Max Sasson broke a 2-2 deadlock with 8:10 to play and the Abbotsford Canucks captured their first Western Conference championship with a 4-2 win over Texas in Game 6 at Abbotsford Centre on Sunday evening.
The Canucks will take on the Charlotte Checkers in the 2025 Calder Cup Finals beginning Friday.
Surrey, B.C., natives Arshdeep Bains and Jujhar Khaira accounted for the other Canucks goals in Game 6. Bains got the home team on the board with 1:08 left in the second period to cut a the Stars’ two-goal lead in half, and added an empty-netter in the final minute of regulation to seal the win. Khaira tied the game with 1:52 gone in the third period.
Abbotsford outshot Texas by a 17-4 margin in the third period, and 40-25 for the game. Artūrs Šilovs (12-6) made 23 saves in the win.
Matěj Blümel and Harrison Scott(his first as a professional) scored for the Stars. Magnus Hellberg (3-3) stopped 36 of 39 shots.
Abbotsford becomes the first Vancouver AHL affiliate to reach the Calder Cup Finals since Utica in 2015. Led by first-year head coach Manny Malhotra, the Canucks finished second in the Pacific Division during the regular season with a record of 44-24-2-2 (92 points) before eliminating Tucson, Coachella Valley, Colorado and Texas en route to winning the Robert W. Clarke Trophy as conference champions.
Established in 1990, the AHL’s Western Conference championship trophy honors the late Robert W. Clarke. Mr. Clarke served as the Chairman of the AHL’s Board of Governors from 1967-94, and in 1956 he played an instrumental role in the formation of the Rochester Americans, one of the most successful franchises in AHL history.
Darren Francis Photography
(Abbotsford wins series, 4-2)
Game 1 – Thu., May 29 – ABBOTSFORD 3, Texas 2 (OT)
Game 2 – Sat., May 31 – ABBOTSFORD 1, Texas 0
Game 3 – Mon., June 2 – TEXAS 5, Abbotsford 2
Game 4 – Wed., June 4 – Abbotsford 5, TEXAS 4 (2OT)
Game 5 – Fri., June 6 – TEXAS 2, Abbotsford 1 (OT)
Game 6 – Sun., June 8 – ABBOTSFORD 4, Texas 2
