Abbotsford Canucks Punch Ticket to Calder Cup Finals After Gritty Game 7 Win

The Abbotsford Canucks are heading to the Calder Cup Finals after a gritty Game 7 win over the Texas Stars on Sunday night. It was a hard-fought series, with both teams trading blows across seven tightly contested games.

Captain Chase Wouters, who’s been with the Canucks since their first season in 2021-22, reflected on what the win meant for the team. He was named captain at just 22 and has grown into a key leader both on and off the ice.

“Yeah, it means everything. It’s been a goal of ours all year to get to this point, and obviously I’m really proud of everyone in that room,” said Wouters. “It takes a lot of hard work and a lot of effort throughout the year to get to this point. So, we’ll enjoy this one tonight. But there’s still lots of work ahead.”

Wouters holds the franchise record for games played and has seen the Abbotsford fan base grow alongside the team. That fan energy was on full display Sunday night, giving the players a noticeable lift.

The team’s chemistry has only strengthened during the playoff run, something General Manager Patrik Allvin has pointed to when talking about the culture being built in Abbotsford.

“We all love coming to the rink every day. That’s the main thing. This time of the year is about coming together as a team and being brothers for each other, and that’s what we’re building off right now. It’s quite the feeling, we’re all very proud of one another in there.”

Down 2–0 late in the second period, it was Arshdeep Bains who sparked the comeback with a key goal just before intermission.

“There is just so much belief in that room. Bainsy scores a massive goal with a minute left in the second and we came in the locker room and the whole mentality everyone’s saying, ‘we’re ending it right here, we’re going to get the next one,’ and then we’re going to find a way to finish it,” said Max Sasson.

The Canucks came out firing in the third, outshooting Texas 17–4, including a stretch of 16–1. Jujhar Khaira scored the tying goal early in the period—his third of the playoffs—sending the hometown crowd into a frenzy. Moments later, Sasson tipped in a point shot from Akito Hirose to put Abbotsford ahead for the first time all night.

“I’ve been pretty snake bitten. I’ve had a lot of shots, and for one finally to go in, in that moment, I feel like that’s how it always goes. It felt really good. And obviously it’s a massive goal for the team,” said Sasson.

“When we get a lead in the third, we’re a really hard team to break down with our structure. So that celebration, I just let it all out. It felt like the monkey was off my back, and the crowd was insane, the whole place. I kept on just looking around and was like ‘wow,’ that was so cool to see.”

Head coach Manny Malhotra pointed to the team’s depth as a difference-maker. He rolled four lines in the third period, and every player contributed during the final push.

“It’s obviously a huge step for us as a group, as an organization, and I’m happy to see the guys getting rewarded for the way they’re playing and their commitment to what we’re trying to do here,” said Malhotra.

He also gave a shoutout to the fans, who made the Abbotsford Centre a tough place to play throughout the postseason.

“I’ll say it again and again. Our group gets so much energy off the life in this building,” said Malhotra. “The fans have been outstanding throughout the entire playoff run. They’re a big part of our success. This atmosphere here to play in front of has been really special for the guys, and we’re looking to continue that.”

Next up: the Calder Cup Finals against the Charlotte Checkers, the Florida Panthers AHL affiliate. The Checkers’ roster includes a few familiar names—Will Lockwood and Aidan McDonough are both former Abbotsford players, though McDonough has been out since November. Zac Dalpe, who played for the Vancouver Canucks in 2013-14, has also been sidelined since December.

In net, Charlotte is led by 28-year-old Kaapo Kähkönen, who won gold with Finland at the 2016 World Junior Championships in Vancouver. He’s been sharp this postseason, posting a 10-2 record with a 1.73 GAA, .927 save percentage, and one shutout. The Checkers enter the Finals on an eight-game winning streak, having swept both the Division and Conference Finals.

Game 1 is set for Friday in Charlotte, with the series following a 2-3-2 format. The first two games will be on the road, with games three through five in Abbotsford. If necessary, games six and seven will return to Charlotte.