Latest news with #AHLPlayoffs
National Post
19-06-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Canucks: Big AHL performances from Bains and Karlsson may carry into NHL success
Article content There is little doubt that this spring's epic run by the Abbotsford Canucks to the Calder Cup Final bodes well for the future of the entire Vancouver Canucks organization. Article content Winning, after all, brings good vibes, and good vibes bring you goodwill. Article content Article content And winning at the AHL level usually means some good things for your NHL team a couple seasons down the line. Article content The Vancouver Canucks are hopeful that this spring's solid run will yield positive things for the NHL club as soon as next season. Article content Article content Yes, we're talking about you, Arshdeep Bains and Linus Karlsson. Article content The two wingers were massive performers Tuesday, helping the Canucks take a 2-1 series lead over the Charlotte Checkers. Article content Bains' all-around good game sense has been on display ever since he made the jump to pro hockey in 2022. Article content But his emergence as a big-game player is notable. He was one of Abbotsford's best performers all season long. In the playoffs, it took him a while to score an actual goal — he only has five — but those five have all come in crunch time. Article content The first three were in the final two games of the Western Conference final against Texas, and the latest two came on Tuesday, along with two assists, leading the way in a 6-1 romp over Charlotte. Article content Karlsson, meanwhile, has 11 goals and 11 assists in this playoff run, including goals in both games two and three of this series against Charlotte. Article content He hs been a player on a mission all season. After a rather underwhelming NHL callup last fall, he clearly put the bit between his teeth, and doubled down on what he needs to be, because when he came back to the NHL later in the season, he was a solid, hard-working presence. He is not the fleetest of foot, but he's strong and has hockey smarts that have carried him this far. Article content Both players aren't going to be stars in the NHL, but they have guts and brains and dedication to the craft, exactly what you want in homegrown depth wingers. And both would help the NHL team if they can turn themselves into such players. Article content
National Post
14-06-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Jonathan Lekkerimäki is noticeably absent from Abbotsford Canucks last four playoff games
Anyone contemplating the makings of a long playoff run for the Abbotsford Canucks before a few weeks ago undoubtedly expected Jonathan Lekkerimäki to have a starring role in it. Article content The Vancouver Canucks ' farm hands have wound up as one of the final two teams left standing in the AHL. Abbotsford opened up the best-of-seven Calder Cup championship series against the Charlotte Checkers Friday in Charlotte, N.C., with a 4-3 double overtime victory. Article content Article content Article content Game 2 is Sunday in Charlotte and the series shifts to Abbotsford Tuesday for Game 3. Article content And Lekkerimäki's role in all this so far? He's been a bit player. Article content The 20-year-old Swede, who was Vancouver's first-round pick (No. 15 overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft, was a healthy scratch for a fourth straight game on Friday. He's seen action in 12 of Abbotsford's 19 playoff games to date, and he's registered one goal and five points in that span. Article content Abbotsford's rolling. We're nit picking here. This feels like finding the one cloud in the distance in a bright sky. This is the deepest a Vancouver affiliate has gone since the Utica Comets made the AHL finale in 2015. Article content At the same time, Lekkerimäki is the best prospect in the Vancouver system, and he's currently not playing at the biggest time of the year. He's a pure goal scorer in an organization that's already short on offence and seems all but certain to lose Brock Boeser to free agency this summer. Article content Article content Article content Article content Vancouver's messy regular season is well documented. They have various holes to fill, and they've made it clear that they want to get better quickly, particularly with Quinn Hughes ' contract up after the 2026-27 season. Trades would speed up the process, but dealing Lekkerimäki right now doesn't seem prudent. Article content Lekkerimäki is a high-end talent — he was most valuable player of the 2024 world juniors — and he's in his first full season in North American. He's slight by NHL standards, coming in 5-foot-11 and 172 pounds. Give him time to get stronger. There's runway to decide what he's capable of. Article content It does feels like Vancouver has trade chips to play on defence, considering the additions they've made there this season. Article content In the end, it's going to be interesting to see how Lekkerimäki responds to this stretch. It's also going to be interesting to see how the Canucks work with him going forward, particularly in light of Elias Pettersson 's dip in production and how critical publicly team brass have been of the 26-year-old centre that they signed to an eight-year extension in March 2024.
National Post
10-06-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Abbotsford Canucks: Will Lockwood has Calder Cup incentive with red-hot Charlotte Checkers
Will Lockwood scored twice for the juggernaut Charlotte Checkers in an impressive Eastern Division final sweep of the high-octane Laval Rocket to punch their AHL ticket to the Calder Cup Finals. Article content It's not breaking news, but it's significant for the former Vancouver Canucks winger. He has five goals in his last 10 post-season games, after just 10 goals in 52 regular-season outings, and is on an expiring two-year, $1.55-million US contract with the parent Florida Panthers. Article content Article content Article content The Checkers have won eight-straight playoff games, are 10-2 in the post-season, and swept their last two series. Article content Lockwood, 26, will have extra incentive when the best-of-seven championship series against Western Division champion Abbotsford Canucks opens Friday in North Carolina. He was a third-round 2016 NHL Draft selection by the Canucks — 64th overall and 44 spots higher than an NHL Central Scouting projection — but never gained traction in Vancouver or Florida. He has two assists in 52 career games. Article content Lockwood managed just one assist in 28 outings over three NHL seasons here, but did have 12 goals with Abbotsford in 26 games during the 2022-23 season. He was traded to the New York Rangers in February of 2023 for underwhelming winger Vitali Kravtsov, who managed just one goal in 16 NHL games before the restricted free agent returned to the KHL. Article content The pressure to perform in hockey-mad Vancouver got to a lot of prospects. For Lockwood, it was a combination of tailoring his game to the NHL and trying to be a feisty fourth-line fit. It was a physical grind and mental challenge amid roster additions. He even fought to gain attention. Article content Article content 'I had people coming up to me and saying, 'They're picking up this guy and this guy.' I didn't have any idea,' Lockwood told Postmedia. 'You have to focus on controlling what you can. It's a business. The team wants to win, and you have to understand that. Article content 'I'm not going to score from the top of the circle or beat a goalie with a clear shot all the time. If I can get to those dirty areas, I'll produce.' Article content Former Canucks bench boss Bruce Boudreau said, 'He's got great speed, great tenacity, and for a not overly big guy, he hits real hard. If you give him enough ice time, like he had in the AHL to score goals, it will build his confidence.' Article content Fast forward, and if this it how it ends for Lockwood in his latest adventure — hosting the Calder Cup trophy — then he'll probably take it, although he would like to keep playing. The same goes for former Canucks winger Aidan McDonough, 25, and centre Zac Dalpe, 35, who serves as Checkers captain.
National Post
08-06-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Abbotsford Canucks Live: Game 6 win will advance Abby to Calder Cup final
The heat is on in Abbotsford. Article content Not only was the mercury expected to climb to 30 degrees Celsius in the Fraser Valley on Sunday, and actually feel like 34, the temperature inside the Abbotsford Centre will also rise. Article content Article content The Abbotsford Canucks hold a 3-2 series lead over the Texas Stars in the AHL best-of-seven Western Conference final and are a victory away from advancing to the Calder Cup championship against the Charlotte Checkers. Article content Game 6 before a raucous sold-out Abbotsford audience goes at 6 p.m., and if a seventh game is necessary, it's slated for Monday at 7 p.m. in the valley. The Canucks obviously don't want to be forced into a do-or-die showdown in Game 7 that could end their remarkable season, or shorten rest and prep time for the AHL final. Article content The Checkers are the Florida Panthers' affiliate and swept the Laval Rocket in the Eastern Conference final. They will host first two games of the AHL title series starting Friday in North Carolina, with the west winner getting Game 3, 4 and 5 home dates, before the series reverts back to Charlotte. Article content As for tonight, the Canucks will look for a hero. Article content Maybe somebody snaps a tight game in the third period, or becomes the latest overtime star. Four series games have been decided by one goal and three required overtime. Stars captain Curtis McKenzie of Golden, B.C., delivered the extra-session dagger Friday in Texas in a 2-1 triumph to force Game 6. Article content Article content Article content Article content You'd like to think Canucks winger Linus Karlsson is going to have a say in the Game 6 outcome. He has two goals in the series by getting to the net, has been a prime playmaker, and is tied for the post-season lead with nine goals. His 17 points are third among playoff scorers and he's second in shots with 49. Article content Maybe Arturs Silovs stretches his post-season shutout string to six. That would be fitting to equal the AHL record established by former Canucks goaltender Mika Noronen, who backstopped the Rochester Americans to the league crown in 2000. Article content Noronen played just four NHL games for Vancouver after being acquired at the 2006 NHL trade deadline. In his first appearance, he was bombed in a 5-0 loss to the Nashville Predators. Noronen then signed in Russia as opposed to serving as backup to workhorse Roberto Luongo.
National Post
06-06-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Abbotsford Canucks Live: A win tonight would send Abbotsford to AHL finals
The Charlotte Checkers are cheering for the Texas Stars to beat the Abbotsford Canucks tonight, rest assured of that. Article content Charlotte has already advanced to the AHL Calder Cup championship series, as the Florida Panthers' farm team swept the Laval Rocket in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals. That set ended Tuesday. Article content The Checkers are waiting on the West winner and will be glad to see Abbotsford and Texas tire themselves out coming to that outcome. The Canucks carry a 3-1 lead on the Stars into Game 5 tonight (5 p.m.) in Cedar Park, Texas. Game 6, if necessary, would be Sunday (6 p.m.) at the Abbotsford Centre and the Game 7 would also be there on Monday (7 p.m.) if it's required. Article content Abbotsford is coming off a 5-4 overtime victory in Texas on Wednesday. Texas is the farm team of the Dallas Stars. Article content The Calder Cup gets going June 13 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Game 2 is there June 15, before the series shifts to either Abbotsford or Texas with Game 3 on June 17. Article content "There was much more tenacity to our game." Olivia McDonald chatted with Head Coach, Manny Malhotra, following last night's game, and ahead of tomorrow's potential series clinching game. — X - Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) June 5, 2025 Article content This is the fourth season that the Vancouver Canucks have had their AHL team in Abbotsford, and this is easily the deepest they've gotten into the playoffs in that tenure. A win tonight would mark a fourth series win of these playoffs; they had two series wins in the first three years combined. Article content This is the best a Canuck farm team has done in the AHL post-season since the Utica Comets made it to the Calder Cup finals in 2015, where they lost in five games to the Manchester Monarchs. Article content This season, Abbotsford (44-24-2-2) finished second in the Pacific Division in the regular season and fifth overall in the league. Texas (43-26-3-0) was second in Central and 10th overall, while Charlotte (44-22-3-3) was second in the Atlantic and fourth overall, two points ahead of Abbotsford. The Canucks and Checkers did not play this season. Article content Winger Linus Karlsson leads Abbotsford in scoring through the playoffs, with nine goals and 17 points going into tonight. Wingers Sammy Blais (3-8-11) and Arshdeep Bains (0-11-11) are next best. Article content Blais and fellow winger Jonathan Lekkerimäki both came out of Abbotsford's lineup for Wednesday's game. There was no word from the team whether it was injury related or a healthy scratch. Lekkerimäki has one goal and five points in 12 playoff games. He had 19 goals in 36 regular season games with Abbotsford. Article content Article content
