One year ago today, former Canucks goaltender Artūrs Šilovs recorded his fifth shutout of the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs.
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 goaltender Artūrs Šilovs recorded his fifth shutout of the 2025 post-season, achieving this feat in a 1–0 Game 2 win in the Western Conference Final against the Texas Stars on home-ice. He stopped all 26 shots sent his way by the Stars, with defenceman Akito Hirose scoring the lone goal between both Abbotsford and Texas to give the AHL Canucks the lead with less than 15 minutes left in the game.
Šilovs’ shutout in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final marked his fifth of this particular post-season, putting him one more away from tying Mika Noronen’s AHL record of six in a single playoff run.
The now-Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender registered his first-ever AHL playoff shutout in a sudden-death Game 3 against the Tucson Roadrunners in the first round of the 2025 post-season, making 21 saves to help his team advance to the next round. This also ended up being the first of three series-clinching games that resulted in Šilovs recording a shutout, as he also blanked the Coachella Valley Firebirds in Game 4 (29 saves) and the Colorado Eagles in Game 5 (34 saves) to help his team win their second and third-round series’ respectively.
Šilovs went on to finish the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs with a 2.01 GAA and .931 SV%, resulting in the goaltender winning the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy awarded to the playoff MVP. He put up a record of 16–7–0 and also recorded two assists.
Photo Credit: @AbbyCanucks - XŠilovs’ clutch factor has never been a question. His history of stepping up best when the pressure is greatest dates back to the 2023 IIHF World Championship, where he helped Latvia to their first bronze medal at the tournament by posting a 2.20 GAA and .921 SV% in seven wins and three losses. The goaltender also stepped in for Vancouver Canucks goaltenders Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, leading Vancouver to Game 7 of the second-round.
Even this year, Šilovs proved once again that he performs best with more pressure on his shoulders. After the Penguins skidded to a 3–0 series deficit in their first-round matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers in April, Pittsburgh turned to the former Canuck for Game 4. Šilovs stopped 28 of 30 shots faced to keep the Penguins’ season alive, also nabbing them a Game 5 win before ultimately being defeated in Game 6 by a score of 1–0. He finished the post-season with a 1.52 GAA and .939 SV% in three games.
Follow along with the 2025 Calder Cup Throwback Series below.
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