Saturday night didn’t end the way the Abbotsford Canucks wanted it to, as the team lost their final home game 4–3 in overtime. The game-winning goal for their 2025 Calder Cup Finals opponent, the Charlotte Checkers, came off a fluky play in which the puck bounced off two different AHL Canucks and in. Having carried a 3–1 series lead into Game 5, Abbotsford had the opportunity to end the series on home ice, but were unable to do so despite a spirited effort.
“That’s one of the major factors, the guys are ticked off in the room right now, is that it would have been an incredible evening for the fans,” Abbotsford head coach Manny Malhotra said after the overtime loss on Saturday. “To do it in front of home fans, as electric as they’ve been the entire playoffs, kind of rewarding them for the support that they’ve shown us would have been a storybook ending for us. But we’re not a storybook team. We grind and we work for what we get.”
Even with the way the game played out, the AHL Canucks are insistent on turning the page on their final home game. They still have a chance to close things out at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte. While it may not be as “storybook” as winning the championship in front of their fans, Abbotsford knows that a win is a win regardless.
“No other choice. It is what it is,” Christian Wolanin said of the unfortunate result. “Obviously they weren’t just gonna roll over and die. Lucky bounce in overtime, that’s just the way those go sometimes, and on the move we go.”
Abbotsford’s no-quit mentality has gotten them very far this season. Even in Game 5, despite surrendering the opening goal and allowing the Checkers to take the lead on a couple of occasions, the AHL Canucks were quick to even things up. This mindset is something they’re relying heavily on in order to get off on the right foot come Game 6 in Charlotte.
“Even after wins, the next day, it’s like nothing happened,” captain Chase Wouters said. “That’s kind of been our mindset all year. It’s a new day tomorrow, the sun’s gonna come up and we’re gonna look at some things and reset and get ready to go.”
“That’s been the makeup of our group for the whole playoffs. We’re obviously disappointed with the outcome tonight. Come tomorrow, it’s a brand new day. We’re looking forward to the next one,” Malhotra added on Saturday night.
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To move on from the overtime loss, Abbotsford isn’t relying on a single player or leadership group to get spirits back up. Their “committee mentality” extends off the ice and into the locker room as well.
“If I’m honest, the room is kind of running itself, and I think that’s a large part of why we are where we are right now, is our leaders’ ability to manage the emotions of the room,” Malhotra said of the team’s leaders.
“We’re looking forward to the challenge. I mean, it’s another great team. They aren’t gonna go away easy,” Wouters discussed postgame in regards to Monday’s match in Charlotte. “It’s the finals. Everyone is doing everything they can to gain a step, and, I guess, to win ultimately. And that’s a credit to them. They brought it tonight, and it was a fun game.”
The remaining games of the 2025 Calder Cup Finals will take place in Charlotte on June 23 and 25 (if necessary). Puck drop is scheduled for 4:00 pm PT on both days.
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