[
The Abbotsford Canucks, Vancouver’s farm team in the American Hockey League, 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.
The goalie 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.
Despite a devastating loss in Game 5 of the Calder Cup finals, Abbotsford Canucks fans say they’re proud of their squad, which is the Vancouver Canucks’ farm team. The Canucks still lead the series 3-2 and will have two chances to clinch the title in North Carolina. Sohrab Sandhu reports.
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.
Abbotsford’s post-season slogan, “Never Satisfied,” might have to be altered. The Canucks 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.
In winning the Calder Cup, they become the first Vancouver Canucks affiliate to ever do so, 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 Jeff Blashill in 2013.
Mayor hails ‘phenomenal team’
Abbotsford Mayor Ross Siemens — sporting a Canucks jersey on Monday — commended what he called a “phenomenal team” who went on a great postseason run.
He said plans for a major celebration in the Fraser Valley city, of around 170,000 residents, would be organized in the coming days.
“Abbotsford really has so much that people don’t realize [when] they go by on the freeway,” he said. “And this has given us not just regional exposure, but you know, national and North America-wide exposure.”
Siemens said the Canucks’ AHL affiliate was very involved in the community, and their postseason run garnered support from all across the Lower Mainland.
“It’s a Canadian win. You know, we just brought the American Hockey League Cup home to Canada, where it belongs,” he said.