With every game they win in the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs, the Abbotsford Canucks keep on making franchise history. This season was the first time in club history they made the Division Finals in the Calder Cup Playoffs, nevermind the fact that they currently have a 2–1 series lead over the Texas Stars in the Western Conference Finals. Abbotsford has seen lots of success throughout their playoff run despite not playing with a fully healthy lineup. Abbotsford head coach Manny Malhotra uses the term “committee mentality” to describe their mindset going into games.
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“I think the biggest thing that we continue to talk about is doing everything by committee,” he told FloHockey in an interview before Game 4. “We defend by committee, we score by committee, and we have a lot of confidence in the depth of our group. We’ve had numerous lineups throughout the course of the year, throughout the course of playoffs, and with that next man up mentality guys are put in different positions up and down the lineup and whatever’s asked of them, they do it to the best of their ability. So that’s been a calling card for us, just playing that team concept and having that committee mentality.”
Many fans know that this team mindset has stayed with the AHL Canucks even throughout the regular season. When Abbotsford lost a crop of their star players towards the end of the regular season due to NHL call ups, the team pushed through and even went on a record-setting 13-game win streak. Abbotsford hasn’t been healthy during the postseasn either, as lineup regulars Christian Wolanin, Jett Woo, and Aatu Räty have all missed time during the playoffs. Still, the AHL Canucks keep charging on.
“I think the guys enjoy the feeling of having success and when they’re bought in and when they’re playing the way that they need to and they get the results they want, they want to continue that feeling. So I think that’s where the buy-in comes from is once they get a taste of that success and getting to where we are at this point in the season, understanding what it takes to get there is where that buy-in comes from,” Malhotra added.
A big talking point in Abbotsford’s postseason success has been the stellar play of their penalty kill, which previously killed 30 straight and is currently operating at an efficiency rate of 93.2%. Prior to Game 3 on Monday night, they had only let in one power play goal in 40 shorthanded opportunities. While lots can be attributed to the success of Abbotsford’s penalty kill, Malhotra recognizes the team’s committment to sticking to their systems.
“For me, it’s the guys’ continued buy-in to the system that [assistant coach] Jordan Smith wants to implement here, but it’s their willingness to do all the dirty jobs — block shots, get in lanes, finish hits,” he explained regarding how the team has found success on the PK. “They’ve been doing everything that has been asked of them and that’s what it’s taken. Obviously, everybody talks about your goaltender needing to be your best penalty killer and Arty’s done a fantasitc job of coming up with the big saves when we needed him to.”
With a Game 4 win tonight, Abbotsford has the chance to take a commanding 3–1 series lead. On the other side of the playoff bracket, the Charlotte Checkers swept the Laval Rocket to advance to the Calder Cup Finals. Whoever takes the Western Conference Final will meet with the Checkers for a chance to win this year’s championship.
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