Canucks Prospect Arturs Silovs Has Taken Over The Calder Cup Finals
Canucks Prospect Arturs Silovs Has Taken Over The Calder Cup Finals
Abbotsford Canucks goalie Artūrs Šilovs has taken over the Calder Cup Finals and now has his team one win away from their first championship.
ABBOTSFORD, B.C. – When the starting lineups are delivered at the Abbotsford Centre, each Canucks’ name read over the PA system gets a raucous cheer. When the announcer booms out “ARTŪRS ŠILOVS” the crowd cranks up the volume well past acceptable decibel levels for the human ear.
There is little doubt who the fan favorite has been these playoffs for the Abbotsford Canucks, and with good reason. Šilovs, who was one of the first six players named to Latvia’s 2026 Olympic team earlier in the week, has been nothing short of dominant for the bulk of the Calder Cup Playoffs. Over the last two games in Abbotsford, he’s looked borderline unbeatable and now has his team on the brink of its first ever Calder Cup title.
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The “Arty” chants have been as frequent, even more frequent than the “Go Canucks Go” chants. He keeps making save after save and has made it seem as though he will not be beaten.
He’s facing one of the AHL’s most offensively gifted and experienced teams, filled with veteran scoring talent including former NHLer Jesse Puljujärvi and sniper John Leonard. Charlotte has been looking for answers, and though they put two pucks past the Canucks netminder in the third period of Game 4, it provided minimal consolation based on how the prior 40 minutes went.
🎉 The Abbotsford Arty Party continued in Game 4 as the Canucks took a 3-1 series lead in the Calder Cup Finals@abbycanucks | @Canucks | @CanucksArmy #AHL #CalderCup #ProudlyAbbotsford #Canucks pic.twitter.com/G2XfAcXTbf
— FloHockey (@FloHockey) June 20, 2025
Even in the games they were the far better team, the Checkers have been flustered by the flawless goaltending of Šilovs, who could not be making a stronger case that he is ready to take the step to be a regular contributor with the big club in Vancouver.
Oddly enough, the 24-year-old had more Stanley Cup Playoffs games in his career than Calder Cup appearances coming into this postseason. He was pressed into action in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs for the injured Thatcher Demko, appearing in 10 games with the Canucks, winning five and losing five. So he has seen the bright lights and he's tasted some success at the sport's highest level.
He’s also played in massive games for Latvia at the Men’s World Championship. The big stage has never scared Šilovs, nor has the intensity of playoff hockey. It's hard to explain just how dialed in Šilovs has looked over the last two months.
The Canucks were badly outshot in Games 1 and 2, to the point where you wondered if Šilovs would be on a steady IV drip for the plane ride home. He stopped 90 of 96 shots over those first two games, with the Canucks winning Game 1 and then losing Game 2, with both contests going into overtime.
ARTY 🎉 ARTY 🎉 ARTY 🎉@abbycanucks | @Canucks | @CanucksArmy#AHL #CalderCup #ProudlyAbbotsford #Canucks pic.twitter.com/GkIqMnWvLC
— FloHockey (@FloHockey) June 18, 2025
His most comfortable-looking games, however, have come on home ice. Part of that is the team in front of him playing far better, limiting shots, blocking chances and keeping the middle of the ice relatively clean with good positioning and getting sticks in lanes. Still, Charlotte generated chances and until they broke through with two goals in the third period, it looked like they may never score again.
“Best goalie in the AHL,” said teammate Jonathan Lekkerimäki who scored the first and third goals for Abbotsford to help his netminder pick up the win.
No one expected the Abbotsford Canucks to be this in control of the series. Not after Charlotte beat the two-time defending champion Hershey Bears and regular-season champion Laval Rocket in consecutive sweeps to reach the finals.
When the Canucks picked up a narrow win in Game 1, with Šilovs making 51 saves over 90-plus minutes with two overtimes, that flipped home ice in the series. Even after losing Game 2, they were still going to have a chance to win the series on home ice with Games 3 through 5 back in Abbotsford.
Even so, after Charlotte controlled so much of the first two games, it just didn’t seem like the Canucks were going to be able to slow them down enough to win three consecutive games. After winning two, playing better at home and with their goalie so dialed in, Saturday’s Game 5 has great potential to be a coronation.
Heading into Game 5, Šilovs owns a .933 save percentage in these playoffs. He has won 15 games and lost just six and has five shutouts this postseason. He even has two assists this postseason.
PHILLIP DI GIUSEPPE FROM ARTŪRS ŠILOVS 🚨
— FloHockey (@FloHockey) June 18, 2025
We got a goalie assist in the Calder Cup Finals!
(also what a shot from PDG!)@abbycanucks | @Canucks | @CanucksArmy#AHL #CalderCup #ProudlyAbbotsford #Canucks pic.twitter.com/LkUH3V1lfs
His numbers, however, get even better in clinching games.
Šilovs has played in four games with a chance to clinch a series in these playoffs. He has gone 3-1 with an astonishing .958 save percentage and two shutouts. He doesn’t just close the door, he slams it.
If the Canucks are crowned, it seems almost certain that Artūrs Šilovs will be tabbed as the postseason MVP, putting the finishing touches on the biggest Arty Party yet.
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