There are a number of pieces that combined to make the Calder Cup-winning puzzle that is the Abbotsford Canucks. One of the things that may fall to the wayside is the remarkable play of the team’s first-year members. All of the AHL Canucks’ postseason rookie players made their NHL debuts this season, with all of them factoring into the team’s 2025 Calder Cup victory. Let’s take a look at some of these remarkable rookies.
Jonathan Lekkerimäki
Lekkerimäki, the 15th overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft, made his AHL debut on March 30, 2024, and scored his first AHL goal around a week after. 2024–25 was his first full season with Abbotsford, during which he earned a call-up from the Vancouver Canucks. He made his NHL debut on November 12, 2024 against the Calgary Flames, and ultimately finished his 2024–25 season with Vancouver with three goals and three assists in 24 games played.
In Abbotsford, Lekkerimäki led all AHL Canucks rookies in scoring with 19 goals in 36 games played, also adding nine assists to his point total. He was in and out of the lineup during the team’s Calder Cup Playoff run, skating in 16 of Abbotsford’s 24 postseason games. Most notably, he missed the back half of the Western Conference Finals and the first two games of the Calder Cup Finals, but made his return in a big way back on home ice. Lekkerimäki scored two goals in his second game back during the Finals, making the difference in a narrow 3–2 victory.
“To me that sums up Lekky,” Abbotsford head coach Manny Malhotra said regarding Lekkerimäki’s returning performance. “The kid has ice in his veins. He doesn’t shy away from these big moments. And you could see tonight he had two quality looks. And then he made them count, so that that kind of sums up the type of player that he is. When given the opportunity and put in the right spot, he’ll make good.”
Ty Mueller
Mueller has been a force for Abbotsford throughout the regular and post-season. The 105th pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, Mueller spent three seasons with the University of Nebraska-Omaha before making his AHL debut in 2024. He impressed during the regular season by registering 12 goals and 27 assists in 64 games, even earning himself a spot at the 2025 AHL All-Star Challenge in place of defenceman Elias Pettersson. Mueller was called up by Vancouver in April 2025 and skated in his first NHL game on April 12 against the Minnesota Wild.
In a time when rookies may become more sheltered due to the stakes of each game, Mueller was called on even more so by his coach. The rookie forward was a consistent presence in the defensive zone during Abbotsford’s Calder Cup run, even taking own-zone draws while defending leads late into games. Mueller flourished offensively as well, posting three goals and nine assists in all of the AHL Canucks’ postseason games.
“Not only as the playoffs have gone on, but throughout this whole year, his game has continued to grow,” Malhotra said of Mueller’s progression throughout the season. “He’s developed and becoming more and more of one of our more reliable guys in key moments.”
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Kirill Kudryavtsev
Kudryavtsev was a steady presence on Abbotsford’s blueline this season, chipping in offensively and locking things up defensively. The Canucks’ seventh-round pick of the 2022 NHL Draft has shown fans that draft position doesn’t matter when you can play well. In his first season with the AHL Canucks, Kudryavtsev scored five goals and 21 assists in 65 games played. At the end of Vancouver’s regular season, he and fellow AHL Canuck Nikita Tolopilo were called up to the NHL club. Soon after, Kudryavtsev made his NHL debut on April 14.
During the postseason, Kudryavtsev stepped up when it mattered most. He dominated opponents in terms of generating offensive chances for Abbotsford on 5-on-5, finishing playoffs with a league-leading +18 on-ice rating. He scored his first AHL playoff goal against the Coachella Valley Firebirds, and also potted nine assists throughout the postseason.
“It was really hard, as I expected, a really tough couple of first games,” Kudryavtsev said about adjusting to the AHL’s playoffs. “It’s still very different from the OHL playoffs. The guys are coming really hard at you, and you know that you need to bypass that pressure and that stress. But I’ve got lots of trust from my coaches, and I hope I’m doing good now.”
Manny Malhotra
Technically, Malhotra is an AHL rookie — just not in the same way that Lekkerimäki, Mueller, and Kudryavtsev are. The 2024–25 season was Malhotra’s first as an AHL head coach, and what a debut it was. During the regular season, he coached his team to a 44–24–2 record that was capped off with a historic 13-game win streak. In the playoffs, he helped Abbotsford win 16 of their 24 postseason games, with the team never losing back-to-back games during their Calder Cup chase. One of the biggest changes for this team, however, may have been their commitment to sticking to their systems.
Malhotra has noted the significance of the word “resilience” to the team, as well as their “committee mentality” that has led them to success. Every player forechecks hard, blocks shots, and puts themselves in the best position to get in the way of an opposing team’s chances. This belief stems from the system Malhotra and his staff have curated for this specific roster.
“When you have a coach that played the game, I think you’ve got more respect for him,” Sammy Blais said of Malhotra’s impact on the team. “He’s been really good. He keeps us honest, even after wins. He tries to keep us even. We’re really happy that he’s our coach, and he’s been a big factor for us for sure.”
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