Winning the first Bronze medal in Latvian hockey history. Taking a superpowered Edmonton Oilers team to seven games in the Division Finals. Backstopping his team to their first Calder Cup in franchise history. Making five shutouts in 24 playoff games, three of which came in series-clinchers. While Artūrs Šilovs’ journey with the Vancouver Canucks has seemingly ended as of his trade to the Pittsburgh Penguins, there is no shortage of the impact his clutchness has had on the Canucks organization.
Let’s take it back to 2019, a season when Vancouver fans had both Jacob Markström and Thatcher Demko within their ranks, but saw a gem in the sixth round of the draft and decided to take him. Šilovs went 156th overall to Vancouver, entering the Canucks organization alongside fellow 2019 draftees such as Vasily Podkolzin and Nils Höglander. By this time, Šilovs had already proved himself as capable at an international level. Despite Latvia not making it far in the 2019 IIHF U-18 World Junior Championship, Šilovs still held his own against stacked teams like Sweden and Canada. He faced 140 shots in four games, letting in 13 goals from this amount.
After being drafted, Šilovs made his way to the OHL, where he spent a season with the Barrie Colts. In 36 games with Barrie, he registered a 16–13–4 record, a 3.87 GAA, and a SV% of .891. The season after, however, after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down virtually all sports leagues, Šilovs’ spot in team lineups got scattered. In 2020–21, he played one game with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL, as well as two games with HS Riga and four games with HK Modo in Latvia.
The 2021–22 season was more consistent for Šilovs, who joined the Canucks organization semi- full-time as a member of the Abbotsford Canucks. He played in 10 of Abbotsford’s games this season, saving 221 of 249 shots faced in this span of time and registering his first AHL shutout with 26 saves in his second match of the season. In this season, Šilovs also played for the Trois-Rivières Lions of the ECHL, registering a .920 SV% and 2.37 GAA in 10 games.
In international play, Šilovs shone. He played in four of Latvia’s games in the 2022 IIHF World Championship, serving as a backup to Elvis Merzlikins of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Even so, Šilovs managed to show his skills, making his first start of the tournament against Austria in a narrow 4–3 victory. He finished the tournament with 80 saves made on 84 shots against, putting up a 1.22 GAA and .952 SV%.
The 2022–23 season was a big one for Šilovs, who increased his playing time in the AHL, played in his first NHL game, and made history for the country of Latvia. He played in 44 games for the AHL Canucks this season, posting a record of 26–12–5 and recording four shutouts. His first NHL start came in February of 2023, in a home game against the New York Rangers. Despite the loss, Šilovs faced 27 shots and stopped 22. He only got busier after that, as he faced 30 or more shots in three of his remaining four games with the Canucks in 2023. His first NHL win came in his second NHL game, as he made 35 stops on 37 shots to win Vancouver a game against the Philadelphia Flyers.
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After Vancouver’s season ended, Šilovs rejoined Abbotsford for a Calder Cup run, in which he played in two games. While Spencer Martin started the majority of the AHL Canucks’ games, Šilovs managed to split his own record with a win against the Bakersfield Condors and a loss against the Calgary Wranglers.
Upon Abbotsford’s exit from the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs, Šilovs joined Team Latvia at the 2023 IIHF World Championship hosted by Finland and his home country. In a surprise run, in which Šilovs played in all 10 of his team’s games, Latvia secured their first Bronze medal in history with a shocking 4–3 overtime victory against Team USA in the Bronze-medal game. Šilovs was easily one of the best goaltenders of this tournament, as he faced 280 shots throughout and saved 258 of them. He finished with a record of 7–2 and had one shutout against Kazakhstan.
This Bronze medal win only marked the beginning of Šilovs’ clutch moments for the Canucks. He once again shared games with Vancouver and Abbotsford in the 2023–24 season, playing in four for Vancouver and 34 for Abbotsford. Of course, many remember the 2023–24 season as the one in which Šilovs held the Canucks in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs after injuries to goaltenders Demko and Casey DeSmith. He kicked off his NHL postseason career with a 27-save win against the Nashville Predators, later making a 28-save shutout in Game 6 of Vancouver’s first-round series to help the team advance to the Division Finals. He came up with multiple clutch saves in the team’s seven-game series against the Oilers, including a 42-save win in Game 3, but ultimately, Edmonton got the best of them.
Abbotsford Canucks Artūrs Šilovs Continues To Shine When The Games Matter MostOver the past three years, an interesting trend has emerged when it comes to Abbotsford Canucks goaltender Artūrs Šilovs. As soon as late April hits, the Latvia goalie kicks his game into high gear and helps guide his team on an exciting run. Whether it is at the NHL, AHL or International level, Šilovs is showing that he has a clutch gene once the post-season begins.
Nearly a year after his Stanley Cup Playoff debut, Šilovs was once-again tasked with helping a Canucks team win in the postseason. This time, it was Abbotsford who required his help. The AHL Canucks’ 2025 Calder Cup victory was a masterclass in showcasing Šilovs’ even tempo and ability to shine during high-pressure moments. The Latvian goaltender started all 24 of Abbotsford’s playoff games and finished the team’s run with a 2.01 GAA and .931 SV%. Šilovs looked calm and controlled in the net during all situations — something that burned brightly in his three series-clinching shutouts against the Tucson Roadrunners, Coachella Valley Firebirds, and Colorado Eagles. For his poise in net and unbelievable play during this run, Šilovs was named MVP of the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs.
While Šilovs will now start a new journey with the Penguins, his time with the Canucks was certainly memorable. With Pittsburgh, he will now have the opportunity to prove himself at the NHL level — something that may not have happened as soon with Vancouver given how crowded the goaltending department currently is. Regardless of where Šilovs finds success, his feats are certainly worth a party.
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