CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theahl.com) … For the primary time in franchise historical past, the Abbotsford Canucks are Calder Cup champions.
The Canucks wrapped up their first American Hockey League championship tonight with a 3-2 victory over the Charlotte Checkers to win the 2025 Calder Cup Finals collection 4 video games to 2. Linus Karlsson’s league-leading 14th objective of the postseason was the distinction because the Canucks rallied from an early two-goal deficit to win Recreation 6.
Goaltender Artūrs Šilovs received the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as essentially the most useful participant of the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs. Šilovs, a sixth-round alternative by Vancouver within the 2019 NHL Draft, went 16-8 with a 2.01 goals-against common, a .931 save proportion and 5 shutouts in 24 playoff appearances, together with 28 saves in Recreation 6 tonight. The 24-year-old Šilovs tied an AHL file for wins in a single postseason.
Sammy Blais and Danila Klimovich additionally scored for the Canucks in Recreation 6 after Charlotte had grabbed a 2-0 lead on first-period objectives from John Leonard and Jack Devine.
The Canucks’ Calder Cup championship is the primary ever by a Vancouver affiliate. Beneath rookie head coach Manny Malhotra, who additionally received a Calder Cup as a participant with the Hartford Wolf Pack in 2000, Abbotsford defeated the Tucson Roadrunners (2-1), the Coachella Valley Firebirds (3-1), the Colorado Eagles (3-2) and the Texas Stars (4-2) earlier than eliminating Charlotte to turn out to be simply the second staff in AHL historical past to win 5 collection in a single playoff 12 months. The Canucks are additionally the primary Calder Cup champion to come back out of the Pacific Division because it was fashioned in 2015.
Abbotsford’s victory brings an finish to the AHL’s 89th season. In operation since 1936, the AHL continues to function the highest improvement league for all 32 Nationwide Hockey League groups. Practically 90 p.c of at present’s NHL gamers are American Hockey League graduates, and greater than 100 honored members of the Hockey Corridor of Fame frolicked within the AHL of their careers.
NOTES: Abbotsford turned the primary Vancouver Canucks affiliate ever to win the Calder Cup, and the primary champion from Canada because the Toronto Marlies received the title in 2018… Sammy Blais, who received the Stanley Cup with St. Louis in 2019, turned the 133rd participant ever to win championships in each the NHL and the AHL… Manny Malhotra is the primary rookie head coach to win the Calder Cup since Grand Rapids’ Jeff Blashill in 2013, and the nineteenth individual general to win AHL titles as each a participant and a head coach… The Canucks had been 1-for-2 on the ability play in Recreation 6 to complete 18-for-70 (25.6 p.c) for the postseason.
(Abbotsford wins collection, 4-2)
Recreation 1 – Fri., June 13 – Abbotsford 4, CHARLOTTE 3 (2OT)
Recreation 2 – Solar., June 15 – CHARLOTTE 3, Abbotsford 2 (OT)
Recreation 3 – Tue., June 17 – ABBOTSFORD 6, Charlotte 1
Recreation 4 – Thu., June 19 – ABBOTSFORD 3, Charlotte 2
Recreation 5 – Sat., June 21 – Charlotte 4, ABBOTSFORD 3 (OT)
Recreation 6 – Mon., June 23 – Abbotsford 3, CHARLOTTE 2
