John Garrett played for the Vancouver Canucks for three seasons, but the former goaltender is definitely more widely known throughout the fanbase for his sparkling career as a colour commentator for the team. He first called Vancouver’s games alongside former play-by-play broadcaster Jim Hughson back in 2002. His final broadcast for the Canucks was on April 13, 2023. While he has since continued working for Sportsnet in a smaller capacity, Garrett still keeps an eye on his former hockey club.
“I went to a game when they were playing Colorado up in Abbotsford — what a great atmosphere it was,” Garrett said in an interview with Donnie and Dhali on Friday.
Like many in the world of Vancouver hockey, the Abbotsford Canucks’ playoff run has also caught Garrett’s eye. It’s hard not to become infatuated with the team, which boasts a vibrant crowd and a sea of waving towels every game. Even looking past the off-ice product, Abbotsford has shown a commitment to playing their style of game and doing what they need to do in order to win. This “committee mentality” is something that Abbotsford head coach Manny Malhotra has discussed at length.
“Charlotte’s a really good team, and that’s going to be a challenge for them, but you look at the teams they beat already and I think they’ll be ready for it,” Garrett said of the team’s performance throughout their four — soon to be five — playoff rounds. “Manny has them playing a good shutdown game, and I think they’ll all be low scores and one-goal games.”
Part of the reason for this remarkable run has been the play of Artūrs Šilovs, who is no stranger to performing under pressure. Many remember his heroics in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, in which he backstopped Vancouver to Game 7 of the Pacific Division Finals. This season, he has seemed to hit a completely different gear, shutting out Abbotsford’s opponents five different times in 18 games played.
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“If the Canucks don’t decide to trade Thatcher [Demko], then Šilovs is a perfect trade chip,” Garrett added about what could happen to Šilovs when considering how full the Canucks’ cache of goaltenders is with Demko and Kevin Lankinen. “He’ll be cheap for the first big contract, the next contract that he gets. He’ll be undervalued. And he’s proven. The World Championships, the All-Star goalie in the World Championships, and now he’s been absolutely lights out.”
Abbotsford’s run has been nothing short of spectacular. Many noticed the magic when the team went on their 13-game win streak towards the end of the regular season. With players such as Max Sasson, Linus Karlsson, and more sprinkled into Vancouver’s lineup throughout the regular season, it’s clear that the team learned lots from their personal and shared experiences and have applied this to their Calder Cup Playoff push.
“I think that team, you look at the guys that are playing on that team, how many of them have NHL experience because the Canucks were in such an up and down season where a lot of those guys got to play. And then Mancini, and all the forwards who got to play, and now they’re playing and they’ve got a chance at the Calder Cup.”
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