The Abbotsford Canucks are your 2025 Calder Cup champions. After a hard-fought 3–2 victory against the Charlotte Checkers in Game 6, Abbotsford hoisted the Calder Cup for the first time in franchise history. Sammy Blais, Danila Klimovich, and Linus Karlsson scored the goals, while Artūrs Šilovs stopped 28 of 30 shots against to seal the deal for his team, with his efforts throughout the postseason earning him the title of 2025 Calder Cup Playoff MVP. 

A hot topic prior to the start of Game 6 was the ice at Bojangles Coliseum, which had caused the AHL Canucks a bit of trouble at the start of the series. With temperature reaching a balmy 33°C in the city of Charlotte, many anticipated that this would be an issue yet again during Game 6 — which it ultimately was. Players were seen falling as early as the first period, with passes sliding and bouncing out of favour for both teams. As the game progressed, the quality only got worse and worse. 

Within the first five minutes of the game, Šilovs had already faced six shots including one that went past him and into the net. Abbotsford applied a little pressure early on, but Charlotte maintained the majority of possession throughout the first little bit. Abbotsford gave up a valuable 3-on-1 chance while on 4-on-4, during which Charlotte forward Jack Devine found the back of the net. 

Abbotsford was given a power play with three minutes left in the first period after Checkers defenceman Trevor Carrick took a two-minute minor for delay of game. With a quick push needed to swing momentum back in their favour, the AHL Canucks found the scoresheet thanks to a glove-side shot from Blais on the man-advantage. After their first tally of the game, Abbotsford kept up the pressure and nearly had more chances after a good steal from Ty Mueller deep in the Checkers’ zone. 

That trademark Abbotsford resilience was on full-display in the sequence of their second goal of the night. Captain Chase Wouters had the initial chance close to Kaapo Kähkönen, though it was Klimovich who ultimately put the puck into the net. Abbotsford followed their tying goal up with great O-zone pressure as well as a couple of near-goal chances caused by their speed and effort heading up the ice. 

Abbotsford’s penalty kill was tested three times during the second period, with all three occurring after the AHL Canucks tied the game 2–2. The AHL Canucks maintained their penalty-killing success and went three-for-three in the second period. They killed yet another during the third period, finishing the game with all four killed off. 

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Despite starting the period with momentum early on, and said momentum fading with the two penalties they took, a dominant shift by Arshdeep Bains, Max Sasson, and Karlsson gave the AHL Canucks the 3–2 lead with less than three minutes to go in the period. They swarmed the Checkers, keeping the puck on a string and weaving it through Charlotte’s zone until Karlsson tapped it in from near the back door of Kähkönen’s net. 

The third period was filled with committed performances from the AHL Canucks. Players put their bodies on the line to block shots, with others working their magic to make perfectly-placed passes and stick checks to keep the puck from reaching Šilovs. Charlotte emptied their net with around three minutes remaining in the third period, with Abbotsford continuing to put the effort in to lock things down. 

When time came to keep things calm, the AHL Canucks did what they always did, playing their style to keep the Checkers from getting that final goal. By the time the buzzer rang, the score remained 3–2 — clinching Abbotsford’s first Calder Cup victory in franchise history. 

Scoring Summary: 

1st Period: 

2:49 - CLT: John Leonard (8) from Matt Kiersted  

13:14 - CLT: Jack Devine (2) from Eamon Powell and Oliver Okuliar 

17:38 - ABB: Sammy Blais (6) from Christian Wolanin and Arshdeep Bains 

2nd Period: 

3:44 - ABB: Danila Klimovich (4) from Chase Wouters and Tristen Nielsen 

17:19 - ABB: Linus Karlsson (14) from Arshdeep Bains and Jett Woo 

3rd Period: 

No scoring. 

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