 9:08

Yeah, I loved it. You know, a lot of times people get caught up in results, and there's times that you know your PK is actually performing really well, but you you might give up a couple. Uh and same thing with power play. You might not be scoring, but your your possession and your looks are really good. I mean, we finished sixth in the league in penalty kill this year for a reason. So we had every confident confidence in it. Uh, even though we took a couple in back-to-back games there, uh, we thought our process and giving up their major looks was really good. We thought some of their goals were just

Why The Griffins Matchup Worked

SPEAKER_02 9:40

fortunate. Um and in one game, you know, when you're killing seven penalties and you're not quite sure what the standard of calls is, it just kind of mounted on us. But uh we knew that in a more even game when the pendulum swung back in an even penalty call game, and uh, you know, us not giving up some of those those funky looks where we had they had to rely on their power play structure and we countered with our PK structure, we knew we could shut them down. So it was a lot more kind of fluid fundamental game in game four, and then it was kind of best on best, like one of the best PKs in the league versus one of the best power plays in the league, and you know, thankfully we won that matchup. But it's great to see that defensive side of the game shutting it down. Essentially, it should have been a shutout game, and it got a little funky at the end, giving up too late on their six on five. But uh, I was real proud of our defensive core. But for us, it's it's 200-foot offense, 200-foot defense. So it it took all five, all six guys on the ice at any given shift. Uh, and I thought we played pretty well.

SPEAKER_01 10:37

Absolutely. And I mean, we all know the old cliche, you know, your best penalty killer has to be your goalie. And and simply put, I mean, Caden Primo was phenomenal all series. Michael Postava, on the other end, was one of the hottest goalies in the world coming into the series, and and Preems outdueled him, save per se. You know, how does that kind of work for your team's confidence when you know you have a guy back there who's who's just an anchor and battles so hard and so consistent all the increase there?

SPEAKER_02 11:03

Yeah, it definitely gives our team confidence. I think more so than just the type of goalie is, it's the type of person he is. Like he's such a pro. He's obviously got that pedigree. Uh so it's the level of preparation in his approach on a day-to-day basis that you know that really brings confidence to our group. And that's kind of one of our sayings and one of our mantras, that your your confidence comes from preparation. Uh, and that was you know, coming back to Chicago up to nothing. We weren't confident because we were up to nothing, we were confident because we were prepared to play the Grand Rapids Griffins. Uh, we knew we were playing the division champs, we knew how dangerous they were and how many winning streaks they put together through a regular season. So if you if you base your confidence just on the fact that you're up 2-0, uh that's a slippery slope. So same thing with Caden, like we're confident in him, but it's more his preparation, his approach, not so much any big save that he makes. Like we know those are gonna happen. Uh and it just helps us build from the goal line out. And uh, you know, it's really exciting to have a guy like that, you know, being your last line of defense. But because of that, we we try and make sure that we limit the opportunities that he's got to face. Um, but yeah, it was he was outstanding, the team was outstanding. We just did a really great job. And then facing great goaltenders like Remy Poirier and Michael Plustava, uh, you know, our video coach, um Zach Richards, who's taken an enhanced role since the coaching change and since we're running a man short, uh, he provides some of the best goaltender pre-scouts there are there are. And I give him a lot of credit for uh the success we've had against these two goaltenders who virtually have shut the door against their opponents, uh, including us through the regular season, and we've broken them wide open. Uh so we're excited to see the magic that Zach brings with Trent Meiter in this next uh in this next series. We're gonna talk about that. You know, I think we'll be just five.

SPEAKER_00 12:47

Well, it's interesting because uh, you know, when we looked at um Michael Costaba, and I was actually on uh a Griffin's podcast, uh Grand Rapids Griffin Podcast, and it was fun. And and I was really hammering that uh you know the wolves were gonna you know lay a beating on them and they better get ready for it. So it was kind of fun. And thanks for doing that, uh, made you look smart, Tom.

SPEAKER_03 13:10

That's good.

SPEAKER_00 13:10

But they were all over Costaba, and they were saying, like, this guy is all world right now. He's just he's incredible. And you know, when we watched the first couple of games, we kind of thought, oh man, this is uh this is a handful, right? But one of the things that I was really excited about is that uh your big line started to find their way. Of course, uh, we had a chance to talk to Ryan after he had a hat trick, and uh we kind of got confused with him because uh he's normally the guy that dishes it off, but here he was whipping them, you know, just wailing away and scoring those goals. It was kind of fun. But you know, looking at that line, and and they've started to go. They've got uh 22 points combined in in the playoffs now. They're really starting to get going, and and it's kind of fun because uh, you know, Roby's got he's starting to go heat up. Took him a little while, but uh he's got three goals his last four games, and of course, uh you know Brad's starting to go as well. And you know, for us, we saw them terrorize the AHL, and you and I talked about this last time too, Spiro. I thought, boy, if they can get their mojo, this is going to be really interesting. Isn't that isn't that what you're seeing now? They're really starting to get it going.

SPEAKER_02 14:17

Yeah, I see that they're getting there for sure. And it's interesting you made the point. Like, Ryan has scored some some critical goals in this playoff run, and uh Bradley is is leading our team in assists, which you know it does raise some eyebrows, right? But that's how talented they are. You know, they they can really you know diversify their their offense and uh you know really lean on each other for different strengths and different skills, but they have such a uh you know versatile skill set that they're really dangerous in a lot of ways. Um you know, they are to me one of the best lines, if not the best line in the American Hockey League. Um a lot of times they need to believe in themselves as much as you know myself and the rest of the coaching staff believe in them. Uh we've had those conversations. You know, we had a tough conversation after game one in Texas, and then before um, you know, game five against Texas, and then before game four against Grand Rapids, uh, you know, I I touch base with each of them in individually. And sometimes, you know, they're young players that are taking on a bigger role than they ever have. Like they haven't played these high-stakes games at the professional level. So, you know, just reminding them how much we believe in them and how much that we lean on them and the expectation of that they that they gotta perform. And they've risen to the challenge every time, and that's really special about all three of these guys. And uh, you know, they find ways, and even if they don't produce, they they find ways to get physical or to track back and disrupt plays. So I would say they've they've won their matches in the first two series, and those are against some really, really good hockey players. Uh, you know, you look at Cameron Hughes and Artem Schlain, um, those are really tough guys to play against, and then they're playing against Sheldon Dreis and uh John Leonard, and you know, Dom McSchein was there, and then uh uh Brandick Nigard was there. Like those are some top, top American hockey league players, and they've risen to the challenge every time. And uh, you know, Dan Price runs the forwards and he deploys them really well and we you know deploys them to their strengths. So uh I think the best is yet to come, though. I still don't think they've completely popped, but they're definitely getting there, Tom. Uh so we're excited about that.

SPEAKER_00 16:20

Well, it's funny you mentioned that because I was just gonna say, I think there's more.

SPEAKER_02 16:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:24

I'm expecting it because those guys, oh man, when they get going, they're just, as you say, they're just they are the best line in the league. There's no question in my mind about that. And and we love watching them because they're magic out there. Oh my goodness. But you know, it's interesting because very similar to the Hurricanes, you know, they you know, the big line of the Canes, uh, Sebastian Aho's line, you know, doing some different things. They were, you know, doing a lot of heavy lifting defensively, and and you know, the offense wasn't quite there, and everybody's getting kind of weird. Hey, what's gonna happen here? But I think both teams, both your team and and and of course the canes, very deep. You know, and we saw all kinds of things. Uh, and one of the things I was really interested in was how you were managing kind of playing folks with different folks. You know, we saw we saw a goal with uh um you know Nikita Pavlitch and front of the goal, and it's a couple of other fours he's not normally with. And and you know, similar stuff with Bering and some of the other guys, you mixing and matching, you know, making some things happen and and shaking things up uh to try to try to get the the win or whatever. And it's just fantastic. And and you know, you and I talked about this last time, and I said, Man, you've got your loaded talked about it.

SPEAKER_02 17:37

Yeah, it's great to have the kind of depth. Uh, you know, when your fourth line in the playoffs was your second line a lot of times throughout the season, that's really exciting. And that's not abnormal uh or unique to just us. Like Grand Rapids is in the same boat, and so is Texas, yeah. Uh, and Colorado probably is as well. But uh in terms of the mix and matching, like there's times you gotta cut down to nine fourths. Uh Dan Price does a great job of identifying who's going, who's who's not. Uh, you know, we we talk about it between periods and talk about it in TV timeouts, but he's really had a couple great hunches that have worked out for us. Uh, you know, just off of face-offs, putting Ivan Ryapkin with a Nikita Pavlich, or Nikita Pavlichev with uh, you know, Noah Philp and Felix Hungersorm. Um so Dan's hunches right now are hitting, and uh that's great. It's it's awesome. But it's that really that next man up mentality in our lineup, like any guy can be called for any role, uh, and they'll step up and they can perform. So that's that just is a testament to the depth that we have.

SPEAKER_01 18:36

Like Tom, I was kind of in enemy territory

Penalty Kill Identity & Goalie Trust

SPEAKER_01 18:40

before the uh the series opened up. I was in another Griffins podcast, and kind of the you know, the focus, rightfully, is all like on the top line, top line, top line. And I was there to kind of reel the guys back and be like, hey, you know, this Felix Unger Sorum guy was the one who led the Wolves in scoring all year long. And I mean, covering him from last year into this year just seems like he's a completely different player. I mean, I think last year it was a lot of you know confidence for a young rookie, just not really kind of with uh getting the field this league. Um I don't think confidence is an issue for Felix anymore, is it, Coach?

SPEAKER_02 19:16

No, no, definitely not. And I think he was a confident individual last year, too, but there were some factors that came into play. Like he was very young, 19 years old, uh, and he was playing out of a natural position. Uh the first quarter of the season we tried him at center. Um and at the same time, he was very light and not sure of how to you know work on his body. So I give a lot of credit to our strength and conditioning staff, stemming from the top of Bill Burniston in Carolina. Uh Jake Nietzsche, who was with us last year, put a lot of work in him, and Jake is now the head strength coach in Buffalo. And now Jack Renzel has taken the reins uh on that, and the work they've done with him has been amazing. And uh his explosiveness, the metrics on all that has gone through the roof. He's our most improved player, not just on the ice, but off the ice as well. And uh just from his dieting to his weightlifting, uh, so that you know he knew his confidence and his ability and his strengths as a you know puck protector, but when you add all that muscle mass and that you know maturity, uh it's definitely you know sprung him to the next level uh this season. So uh yeah, when he's feeling his best and when he's you know playing that heavy, uh he's obviously a force to be reckoned with. And what's amazing is he's only 20 and he still has a lot of muscle and growth left in him. So he can be a real big force and and you keep increasing his speed with his pipe protection ability. Um yeah, he's really benefit you know beneficial for us in our lineup.

SPEAKER_01 20:45

Yeah, he's got he's got a lot of runway ahead of him. I think we're all we're all excited to see see the rest of that out of Felix. Um you know, you guys close this one out in four games, all four games being tight one goal games. I mean, I know game four kind of was uh it was more kind of a last-minute thing, but it's still just kind of you know, tight wire to wire here and there, and you guys you but you battle it out with with one of the big dogs and and you take them down. Is there anything you learned about this group of guys over the course of the series, or was it more just kind of like an affirmation of what you knew this team was capable of?

SPEAKER_02 21:20

Yeah, I'd say it's more of an affirmation. Like we know we're a really resilient group. Uh we've seen some flashes of that through the season. We have a lot of comeback wins, we score a lot of third-period goals, uh, we lock things down uh, you know, for the most part. Obviously, there's ebbs and flows of a season, but you know, we always look back, and I think this is probably the third or fourth time it's come up on this podcast alone. But we look back to that, you know, that Cleveland series in Cleveland. Uh that was a real turning point for us in terms of like just showing that we this team is never out. You know, uh you know, we look back to our series against Colorado this year. It was two games in Colorado before the All Star break, two after. We split in Colorado. We put Probably didn't deserve to win either of them. But our response after the All-Star break and the adjustments we made, we thought we controlled the play at home. So just our ability to just teach these guys and then make adjustments and their response to every challenge. There's nothing to panic panic about because we know what these guys are capable of. And I think they do as well. So that's why we've been able to get through some of those tight games.

SPEAKER_00 22:38

Well, it's uh very similar DNA to the canes, of course, where uh you know they just say, hey, we're gonna follow the process and uh you know, we just keep playing our game and things are gonna work out. And I think you've got the same type of situation. You know, we talked about reinforcements uh when you were on last time, Spiros, and had some fun with it. Um and you know, I wanted to bring it up because I think you know, some of those reinforcements have really been impactful uh in these uh playoff series. Of course, Noah Philp. We just talked about Felix Ungersorm, but Noah has been uh doing a great job alongside Felix and and uh scored some goals and of course has been uh very heavy in the faceoff dot. The other two guys I wanted to mention were, of course, uh Yusso Valamacke. I mean, he's you know, he's just Yusso Balamackey he's great out there. And how about Cal Foote? I mean, he probably he's the revelation to me. He's just been so impactful. How did you see these guys? What do you think of what they're doing?

SPEAKER_02 23:37

So they're great reinforcements because all three of those guys have you know a lot of experience. Uh you know, Noah Philp, he got off to a little bit of a slow start because by the time he got to us, I think he had only played 15 games all the season and he had battled through two injuries uh between Edmonton and then Carolina. So when he by the time he got to us, it took him a little time to settle in, but he did at the perfect time, especially when we were thin on our roster at the end of the year. Uh so he started clicking at the right time with Felix and with Viktor Nuchev, and they're a line that really possesses the puck really well. Uh they draw penalties because the pucks seem to be sticky to their blades, and uh Noah really opens up a lot of space for those two very skilled players. Um, you know, Juice is is the consummate pro. Like he is he is a leader outside of our leadership group in terms of the guys that are wearing A's and C's. Like he gets the guys together for dinner. He you know, he treated the team out for dinner on the first round. Uh you know, he's very vocal. He he leads by example. Uh he's been such a great reinforcing reinforcement for us and a huge addition. And Cal is is more of a quiet leader. Uh you know, he's been there before. He's played these games at the National Hockey League level. He's been around Stanley Cup winning teams with Tampa, and obviously he's got the pedigree uh having watched his dad have a pretty successful career. So, you know, he's a big presence. Uh he's a force-b record with around the net. He's given um Joel Nestrom a whole different level of confidence. They've been one of our best pairs. And the gravy part about it all is he's second in defenseman scoring in the American Hockey League playoffs, and that's not what we're even leaning on him for. Uh so just to have those three guys has been really, really great for us in the playoff run. But, you know, you could go through, you know, we currently have 29 guys with us right now, and yeah, some of those guys, a handful of them are are black aces, but the impact that every single guy has had in our room has been incredible. And, you know, we finished the season, whatever it was, 6-0-1, and that was with guys like David Gagnon and Blake Beyondi and Bryce Montgomery and Gleb Trikozov playing, and that solidified our second place standing. That that did it. They're the ones who clinched it. So we are very thankful and we remind our lineup of that every single day. And uh, you know, it really is 29 guys uh that have made an impact for us in this playoff run.

SPEAKER_00 26:05

Well, it's it's kind of interesting because uh Andrew and I were talking to Ryan about this last time and said, you know, it's crazy. Uh you at the end of the season, you bring up all these folks, and uh several of your folks, of course, are up with the Carolina Hurricanes. Guess what happens? Both teams win. Like the Canes were fighting hard, as you know, to get top and uh to get a very strong position for home ice advantage. And several of your players were up there and did a great job. And uh we're really excited about that. And and it was nice to see some folks get a chance. You know, Roman Seeley was up, and some of the other guys were up, and that's really great, and and we were really uh really pleased about that. But but yeah, uh gosh, it's just yeah, it's a whole team effort, as you say, and and uh and a great group of guys, so I think uh I think that's fantastic. You know, the Griffin series was uh was incredible. I mean, for sure. It's uh you're playing a team that all year was right up there. They were, I don't know, 20 points ahead of you guys in the standings. They were

Top Line Surge & Line Juggling

SPEAKER_00 27:10

just yeah, they were a juggernaut, right? And you guys come in and and you beat them. What were your main takeaways from that series?

SPEAKER_02 27:18

Uh I think just that we're in in exceptional shape. Um, you know, we thought we outskated and we out lasted, and and the playoffs can be a real you know, battle of attrition. Um, you know, we're I think the third youngest team in the league, uh, but on any given night, the 20 guys that we play, because you know when you look at the the average age on the rosters in the American League, that takes account everybody that's there. But if you look at that we're 20, I think we could be one of the youngest on any given night in the American League. And we're about to go play the oldest on paper in the American League. Uh so we think that's an advantage for us. Now, you you give up a little bit on experience there. Uh but what it the Grand Grand Rapids Griffins series showed me is that you know, our youth, our energy, uh, our responsiveness um is a real benefit in a long playoff run. Uh, and we can wear teams down. So, you know, that's exciting for me going into a Western Conference final because you know they've played a couple more games than us. Uh you know, they've uh probably haven't played as physical of a series as we have. Uh so we think that you know it it's gonna be a real two different styles kind of meeting each other. And we think because of our energy and and the conditioning that we're in, uh it could be an advantage for us. Our series is very condensed. Um we play, there's a couple back-to-backs. Let's say it goes full seven, there's a couple back to backs. I think the whole series is seven games and whatever it is, 12 or 13 nights. Um that is very central division style hockey. Uh the Pacific doesn't do it that way. Uh, so you know, we're leaning on every advantage that that we can kind of point to. I think our guys are really excited about it. But that's the biggest thing I learned from the GR series, just our energy levels. Uh, we've done a great job from our support staff to our coaching staff just managing that. And practice this week was so good, it actually almost is making me nervous. So uh yeah, it's uh we're a very high-energy team.

SPEAKER_00 29:24

Now, you mentioned recently in an interview that uh you have played the Eagles, as we talked about previously, and the game tape, the experience, and the success you've had winning three or four games will be really valuable in the series. How do you think it's gonna help you?

SPEAKER_02 29:41

Yeah, it's already helped you know through the week. It's nice. Our first three series obviously are teams that we've played against. Uh, and we've been able to structure our week where every day is just a little bit of a you know, tidbit on a team that you've played and looking for their tendencies and showing the you know the pre-scout or the re-scout that we call it. Um so we have game tape against them. We have areas that we've been burned, we've got areas where we adjusted and we responded well, and areas of success of success in the series. So that's the advantage of having played Colorado. And like I mentioned in that interview, it's like we've manifested this playoff run. Uh when we struggled against Texas, we talked about like we're gonna have to find a way against these guys because we're gonna have to get through them. And then every close defeat and or close victory that we had against Grand Rapids, we preached that that was a team we had to get through to get out of our division through. Uh, and then when we played Colorado before and after All-Star Break, we said it. We said this very well could be a team that we play in the Western Conference Finals. So we've kind of manifested this Western playoff run. Uh, and I think that's really beneficial for us because it with familiarity, we're a team that has been able to adjust and a team that you know grows confidence the more we play teams. Uh, and I think that's shown through this playoff run.

SPEAKER_01 30:55

So yeah, it's really a unique situation in this in this league. You don't see a whole lot of conference finals matchups where you know you've already seen the team through through interdivision play. Um so but between that series in February, that back-to-back, between you know what you've guys seen on film, what have you seen from the Eagles that they do so well to get out of uh very competitive Pacific Division?

SPEAKER_02 31:21

Yeah, so I'll make a quick comment on the the out-of-division opponents. We only played three this year, and all three were in the playoffs up until last week. Uh and now two of them still are in Toronto and Colorado. Uh so that bodes well for us. Wilkesbury is the only team that we haven't seen. Uh, so that's that's pretty interesting in itself. Uh I'll give it to Wendell Young on that one. He does our scheduling uh in our non-division opponents. So Wendell might have had some kind of premonition there. So that's that's great. Um Eagles are super fast. They are incredibly skilled. They're a team that you've got to take a next play mentality against because they might look like they're threatening, but it's not that play that they're gonna get you on. It's the it's the next play. Uh, you know, they make great east-west uh plays, they they make you know good slot slot plays and backdoor plays, and um they counter exceptionally well. So you know we think we match their speed well, but it's gonna be really important for us to try and slow them down. And you know, we have some ideas and some tactics that we've worked on this week. I can't give you know any of that away. Um, but it's something that we've really dialed into is how can we neutralize their speed? And uh, you know, I think we have a pretty good plan. And uh, you know, if we can keep our speed while neutralizing theirs, that could be the difference in the series.

SPEAKER_00 32:43

Well, you know, you mentioned uh veterans on the Eagles. And they are a loaded, they're a loaded team. Uh they've got some forwards that have avalanche experience, of course. Uh Gavin Grinley, who spent a good part of the season with the Avalanche. Ivan Ivan has been up with the Avalanche before. They got a bunch of veterans we know, right? Alex Burry, Boole, TJ Tynan. These guys have been around for a while. Tristan Nielsen, Jason Meg. Now I can go on and on. Jacob McDonald, gosh, I used to like him when he was with uh San Jose. Great offensive player. I think he scored 30 goals last year in Sane. Like a heck of a player. Keaton Middleton, he was up with uh with Colorado, and he's a big hulking guy. So, I mean, we know a lot of these guys. Uh, they brought in some interesting uh free agent signings from college. TJ Hughes, of course, is the big one. We'll be interested to see what he can do. And uh, and of course, uh Matt DiMarcico, who also came in from Penn State. So they're, you know, they added some players like you did with Charlie Serato, and these guys have started to do some good work. But, you know, the guy at the top of the list for them, of course, has been Trent Minor, whose numbers are so gaudy I can't even tell you what they are. They're ridiculous. But when you take a look at the Eagles, are there any players or anyone on the team that you sit back and say, hey, we've got to really keep an eye on those guys?

SPEAKER_02 34:01

Yeah, I mean, you got to keep an eye on you just listed a whole bunch of them. So there's a lot of guys to keep an eye on. Uh you know, Megna missed the last series, but we anticipate that he'd be back this series. Um, you know, Ashawn is currently called up to Colorado, but he can join any point in our series as well. That's a 50-point uh defenseman. Um, thankfully, again, we've played against them, so we have some sample size against every one of those guys except for Trent Minor. Uh, we have not played against him this year. Um, but you know, we think we we have just as great of players. Uh, you know, we have our first line and our depth, and we have really good mobile defensemen who actually on paper are much bigger than what Colorado has to offer. Uh so we think with our length and our ability to skate, uh, we should be able to, you know, to shut them down and shut down in our D zone. So um it's gonna be just as tough of a matchup for them as it is for us. And uh, you know, this is a kind of series that could go the distance. Uh, you know, we'll have to see if my heart can handle it. But uh, you know, it's it's one that we're prepared for. I think we identify that. Um, but yeah, you know, Megna and Tynan and Barbule, um, you know, Middleton, like they have a ton of experience. Like they've been here before. Uh, you know, a number of those guys are closer to my age than they are, you know, four or five guys on our team. Um, and but maybe that's where our advantage lies. You know, let maybe a long series doesn't pay dividends for them. Who knows? Uh we're not sure. But all we can do is bring put our best foot forward. In terms of minor, you know, I

Reinforcements, Depth, & Conditioning

SPEAKER_02 35:40

I could have said the same story about Porge and the same thing as Postava. Yeah. I'm not sure he's been tested the way we can test goaltenders. Uh we have little we have a little secret recipe on how we can do that. Uh, you know, it's it's shown its flashes through the first two series. I don't need to get into too detail of it, but our guys are are pretty keen on on opening the floodgates on any goalie that they face. And uh, you know, they have there's some tactics and some intention behind how we're gonna do it. So uh I'm really curious to see how Trent responds to it because he's a great goaltender and it's gonna be a great matchup.

SPEAKER_00 36:14

Well, listen, uh don't want you giving any secrets away, that's for sure. Yeah, that's uh for sure it's gonna be a handful, but you're right, and and you know, all these series, um, they're unique, each one of them, right? So, you know, they've done what they've done to get where they are as you have to get to your your situation now, and I think you know it just makes for interesting situations on both sides. So, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:40

The I think the you know, I was looking earlier, just kind of the head-to-head stats between the two teams, and there's one that really popped out at me, and that was uh Ryan Suzuki getting 12 minutes of penalties against the Eagles one game for the altercation with Chase Brindley. I mean, geez, do you worry about having the real Zook in?

SPEAKER_02 36:59

Or you know what? I I'm not sure I even remember what what happened there. Uh, you know, so I think that was just a one-off. But uh yeah, I mean, anytime your top players show that kind of fire, too, I it's that's alright. You know, like uh I'd rather have to reel guys back than push him forward. So, you know, Zook's is a competitor, and uh, you know, he goes head to head with some of the best players in the league. So, you know, it's uh it's great to see that competitiveness. But I don't think it'll be um a high infraction series like GR was. Um it's gonna be a really fast pace. So I would say, you know, the kinds of infractions you're gonna see are probably more stick infractions just because of the ability and skill of both teams. Uh so when you're defending naturally, your stick gets gets out and you know you get up into somebody's arms or into somebody's feet. Um but I think it's gonna be a really high-skilled series, and uh, you know, that that'll make for some exciting hockey for fans.

SPEAKER_00 37:58

I wanted to ask you this question as you're going up against uh the Colorado Eagles, the foreign team of the Avalanche, of course. Are you surprised with what's going on with uh Vegas and uh and the Avalanche these days?

SPEAKER_02 38:10

Yeah, I gotta say, like the first two games were surprising in the sense that I thought you know Colorado would at least win one there at home. Um but it wasn't surprising in the sense that they were missing probably their best player. Uh and then in game three, when you know McCarr was back in, even though he was nicked up, you could see like, oh wow, like that just gave them a boost. And when it went 3-0, you thought, all right, not just are they back in the series, that they probably will take over the series. But so I guess that was what the biggest surprise for me is is Vegas' response and coming back from that deficit and then scoring five unanswered goals to win five three. Uh, you know, that's pretty impressive, and that's hard to do in a playoff series against a team that was so dominant. But you know, it just goes to show that's why you got to play the games, right? You know, regular season and postseason are different. Um, you know, no lead is safe in in the postseason, especially. So yeah, I am surprised, but at the same time, like Vegas has always found a way. Like, look, look what they've done in such a short life in the National Hockey League, right? So, you know, they were everybody's love that first year, and now they're hated by everybody. And that means that means they're doing some something right. You know, they went from misfits to you know the the the the villains in the league. So it's uh yeah, it's impressive. And uh it's been a really cool series to follow.

SPEAKER_00 39:34

Well, and and you know, they've received great goaltending from Carter Hart. Uh, and you know, you're in the same situation with Caton. I mean, you've got a goaltender that can stand on his head. We saw some saves in in these series that are just I I look at them again and I gotta say, you've got to be kidding me. Um so he's definitely been uh been getting it done. So yeah, you can take a hot goaltender and go a long way. So uh yeah, that's it is a fun series. Um, one of our other team members on Storm Tracker is also a Colorado Avalanche fan, so this has not been particularly fun for her. I'm sure Katie Bartlett uh at least can continue to enjoy the Hurricanes. But I wonder, you know, the the uh Eagles, you know, watching this are probably thinking, hey, we gotta pick up the mail here. If these guys aren't gonna get it done, it's up to us now.

SPEAKER_02 40:22

So it's real hard for both teams to have success in the playoffs. Uh I know there's only probably a handful that have ever won both cups. But even making it to the conference final is is a real testament to organizational depth. So right now it's just Carolina and uh and Colorado. A few years ago, actually, it was wild. This this is a way a while ago now, but Pittsburgh at one point had Pittsburgh in the uh cup final, Wilkesbury in the Calder Cup final, and uh Wheeling in the uh Calvin. It might have been 2008, um but I think only one of the three ended up winning the cup. Uh I I don't even know, maybe I'm wrong on that, but uh it's uh it's it's an impressive thing for an organization uh you know to have affiliates make it that far. So you know we're we're fortunate and we're we're happy that we are where we are, and we're happy watching the canes while we're doing it too.

SPEAKER_00 41:15

Well, it's interesting you mentioned that because I was talking to some folks yesterday and I it kind of came up in conversation like how less how often does this happen, right? And and uh as you've answered it, not that often. So yeah, that's great stuff. Okay, we have a couple of fan questions uh we thought we'd throw out, interesting ones from the Anglo Nose. Uh he said, Do you think Reapkin is better at center than wing? He seems to have a better sense of where his line mates are and looks a play or so ahead of what's developing on the ice.

SPEAKER_02 41:47

That's an interesting question. I think there's two answers to it. Uh, you know, he's he's really young and raw right now, uh, and the pace of play is real fast, and he's a quite a physical player. So right now for us, we think he's more beneficial on the wing. Uh, you know, there's still some areas of his defensive game that he needs to continue to develop. What a lot of people also don't realize about Ivan is he's a whole series ahead of us, right? He played a seven-game series in Charlottetown. Uh so you know there's a little bit of protection there in putting him in a in a position to succeed with you know veteran centermen like Skylar Brindemore or Nikita Pavlichev. He's played with both. Um so right now, for all intents and purposes,

Scouting Colorado And Handling Their Speed

SPEAKER_02 42:30

we believe he's better on the wing. Uh he's strong enough to win some wall battles, get pucks over the reset line. But you know, with his vision, uh the fan is correct. Uh, you know, I think the the projection for him is to be a really good centerman in the American Hockey League and throughout his pro career. Uh, you know, there's some things he needs to be similar to Felix, he needs to work on his body a little bit more, um, you know, get that explosiveness, be able to play that extra length of the ice that a centerman has to play. Um so long term, yes, he's a centerman and he's pretty good in the face-off dot. Short term, right now, for our purposes, we think he's he's better suited on the wing. So uh that's why our fans are seeing him there right now. And it always is nice as you see it with Justin Robota. It's always nice to have a winger that can win face-offs. So it gives us that center depth as well.

SPEAKER_00 43:20

Yeah, have you seen a difference since he came back from Charlottetown? He tore up the the Quebec major junior league, and I just wondered how he he's responding.

SPEAKER_02 43:30

Without a doubt, before he went there, before we reassigned him to the QMJ Chell, um, you know, obviously there were some question marks and uncertainty of like how would he take it? Would he develop some bad habits there? Because he'd be so much better than a lot of players. Um, you know, I had been fortunate to meet the head coach in Charlottetown uh a number of times through my playing career and then even into coaching as recently as a coach's seminar last summer. Uh so Coach Holton there, he is a great. Mix of old school but new school as well. He's a really adaptive coach. He's a good player's coach, but he holds coaches accountable. So I remember you know telling our management staff, I said, this is gonna be a really great coach for Ivan. And I have to say he did a phenomenal job with him. Like he came back as a much more mature player, a player that was more accountable to himself, uh, a lot better habits. Uh so I give all kudos to uh to Jim there. And you know, if we can tag him in a post or or let him know, uh, you know, and and you know, I'm gonna be talking to him at the at the conclusion of our season as well, but he did a phenomenal job, and Ivan definitely has changed as a player, um, you know, getting that confidence, getting that experience, but getting that coaching more importantly.

SPEAKER_00 44:44

Great. That's fantastic, and that's what you hope for, of course. Um, okay, another question. This one's a little bit loaded, uh, from X, the Chicago Wolves Super fan. He said, How confident are you that the Wolves can easily beat the Eagles?

SPEAKER_02 45:02

That's an interesting question. I am confident the Wolves can beat the Eagles. Uh I'm not overly confident that anything's gonna be easy. Uh nothing has been easy so far. So uh, you know, we have a lot of respect for our opponent, and uh they have great coaching. Um, you know, and shout out to the ECHL. Right now, there's um four former ECHL head coaches in the American League uh conference finals between uh Kirk McDonald and myself as head coaches in the American League, but also uh Derek Army and Tim Branham, uh who are assistants in Colorado. Uh so you know these are a bunch of coaches that have been through the grind, so I have a ton of respect for them. And Mark Letteste, who's a great coach too, and uh someone I've gone to compete against and meet uh before. So um, yeah, nothing's gonna be easy, but I'm confident in our group.

SPEAKER_00 45:55

Well, you know, it's interesting you mentioned coaches because one of the discussions I got into with the Grand Rapids Scrippin' folks was a discussion on coaches. Of course, uh they have Dan Watson who has a huge history, like so successful in the ECHL and carrying that over into the American Hockey League. And uh, you know, you're just kind of you know, you're still kind of cutting your teeth a little bit and having some fun with this. And and I said, you know, be careful because I think you're gonna see some great work out of uh out of Spiros. And uh, and as it turned out, that's what happened.

SPEAKER_02 46:28

Yeah, well, Dan's also another good coach, and that makes it you know, five former ECHL head coaches, and you know, if you take it back one series, uh it I'm a better coach for having to have been able to compete against Dan uh in the ECHL when he was with Toledo, and I was in Brampton, and then obviously uh now here in the American League. And uh we've known each other a while. He was an assistant in Toledo when I was an assistant in Grand Rapids, so uh yeah, I I usually measure my team's success against his, and uh that's pushed me to be better. And you know, that's what we do in the coaching fraternity. We love to compete with each other, but we push each other to be better. So uh, you know, which brings me back to the point, nothing is easy, but you know, we have full confidence in ourselves.

SPEAKER_00 47:13

Well that's interesting. Yeah, I when I looked at his resume, I thought, holy smokes, this guy uh he's paid his dues and he's done so very, very well. So uh I know I knew you'd have a handful, but uh well done, of course, uh to uh to come on to this next round. Um okay, I think uh we'll maybe get some closing thoughts, Andrew. What do you got for us?

SPEAKER_01 47:34

Well, I mean, yeah, it's been such a just a delightful talk, as always, with you here, Coach. Um I just got one thought kind of on my end as we wrap up this series here with Grand Rapids. I was at uh Papino's before game two and just struck up a conversation with the fan who uh who remembered you as an assistant on that called your cup team in Grand Rapids. I am so bummed at myself that I didn't get the guy's name because he recalls catching you working out in Griffin's attire. He asked if you played on the team. You said no, I'm an assistant. Chatted up for a little bit, and he said that you got him some uh some tickets for the Griffins game. Later, it was either later that night or that weekend or something, and just couldn't. Grand Rapids still loves you even after what you what you did to them this past year.

SPEAKER_02 48:27

That would be that probably would be John Lanecki. Yeah. Uh and uh yeah, he made he made his way down to our bench to say hello uh during game two. And uh yeah, I love connecting with fans and anywhere that I've uh I've worked, uh, you know, I love making those relationships with people. Uh our teams and our careers are nothing without the fans. So uh you know, anytime I get to interact, it's great. But uh Grand Rapids is a real special place for for my wife and I. Uh we got engaged there. Uh, you know, won my first pro championship there, and we have lifelong friends and uh and connections like John. Uh, you know, and he's I haven't seen him in a number of years, but when I saw him by our bench there, it was a really exciting moment. So um and we love Papinos. We love Papinos Pizza, Mazza Sticks, best in in in the state, at least. Uh so uh yeah, it's uh with a lot of fond memories in Grand Rapids.

SPEAKER_00 49:22

Well, Sparros, uh, as you get ready for the Colorado Eagles, final thoughts.

SPEAKER_02 49:29

Yeah, I mean, you know, to to those watching, uh, you know, we we really appreciate everyone's support. Um, you know, the guys really feel it. Um, you know, Tom, people like

Fan Questions & Final Thoughts

SPEAKER_02 49:40

you that that bring awareness to what we're doing and you know connecting us to the Carolina Hurricanes because essentially we are employees of the Carolina Hurricanes, but you know, we're we're miles and miles away. But uh, you know, it's an organization's depth is is really important um to success. So uh just appreciate the awareness that you guys bring to us and uh you know cheer these guys on because they're the canes of the future. At the very least, they're NHL players of the future that are striving to reach their dreams. So we're just lucky to be a small part of it. But uh yeah, I think it'll be a great series. So tune in and enjoy.

SPEAKER_00 50:18

For sure. And uh yeah, we we man, we enjoy this incredibly and and talking hockey about uh you know our favorite teams is there's nothing better. So Spiro, thanks so much for spending time with us. Uh man, it's just been awesome. And of course, Andrew from your side, as always, great to uh to have you on board to talk about the Chicago Wolves. For those of you who have been watching or listening, of course, all three of us are delighted you spent time with us. If you like this episode, please press the like button. If you have any questions or comments, leave those in the comment section. And if you want to be alerted of future episodes of Storm Tracker, please press the subscribe and the bell buttons, and we'll make sure you're made aware as soon as they're available. As always, we thank you so much for spending time with us and look forward to getting together with you real soon right here on Storm Tracker.