Canucks fans haven't had a lot to celebrate over the past half-century, so for some it probably felt like Thursday's (June 26) Calder Cup championship event was making up for a lot of lost time.
The two-hour plus event featured speeches from Vancouver Canucks owner and chairman Francesco Aquilini, Abbotsford mayor Ross Siemens, Abbotsford Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson, Abbotsford Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra, Abbotsford Canucks captain Chase Wouters and a slew of other players who were in a festive mood and took questions from the crowd.
Here’s what the inside of the @AbbyCentre looks like ahead of the @abbycanucks #caldercup celebration.
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) June 27, 2025
Looks good! #Canucks pic.twitter.com/PmhuQKUlRg
But the love-fest wasn't all rainbows and unicorns – team officials went pretty deep behind the scenes of a memorable season and shared several items not discussed outside the dressing room. Johnson spoke of a critical moment after a loss in January and how that helped turn the team's fortunes around. The club's epic 13-game winning streak followed shortly after and then the historic playoff run that resulted in the Calder Cup.
"We sat Jan. 4 in Laval after getting our butts handed to us and on one side of the hallway was these guys in a players-only meeting," he said. "The other side was our staff. It would have been very easy at that point to just throw the cards in. But we left that room in Laval more convicted than ever to be the best team on the ice."
For reference, the 6-2 loss to the Laval Rocket occurred on Jan. 4 and the longest win streak in franchise history ran from March 8 to April 11, but the team's true turnaround began after that crushing loss in Quebec.
Massive pop for @abbycanucks head coach Manny Malhotra #canucks pic.twitter.com/qnnWOuY467
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) June 27, 2025
Johnson also spoke of the battle inside forward Sammy Blais, who he said sacrificed some of the early days of his newborn daughter to help the Canucks achieve success earlier in the season. The hiring of Malhotra was also something Johnson spoke of.
"Last spring when we needed to hire a new head coach you usually go through a process and a list of names," he said. "Jim [Rutherford, Canucks president] and Patrik [Allvin, Vancouver general manager] challenged me to get a list and we would discuss it. So after a few days, I walked right back into their office and the piece of paper had one name on it."
He said Malhotra was the only person he wanted behind the Abbotsford bench.
"He came in and brought consistency," he said. "He's built an environment that players can walk in every day and know exactly what to expect. I'm so thankful for that list with the one name on it and he helped this team become Calder Cup champions."
Malhotra volleyed back some of that praise to Johnson and shared a special conversation he had with his Wouters shortly after accepting the job as head coach. He said they spoke on the phone and engaged in some basic questions to get to know each other, but then Malhotra wanted to dig a bit deeper into the team he was taking over.
"The first hockey question I asked him – what's your take on this group, what's going on in Abby, what are we doing here," he asked. "The first thing out of his mouth was I just want to win. My captain was all about winning and it's one thing to say that, everybody wants to win. But the way this guy shows up to the rink every single day, leads by example, competes in practice and lays his body on the line all the time in games – this guy backs it up."
Sammy Blais has arrived #canucks @abbycanucks pic.twitter.com/gHmEldUYj5
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) June 27, 2025
Wouters, who was still battling a hoarse throat he developed in Charlotte, said all the sacrifice and hard work was worth it. He also praised the fans for making the Abbotsford Centre such a tough place for opponents to play in. Popular goalie and playoff MVP Arturs Silovs also spoke and reflected on his playoff run. He urged fans to thank the people that support them and went on to thank to the fans for supporting him.
"It would be impossible to do this without all your energy, your support and your belief in us," Silovs said. "This trophy, it's not only us – it's all of you guys."
Captain Chase Wouters and the #caldercup in the house @abbycanucks #canucks pic.twitter.com/Cd3wjLF5yp
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) June 27, 2025
The event opened with remarks from Matsqui First Nation's Alice Mackay and Dalton Silver of the Sumas First Nation. Aquilini then spoke to a mixed reaction and said the partnership with the City of Abbotsford has worked well.
"Mayor Ross Siemens and city council I want to thank you for your partnership and thank you for helping us build something special here," he said. "To Chase and to our players, which we are very proud of, you guys will always walk together as champions. This cup belongs to you. Your heart and resilience has inspired us all."
Siemens said this is a big moment for sports fans and Abbotsford.
"Abbotsford is incredibly proud of you," he said. "Francesco – thank you for your kind words because it is a partnership. We would have won for the [Stanley] cup to be won home here in Canada, but there is something incredibly symbolic about bringing home the American Hockey League title."
📣 WE WON THE CUP! 📣 pic.twitter.com/NpgKV2AZHM
— X - Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) June 27, 2025
Several players then took to the stage in moderated groups of four to talk about the win, consume beer and generally enjoy themselves.
"I always believed in the room," said Abbotsford Canucks folk hero Sammy Blais. "This one is as special as the Stanley Cup – whatever they call it. This year I loved the game again. The last couple years were hard on me, but I'm so proud I was part of this team and I'll always remember that I was a champion."
Blais and Canucks speedster Max Sasson had several other colourful comments throughout the night, but some of those thoughts aren't suitable for publication.
The team closed out the event with a sing-along of the 1986 hit song Livin' on a Prayer by Bon Jovi, before some players tossed beverages to fans and signed autographs.
Keep visiting abbynews.com for ongoing coverage of the championship Canucks as they begin the defence of the Calder Cup.
Calder Cup Celebration https://t.co/a2PpeYzdKF
— X - Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) June 27, 2025
