Three cities have a stake in this year’s Calder Cup final: Toronto, Chicago, and Kazan. The first two represent the Marlies (Maple Leafs) and Wolves (Carolina Hurricanes), while Kazan, a major city in southwestern Russia with 1.3 million residents, is home to the two starting goaltenders in this best-of-seven series.
Marlies goalie Artur Akhtyamov and his counterpart Amir Miftakhov both hail from the banks of the Volga River. They were briefly teammates on Kazan’s club team in the early 2020s. “He’s a pretty good guy and a good goalie,” Akhtyamov said before Friday’s Game 1 at Allstate Arena. “We texted and congratulated each other on getting to the finals. It’s going to be an interesting series. Kazan is a beautiful city, especially in the past five or ten years.”
RATING THE RUSSIANS
At 26, Miftakhov is a year older, but Akhtyamov reached the NHL first this season with three appearances for the Leafs, allowing 10 goals in 126 minutes on a struggling defensive team. Akhtyamov has played nearly every playoff game for the Marlies and will compete for a roster spot at training camp.
Miftakhov, meanwhile, was in Carolina for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup final as a contingency when Frederik Andersen was unavailable against Vegas. He returned to Chicago on Friday morning. A Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick from the same 2020 class as Akhtyamov—selected several rounds later—Miftakhov spent a few years at home before signing with Carolina this season.
The Hurricanes’ system had several goalies, including former Leaf Cayden Primeau. But when Primeau was injured in Game 5 of the AHL West final against the Colorado Eagles, Miftakhov took over. With Chicago trailing 3-2 in the series, he won two one-goal road games, stopping 75 of 80 shots, capped by his first career Game 7 victory.
“I called my father and told him ‘I’m playing tomorrow, so maybe you’re not gonna sleep these next two nights’,” Miftakhov told the Wolves’ website. “I was waiting a long time, but it was OK for me if I’m not playing. Things happen and you have to make the best of it. It’s pretty cool to maybe go against (Akhtyamov). I think we’re not going to talk during this series and catch up after it’s all done.”
