As if there was any doubt.
Arturs Silovs has been named the winner of the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy for the most valuable player of the Calder Cup Playoffs.
After stopping 695 shots on goal throughout the playoffs, ArtÅ«rs Šilovs had been awarded the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy, becoming this year’s MVP!
— X - Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks)
The 24-year-old Latvian was in net for all 16 of the Abbotsford Canucks' wins in the Calder Cup Playoffs, carrying his team to the first AHL championship in the history of the Vancouver Canucks organization.
Silovs was sensational in the postseason, with a sparkling .931 save percentage and five shutouts — one shy of tying the record for . Three of those shutouts came in the deciding game of a playoff series, as Silovs was at his best when the stakes were highest.
In the Calder Cup Final alone, Silovs made 214 saves on 229 shots for a .934 save percentage. Silovs had to be that good, as five of the six games were decided by one goal, including the deciding Game 6 on Monday night.
After two goals on which he had little chance in the first period, Silovs shut the door the rest of the way, giving the skaters in front of him a chance for the comeback. They delivered, scoring three unanswered goals to give Silovs and the Canucks the win.
The choice of Silovs as MVP was obvious, but that shouldn't discount the performances of other Canucks prospects.
Linus Karlsson led the playoffs in goals and points, with 14 goals and 26 points in 24 games. Arshdeep Bains was right behind him with 24 points in 24 games, including 10 points in the Calder Cup Final. Meanwhile, Kirill Kudryavtsev quietly tilted the ice every time he came over the boards, with a playoff-leading plus-18 plus/minus — one shy of the AHL playoff record of plus-19.
It's a typical feat for Silovs, who was also named the MVP of the 2023 World Championship after leading Latvia to the bronze medal, their first medal in IIHF competition. Silovs is building a body of work showing that he is a clutch performer.
