Wolves top Rockford to clinch second place in Central Division

Posted April 12, 2026 7:59 pm

The Chicago Wolves opened their final homestand of the 2025-26 American Hockey League regular season by defeating the Rockford IceHogs 4-2 on Sunday at Allstate Arena.

Gleb Trikozov scored twice, Noah Philp had a goal and an assist and Felix Unger Sorum also tallied to help the Wolves clinch second place in the Central Division. Ivan Ryabkin chipped in two assists as Chicago wrapped up the season series with a 7-3-1-1 record over their intrastate rivals.

After Ryan Gagnier staked the IceHogs to a 1-0 lead midway through the opening period, Trikozov knotted things up late in the first. The forward tracked down a loose puck at the bottom of the right circle, spun and sent it to the crease where it hit a defender and slid past Rockford netminder Adam Gajan. Ryabkin picked up an assist on Trikozov’s tying marker.

Trikozov struck again early in the second to put the Wolves out in front 2-1. Ryabkin started the play by sending a backhand pass through the crease where Trikozov crashed the net and buried a one-timer by a lunging Gajan to the stick side. Ryabkin and Cal Foote each earned assists on Trikozov’s seventh goal of the season.

Philp extended the Wolves’ advantage to 3-1 early in the third to extend his goal-scoring streak to three games. Philp redirected a shot from Viktor Neuchev while in front for his seventh tally of the season and fourth in the last three contests. Neuchev had the lone assist.

Rockford clawed to within a goal midway through the third when Dmitry Kuzmin found the back of the net with the IceHogs on the power play, but Unger Sorum capped the scoring with an empty-netter late in the contest.

Pyotr Kochetkov played the first two periods in goal for the Wolves, as the veteran continued his conditioning stint from the Carolina Hurricanes, and made 18 saves. Amir Miftakhov finished up in net and made nine saves. Gajan had 36 saves in his professional debut.

Chicago upped its record to 33-21-8-7 on the season while Rockford fell to 28-37-3-2.