with files from Patrick Williams
Day 8 of the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs takes center stage at Cedar Park to open the Central Division semifinals.
The Chicago Wolves and Texas Stars get their series underway tonight (8 ET, 
), more than a week after the teams finished their regular season.
Game 1 will also be streamed free-to-air on FloHockey’s public channels and on FloHockey 24/7, available on Amazon Prime (US), Bell Fibe (Canada), Fubo and the FloHockey app.
Chicago finished the regular season 5-0-0-1, allowing just nine goals in six games. Texas was 5-2-1-1 in its last nine, with a Rémi Poirier to make all nine starts in the net.
“We had a week to prepare and we are excited about the challenge,” said the Stars forward Matthew Seminoffwho led the team with 24 goals in 2025-26. “We had a few games at the end of the season that were important to invest, so I think we’ll go into the playoffs with that mindset.”
Felix Unger Sörum (17-49-66) led the Wolves in scoring during the regular season, including 12 points in eight games against Texas. But the Stars won seven of eight meetings, including all four at the HEB Center in Cedar Park.
“We know you’re not in those games right now. It’s just a five-game series,” Seminoff said. “We come to it with a new mindset. We made our preparations in Chicago, and we know they did the same.”
Three from Texas Curtis McKenzie (104), Cameron Hughes (62) and Kole Lind (58) have combined for 224 Calder Cup Playoff games played in their careers. Chicago’s entire roster enters the series with 114 Calder Cup Playoff games, led by a goaltender. Cayden Primeauyou are 24.
Since the end of the regular season, Chicago’s head coach Spiros Anastas the temporary tag has been removed from its title. Anastas, who took over Cam Abbott on Dec. 12, guided the Wolves to a 25-14-5-6 record.
The last time these teams met in the postseason was in 2010, the Stars’ first season. Texas won that final division battle on a Game 7 overtime goal by the rookie Jamie Benn.
