CHARLOTTE — The Abbotsford Canucks have claimed the Calder Cup championship.
In the sixth game of the series, held Monday night at Bojangles Coliseum, the Canucks overcame an initial two-goal deficit against the host Charlotte Checkers by scoring three consecutive goals. Linus Karlsson netted the decisive goal at 17:19 of the second period, securing a 3-2 victory for Abbotsford.
This triumph marks the first Calder Cup championship in franchise history for the Vancouver Canucks` American Hockey League affiliate.
“They all believe in one another. they believe in our system, they believe in the culture they`ve built. That`s the main reason we`re Calder Cup champions.”
— Rookie head coach Manny Malhotra (as told to Canucks Insider)
Sammy Blais and Danila Klimovich also contributed goals for the Canucks. Despite being outshot 30-20, goaltender Arturs Silovs delivered a standout performance, earning him the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as playoff MVP. Silovs recorded an impressive 16 wins during the post-season, including five shutouts.
Arshdeep Bains, who led the playoffs with 17 assists heading into Game 6, added two more helpers in the final game.
“That was so special,” Bains said. “Like our team identity all year, we`re a resilient group. We were down 2-0 early. We just fight back every single game. I couldn`t be prouder of this group.”
John Leonard and Jack Devine scored first-period goals for the Charlotte Checkers. The Checkers ultimately lost the best-of-seven American Hockey League championship series in six games. The Charlotte organization had previously won the Calder Cup in 2019.
With this win, Abbotsford prevented their opponent`s parent club, the Florida Panthers, from achieving a rare sweep of both the Stanley Cup and Calder Cup in the same year. This simultaneous championship feat has occurred only three times in history, most recently in 1995 with the New Jersey Devils and their affiliate, the Albany River Rats.
Neville Woodall 
Duncan Priestley