The Florida Panthers may have hoisted the Stanley Cup, but their farm team won’t be getting their hands on the Calder Cup.
The Abbotsford Canucks erased a two-goal deficit to beat the Charlotte Checkers 3–2 on the road last night, wrapping up the AHL championship series in six games.
It marks the first Calder Cup title for the Vancouver Canucks' affiliate. Meanwhile, the Checkers are still chasing their second title since winning in 2019.
Michael Doyle, president of Canucks Sports & Entertainment, Business Operations, says playoff success has strengthened the bond between the team and its fans since relocating to the Fraser Valley in the 2021–22 season.
“The energy, pride, and support our fans brought throughout this playoff run was nothing short of sensational,” stated Doyle in a news release. “You stood behind this team every step of the way, and your passion helped drive them to the ultimate prize. Congratulations to the Abbotsford Canucks on bringing the Calder Cup home!”
The championship win capped an incredible two months of playoff hockey. Abbotsford was led offensively by Linus Karlsson (14–12–26) and Arshdeep Bains (7–17–24). Rookie defenceman Kirill Kudryavtsev added 10 points (1–9–10) and posted a league-best +18 rating. Goaltender Artūrs Šilovs backstopped the run with a 16–7 record, a 2.01 goals-against average, a .931 save percentage, and five shutouts.
Cochrane’s Ty Mueller contributed 12 points in 24 playoff games and had 39 points in the regular season. He also appeared in two games for the Vancouver Canucks late in the year.