Former Swift Current Broncos defenseman Max Lajoie and the Chicago Wolves captured the AHL's Calder Cup with a 4-0 win over the Springfield Thunderbirds in game five of the series on Saturday.
It's the third Calder Cup championship and first since 2008 for the Wolves, the primary affiliate of the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes.
Lajoie, who scored 22 goals and 120 points in three seasons with the Broncos from 2014-17, scored the opening goal and eventual game winner with 1:21 left in the first period, to finish his playoff run with four goals and four assists for eight points.
Joel Hofer, who played 49 games with the Broncos and was part of the Ed Chynoweth Cup winning team in 2018, had a 6-4 record in 10 games played with the Thunderbirds, posting a 2.56 GAA and .934 save percentage, and even got on the highlight reel with a goalie goal earlier in the playoffs.
This was the first professional playoff series for Hofer, who had two starts with the St. Louis Blues in the 2021-22 regular season. Lajoie played two playoff games with Carolina in 2021-22, and five regular season games with the Hurricanes in 2021-22.
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