BY HARPREET PANDHER
Broadcaster on Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi and
BC Lions Football Punjabi
IG/X/TikTok: @harppandher
FOR the first time in franchise history, the Abbotsford Canucks have captured the Calder Cup, defeating the Charlotte Checkers 3-2 in Game 6 on Monday night at Bojangles Coliseum to win the series 4-2.
After falling behind 2-0 in the first period, the Canucks stormed back with three unanswered goals, including the championship-winning tally from Linus Karlsson at 17:19 of the second period. Sammy Blais and Danila Klimovich also found the back of the net, while Arshdeep Bains added two assists to finish his 2025 AHL playoffs with 24 points
Goaltender Arturs Silovs was a wall once again, stopping 28 of 30 shots and earning the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as playoff MVP. Silovs posted a .931 save percentage during the postseason, tying a league record with 16 playoff wins, including five shutouts.
The win capped off a remarkable playoff run for the Farm Canucks. Abby battled through the Tucson Roadrunners (2-1), Coachella Valley Firebirds (3-1), Colorado Eagles (3-2), and Texas Stars (4-2) en route to the final. They now become the first Pacific Division team to win the Calder Cup since the division was formed in 2015, and the first Vancouver Canucks affiliate to win it all.
This also marks the first time a Canadian AHL team has won the Calder Cup since the Toronto Marlies in 2018.
Behind the bench, rookie head coach Manny Malhotra made history of his own—becoming the first first-year head coach to win the Calder Cup since Jeff Blashill in 2013. It was a deeply meaningful victory for the local Punjabi community, with Malhotra, assistant coach Harry Mahesh, center Jujhar Khaira, winger Arshdeep Bains, equipment manager Ramandeep “Chico” Dhanjal, and assistant chief engineer/zamboni driver Dajlit Singh Sidhu—all proudly representing Punjabi roots.
Even international Punjabi music icon Harbhajan Mann (see photos above) was in attendance for Game 3 in Abbotsford, cheering loudly from the crowd and repping his favorite team. A lifelong fan of the Vancouver Canucks dating back to 1980, Mann continues to follow the team’s journey even from India.
Fans flooded the streets of Abbotsford on Monday night, celebrating the historic win. On Tuesday, they turned out in droves to welcome home their Calder Cup champions—at the airport, at the Abbotsford Centre, and across the community.
