One year ago today, the Abbotsford Canucks advanced to the Division Finals of the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs, beating the Coachella Valley Firebirds in four games.
Welcome to the 2025 Calder Cup Throwback Series. Throughout the course of April, May, and June, we’ll be looking back at some of the biggest moments in the Abbotsford Canucks’ Calder Cup championship run from 2025.
One year ago today, Abbotsford accomplished something they’d had yet to do through the entire course of their franchise history: advance to the Division Finals of the Calder Cup Playoffs. They accomplished this feat by taking down the Coachella Valley Firebirds in four games. Prior to 2025, they had only made it past the first-round of the Calder Cup Playoffs twice, losing to the Calgary Wranglers in 2023 and being swept by the Ontario Reign in 2024.
Unlike their first-round series against the Tucson Roadrunners, Abbotsford didn’t end up needing every game in the series to eliminate their opponent. Coachella Valley only ended up winning one game — Game 2 in a 5–4 overtime defeat for the AHL Canucks — while Abbotsford took the remaining three. Their series-winning game, decided in a 2–0 shutout, took place on home-ice in front of a Rogers Forum crowd that only seemed to grow more and more as each game passed.
In theory, Game 4 could have gone either way. Both Artūrs Šilovs and Firebirds goaltender Nikke Kokko played excellently, stopping 29 and 22 shots respectively, though it was Abbotsford’s netminder who ultimately took the win. This was Šilovs’ second of what would later become five shutouts in the 2025 post-season.
May 9, 2025: Abbotsford Canucks clinch a spot in the Pacific Division Finals with a win in Game 4 against the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Photo Credit: @AbbyCanucks - XA powerful force on offence as always, Max Sasson made his mark in this game by being the lone player to beat Kokko and find the back of the net. Sasson’s power play tally gave Abbotsford the lead, with Linus Karlsson adding to it via empty net in the final few minutes of the game.
With the win, Abbotsford secured themselves a spot in the Division Finals, where they would go on to take the Pacific Division-leading Colorado Eagles en route to the Calder Cup.
Follow along with the 2025 Calder Cup Throwback Series below.
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