Canucks beat Checkers 3-2 to win first Calder Cup
Original Publication Date: June 24, 2025 2:17PM
CHARLOTTE — The Abbotsford Canucks are Calder Cup champions.
After spotting the host Charlotte Checkers the first two goals on Monday night at Bojangles Coliseum, the Canucks roared back with three unanswered goals, including the winner from Linus Karlsson at 17:19 of the second period.
Sammy Blais and Danila Klimovich also scored for the Canucks, who were outshot 30-20 but received another quality performance from netminder Arturs Silovs, who received the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy for being the playoff MVP. Silovs won a record-tying 16 games in the post-season, including five shutouts. The 24-year-old goalie finished with a .931 save percentage.
Arshdeep Bains, who went into Game 6 with a playoff-leading 17 assists, added two more helpers for the Canucks.
John Leonard and Jack Devine scored first-period goals for the Checkers, who lost the best-of-seven American Hockey League championship series in six games. The Checkers won the Memorial Cup in 2018-19.
The Checkers led 2-1 after the first period but trailed 3-2 heading into the third.
Abbotsford went 1-for-2 on the power play, while Charlotte went 0-for-4.
The Canucks lost Game 5 in overtime on Saturday in front of the largest crowd to ever witness an AHL game at the Abbotsford Centre in B.C.’s Lower Mainland.
The Canucks, coached by first-year bench boss Manny Malhotra, become the first Canadian team to win the Calder Cup since the Toronto Marlies did it in 2017-18.
The Canucks’ post-season slogan “Never Satisfied” might have to be altered. Abbotsford knocked off the Tucson Roadrunners 2-1 in the Pacific Division’s first round of playoffs, followed by a 3-1 win over the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the semifinals.
The Canucks outlasted the Colorado Eagles 3-2 in the Pacific Division final, then bounced the Texas Stars 4-2 in the Western Conference final.
POKE CHECKS: Abbotsford becomes the first Vancouver Canucks affiliate to win the Calder Cup, and the first champion to come out of the Pacific Division since it was formed in 2015. … Malhotra is the first rookie head coach to win the Calder Cup since Grand Rapids’ Jeff Blashill in 2013. … Sammy Blais, who won the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019, becomes the 133rd player to win championships in both the NHL and AHL. … The Canucks finished the post-season going 18-for-70 (25.6 per cent) on the power play.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 23, 2025.
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