The <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/game-1-abbotsford-canucks-calder-cup-final-set-stream-free">Abbotsford Canucks open the Calder Cup Finals</a> when they face the <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/6-things-abbotsford-canucks-expect-charlotte-checkers-ahead-ahl-calder-cup-final">Charlotte Checkers</a> at the 8600-seat Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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What started as a 23-team tournament has been whittled down to the final two with the 2024-25 American Hockey League title on the line in this best-of-seven series.
<h1>What we know</h1>
For the second time in the playoffs, the Canucks open on the road as the lower seed. That didn’t faze them in a five-game win over the Colorado Eagles in the Pacific Division Final. The Canucks have been perfect in four series opening games so far beating Tucson, Coachella Valley, Colorado and Texas in previous rounds. 
Abbotsford has been idle since eliminating Texas on home ice last Sunday. The club practiced at home on Tuesday and flew to Charlotte on Wednesday. Abbotsford is 4-4 in eight road games in the postseason.
After a slow start to the playoffs, Arshdeep Bains has come to life. He scored twice in Sunday’s win over Texas and has goals in back-to-back games. He had five points in the team’s first 11 postseason outings and has nine points in his last seven games.
Linus Karlsson leads the Canucks in playoff scoring with nine goals and 17 points. He has a share of the AHL playoff goal-scoring lead and is two points off the overall scoring lead. Regular season and playoffs combined, Karlsson has scored 32 goals in 50 games for Abbotsford this season.
Arturs Silovs will make his 19th straight playoff start in goal for the Canucks. He is 12-5 in the postseason with a 1.94 goals against average, a .929 save percentage, with five shutouts. He has logged all but 50 minutes of the 1,139 minutes of hockey the Canucks have played this spring.
While it will likely be closer to game time before Abbotsford’s lineup is known for tonight’s game, don’t be surprised to see Manny Malhotra go with the same group that finished the Texas series with a strong effort. That likely means Danila Klimovich stays in the lineup in place of <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-lekkerimakis-low-shot-volume-starting-hinder-playoff-success">Jonathan Lekkerimäki.</a>
<h1>The opponent</h1>
The Checkers have been counting down the days to tonight’s game. They have not played in 10 days since sweeping Laval to win the Eastern Conference title. We’ll see if that layoff cools off a club that has won eight straight playoff games. 
Charlotte is 5-2 on home ice in the playoffs. After dropping their first two home games of the postseason, the Checkers have rattled off five straight wins heading into this one tonight. 
John Leonard leads Charlotte in playoff scoring with six goals and 10 points. He has points in nine of his team’s 12 playoff games so far. Veteran forward Jesse Puljujarvi is second on the team with eight playoff points. Former Canuck Will Lockwood is second in goal scoring with five in the postseason.
Kaapo Kahkonen will get the start in goal. He’s 10-2 in the playoffs with a 1.73 goals against average and a .927 save percentage. Like his team, he is on a personal eight-game win streak, having allowed a total of 14 goals and more than two in a game only once. 
<h1>The history</h1>
Based in opposing conferences, the Canucks and Checkers did not face-off during the regular season. So there is no history between the teams this season. Charlotte finished tied for third in the overall AHL regular season standings with 94 points, while Abbotsford tied for fifth with 92. Both teams recorded 44 wins on the season. The Canucks scored seven more goals than Charlotte, but the Checkers surrendered 19 fewer.
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How we&#39;re stacking up against the Checkers in the Finals ⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/iqpqxln5ou">pic.twitter.com/iqpqxln5ou</a>
&mdash; X &#8211; Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) <a href="https://twitter.com/abbycanucks/status/1932860485226913878?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Make sure to join the Rink Wide postgame live stream immediately following tonight’s game. Rink Wide will provide a full breakdown and comprehensive coverage of the Abbotsford Canucks through the AHL playoffs. When the final buzzer sounds, be sure to log onto Rink Wide and join the YouTube live chat to discuss the game with other Canucks fans. Subscribe to the Rink Wide YouTube channel and never miss an episode.
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The <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/game-1-abbotsford-canucks-calder-cup-final-set-stream-free">Abbotsford Canucks open the Calder Cup Finals</a> when they face the <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/6-things-abbotsford-canucks-expect-charlotte-checkers-ahead-ahl-calder-cup-final">Charlotte Checkers</a> at the 8600-seat Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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What started as a 23-team tournament has been whittled down to the final two with the 2024-25 American Hockey League title on the line in this best-of-seven series.
<h1>What we know</h1>
For the second time in the playoffs, the Canucks open on the road as the lower seed. That didn’t faze them in a five-game win over the Colorado Eagles in the Pacific Division Final. The Canucks have been perfect in four series opening games so far beating Tucson, Coachella Valley, Colorado and Texas in previous rounds. 

Abbotsford has been idle since eliminating Texas on home ice last Sunday. The club practiced at home on Tuesday and flew to Charlotte on Wednesday. Abbotsford is 4-4 in eight road games in the postseason.

After a slow start to the playoffs, Arshdeep Bains has come to life. He scored twice in Sunday’s win over Texas and has goals in back-to-back games. He had five points in the team’s first 11 postseason outings and has nine points in his last seven games.

Linus Karlsson leads the Canucks in playoff scoring with nine goals and 17 points. He has a share of the AHL playoff goal-scoring lead and is two points off the overall scoring lead. Regular season and playoffs combined, Karlsson has scored 32 goals in 50 games for Abbotsford this season.

Arturs Silovs will make his 19th straight playoff start in goal for the Canucks. He is 12-5 in the postseason with a 1.94 goals against average, a .929 save percentage, with five shutouts. He has logged all but 50 minutes of the 1,139 minutes of hockey the Canucks have played this spring.

While it will likely be closer to game time before Abbotsford’s lineup is known for tonight’s game, don’t be surprised to see Manny Malhotra go with the same group that finished the Texas series with a strong effort. That likely means Danila Klimovich stays in the lineup in place of <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-lekkerimakis-low-shot-volume-starting-hinder-playoff-success">Jonathan Lekkerimäki.</a>
<h1>The opponent</h1>
The Checkers have been counting down the days to tonight’s game. They have not played in 10 days since sweeping Laval to win the Eastern Conference title. We’ll see if that layoff cools off a club that has won eight straight playoff games. 

Charlotte is 5-2 on home ice in the playoffs. After dropping their first two home games of the postseason, the Checkers have rattled off five straight wins heading into this one tonight. 

John Leonard leads Charlotte in playoff scoring with six goals and 10 points. He has points in nine of his team’s 12 playoff games so far. Veteran forward Jesse Puljujarvi is second on the team with eight playoff points. Former Canuck Will Lockwood is second in goal scoring with five in the postseason.

Kaapo Kahkonen will get the start in goal. He’s 10-2 in the playoffs with a 1.73 goals against average and a .927 save percentage. Like his team, he is on a personal eight-game win streak, having allowed a total of 14 goals and more than two in a game only once. 
<h1>The history</h1>
Based in opposing conferences, the Canucks and Checkers did not face-off during the regular season. So there is no history between the teams this season. Charlotte finished tied for third in the overall AHL regular season standings with 94 points, while Abbotsford tied for fifth with 92. Both teams recorded 44 wins on the season. The Canucks scored seven more goals than Charlotte, but the Checkers surrendered 19 fewer.

https://twitter.com/abbycanucks/status/1932860485226913878

Make sure to join the Rink Wide postgame live stream immediately following tonight’s game. Rink Wide will provide a full breakdown and comprehensive coverage of the Abbotsford Canucks through the AHL playoffs. When the final buzzer sounds, be sure to log onto Rink Wide and join the YouTube live chat to discuss the game with other Canucks fans. Subscribe to the Rink Wide YouTube channel and never miss an episode.

Sponsored by bet365
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