Who is Arturs Silovs? How a rookie goalie has steadied the Canucks’ playoff run
-
Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporter
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — “Take the ball.”
Everything about those three words was an invitation. It was a way to let Arturs Silovs know that although he had already done quite a bit, he could still do so much more, because those around him believed he was capable of more.
Several months have passed since Abbotsford Canucks coach Jeremy Colliton delivered that message. In that time, Silovs has gone from a strong AHL goaltender to one who has won three postseason games for the Vancouver Canucks in one of this year’s unlikeliest situations.
Think about that. Or rather, think about it like this: Silovs is a 23-year-old goalie from Latvia, a nation whose population is smaller than metro Vancouver. For all the questions facing the Canucks about how they’d survive without injured Vezina Trophy finalist Thatcher Demko, they have found answers with Silovs’ ascension.
His first postseason start saw him come away with the victory in a Game 4 overtime win over the Nashville Predators in the first round. He gave the Canucks a chance to win Game 5, only to be one of the biggest reasons they won Game 6 as he recorded a 1-0 shutout to close out the series.
It is the sort of rise that has made him and his actions unavoidable. Silovs’ bold fashion choices led to Canucks alternate captain J.T. Miller donning the goalie’s Hugo Boss paisley T-shirt as a practice sweater. What started as a prank turned into a full-on movement with so many Canucks fans flooding Hugo Boss’ website that the “Interlock-Cotton T-Shirt with Paisley Print,” as it’s called, is sold out. Fans have worn them during games at Rogers Arena — the same Rogers Arena that roared more for Silovs than anyone else announced in the starting lineup despite the fact that he has spent the least amount of time of anyone on the Canucks’ active roster.
All because he took the ball.
“We gave him an opportunity to play three to four games [in a row] or play a back-to-back in both games and be someone that our young group could count on,” Colliton said. “I think to have that responsibility isn’t easy when you yourself are a young player. That’s a part of his growth and what you want to expose guys to as they get to another level.”
Even in such a short time, Silovs has created a discussion about whether the Canucks have something on their hands. Every one of his performances has added to that conversation, while generating a few more talking points.
Exactly who is this man? And is he for real?
Romanticism is rarely in short supply when it comes to athletes arriving at certain stages of their careers. Hockey, or rather, playoff hockey, is no different. Ideas that once seemed far-fetched suddenly appear realistic, as does the possibility that something better might be on the horizon.
Clinging to this sort of hope can be equal parts rewarding and painful. It’s what makes this particular point in the Canucks narrative so emphatic. Promise born out of pain has become the story of a season that has seen a franchise draft star homegrown players and finally build around them in a way that could mark the start of a significant culture change.
This is a point Colliton and Abbotsford goalie coach Marko Torenius stress when it comes to the culture of their parent club and how it feels so up-close-and-personal despite being a 72-kilometer drive away on the Trans-Canada Highway.
Silovs is one of those players who embodies the culture the Canucks are trying to cultivate with their prospects in the hope of creating long-term success.
Every year, NHL teams try to find a physically imposing goalie with athleticism. Silovs and his 6-foot-4 build is just that. As organizations seek to use a farm-to-table approach to build their teams, Silovs is an example of that, too.
And with more franchises using at least two goalies to get through a season, Silovs is an option who understands the balance that comes with wanting to win, while also realizing the dynamics of having one of the NHL’s best netminders at the top of the depth chart.
“In our organization, there’s [Canucks goaltending coach] Ian Clark, who recognizes those talented guys and he has his unique style to scout with his people and they have been finding those talented guys and Arty is one of those guys,” Torenius said. “He has been stepping down that path since he got here. It’s been years since [Clark] brought Arty on that journey, and those last couple seasons have been big steps, but he’s still on that journey to become a better goalie.”
Back in 2019, the Canucks drafted Silovs in the sixth round. He was part of a draft class that saw goalies such as Spencer Knight and Pyotr Kochetkov go ahead of him while Silovs was picked before Dustin Wolf.
Silovs quickly made the transition to North American hockey. The 2019-20 season was his first as a Canucks prospect and that led to him playing for the Barrie Colts in the Ontario Hockey League, where he won 16 games. He spent the next season playing on loan back in Latvia with a cameo in the AHL that amounted to him playing nine games in a 2020-21 campaign that was still feeling the impact of the pandemic.
The 2021-22 season saw him take another step. He played 10 games in the ECHL, another 10 games in the AHL while finding success on the international stage. Silovs went 3-3 but had a 0.87 goals-against average and a .968 save percentage in his international games that season.
All the patience that was exercised throughout his development saw a breakthrough in 2022-23 when Silovs cemented himself as a full-time AHL goaltender. He parlayed that success into being the goalie who led Latvia to a bronze medal finish with an overtime victory against the United States at the IIHF men’s world championship. That led to him being named the goaltender of the tournament.
The growth he showed last season is why Colliton, among others, challenged him to take the next step in 2023-24. It’s what opened the door for him to get called up to the Canucks when Demko went down with a knee injury back in March. He won three of his four starts and had a 2.58 goals-against average while working in tandem with Casey DeSmith.
Demko started Game 1 with a win, but sustained another injury and hasn’t played since. DeSmith took over in Games 2 and 3 of the first round, but reportedly suffered a lower-body injury along the way, prompting Canucks coach Rick Tocchet to turn to Silovs, who won the necessary games to get them into the second round for the first time since the 2019-20 season.
“He gives us confidence,” Canucks defenseman Nikita Zadorov said. “It’s not like we’re giving him confidence. You see him stay calm, make big saves. You can see it in his face, his body language — that’s what us in the D-corps talk about. That this guy is ready to play and he’s unreal. It’s not like we’re giving him confidence. He gives us confidence.”
Discussing what has allowed Silovs to become such an improbable figure for the Canucks leads Zadorov to talk about how this has happened before. He mentioned how Jordan Binnington took time to develop and when he was ready, he was one of the biggest reasons why the St. Louis Blues won the Stanley Cup in 2019.
Not that Zadorov was comparing Silovs to Binnington, but his point was that there’s a precedent for goaltenders who might have been largely unknown at one stage of the season becoming a pivotal figure in the playoffs.
That’s another reason Colliton and Torenius underscore the culture the Canucks are trying to implement. Torenius said Clark has made a point of seeking goaltenders who aren’t afraid to work and have a competitive drive, while also emphasizing that every goalie in their system must care about details down to the most granular level.
Torenius explained how it’s about letting goaltenders be who they are as people while also helping them become the sort of players who can turn into significant contributors.
“There is that awareness with how you read the game, how you use your vision, and it’s also that technical part where we want our guys to be on top of the pace of the game,” Torenius said. “You don’t want to be behind the game. We want to be on top and you build those tools over time and with repetition. It gives you a game plan for every individual we have here.”
Winning in the NHL can be achieved in numerous ways. The Canucks’ formula has seen them make the type of free agent signings and trades under general manager Patrik Allvin that have given them options throughout their lineup.
Yet building around a homegrown core is considered the most prominent path toward winning. The Canucks have seen homegrown talent come through and depart, with the current roster including six players they drafted (that doesn’t include the recent influx of Black Aces that joined the team after Abbotsford’s season ended in the playoffs).
Silovs is among those six, and the only one who wasn’t drafted in the first two rounds. Even if his run is brief, it helps show that later-round draft picks can find success in the Canucks system.
“I do think it’s important for the guys who are here to see that success and to see that it’s there, that it’s available,” said Colliton, who coached the Chicago Blackhawks for three-plus seasons. “If you want to put in the work and prepare yourself for your opportunity — we’ve had that a lot. I think it’s very motivating for the guys who are here that it’s a big step, but you’re close if you can keep fighting.”
That visibility isn’t limited to prospects. It’s also on display for an entire nation to observe. Silovs is just the 28th Latvian player and only the sixth Latvian goalie in NHL history, according to QuantHockey. It’s a group that includes former NHL defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh and former goaltender Arturs Irbe.
As for Silovs, he’s one of five Latvians to play at least one game this season, a list that includes Canucks center Teddy Blueger, who has the fifth-most points by a Latvian player in NHL history.
Eric Savics, who is the honorary consul for the Latvian Embassy in Vancouver, notes that there is a 10-hour time difference between Vancouver and Riga, the nation’s capital. Even with that gulf in time, he said, many people back home have made a point to watch Silovs because of what it means to the nation.
One of the nation’s daily newspapers, Neatkarīgā Rīta Avīze, has posted numerous stories on its website about Silovs. Entering Game 2, the most read story on the site was about how Silovs has turned into a cult figure among Canucks fans on social media. The headline, when translated to English, reads, “‘Give the Latvian god a million dollars!’ A real cult of Silovs is emerging in Vancouver.”
“They would follow him if he was a tennis player, a bowler or God knows what,” said Savics, who was born in Latvia and immigrated to Canada as a child. “As long as he is world class, they will follow whatever he does. That’s the pride of the country and that’s the idea. People there see it as ‘one of our athletes is making it.'”
This could just be the start for Silovs.
What he did in the quarterfinals paved the way for him to start against the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference semifinal. Although he allowed four goals, he still made the needed third-period saves to aid his teammates in coming back from a three-goal deficit to complete a 5-4 win to open the series.
Tocchet said between Games 1 and 2 that Silovs had earned the right to start the second game. Tocchet, however, also said DeSmith could be an option for Game 2, only to declare at morning skate of Game 2 that Silovs would start.
Silovs would stop 27 of the 31 shots he faced in the Canucks’ 4-3 overtime loss Friday that tied the series at 1-1. It’s possible that Silovs will remain in net for Game 3 with the understanding that Demko could potentially return by Game 5 at the earliest, according to a report from Daily Faceoff.
“He was really good,” Tocchet said after Game 2. “Arty — I’m really proud of him. I thought he was really good.”
Now that they’ve seen how Silovs has responded to the demands of being a starting goaltender in the playoffs, his performances could also give Allvin and his front office staff a decision to make in the offseason.
Silovs, who earned $786,111 this season, will be a pending restricted free agent. DeSmith, who is a pending unrestricted free agent, made $1.8 million. The Canucks could determine that Silovs and his team-friendly cap hit can be trusted to be Demko’s backup, or they could keep DeSmith or sign another experienced option just to be safe.
Yet the potential savings Silovs provides could allow the Canucks to maximize what CapFriendly projects will be $24.778 million in available space. The Canucks have a pending UFA class that includes Ian Cole, Dakota Joshua, Elias Lindholm, Tyler Myers and Zadorov, while Filip Hronek will become a restricted free agent.
“He knows he has a lot to prove and he has come from afar,” Torenius said of Silovs. “He’s lucky that there are guys like Clarkie who knows what it takes. He has been filtering that information from those guys about how to get to the top level. … When your eyes are open and your ears are open, you can learn something from them and he’s been ready to learn.”
ATLANTA — Ronald Acuña Jr. crushed his first pitch 467 feet for a home run in his dramatic return to the Atlanta Braves on Friday night, almost one year after he tore his left ACL.
Acuña, in his customary leadoff position in the lineup, turned on a fastball from San Diego Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta and sent the ball into the seats in left-center. Acuña hesitated briefly on his jog around the bases for a shuffle step.
The homer by Acuña had an exit velocity of 115.5 mph. It was the hardest hit ball by a Braves player this season.
Acuña added a single in his next at-bat and also enjoyed a defensive highlight, throwing out Elias Díaz at second base in the eighth following Díaz’s single.
But San Diego’s Manny Machado hit a tiebreaking homer off Raisel Iglesias in the ninth inning to overcome Acuña’s homer and beat the Braves 2-1 to end a six-game losing streak.
Acuña said after the game “I had a feeling” about hitting a homer in his return.
When asked if he meant he had a feeling about a first-pitch homer, Acuña said: “Exactly how it happened. … To me that’s just the culmination of all the work I put in.”
Infielder Orlando Arcia, a 2023 All-Star, was designated for assignment to clear a roster spot for Acuña, who started in right field.
Acuña said through interpreter Franco Garcia that he was “super excited, super happy” to make his return and added “I couldn’t sleep that much” after receiving the news of his return Thursday.
Braves manager Brian Snitker announced after Thursday night’s 8-7 loss at Washington that Acuña would make his season debut Friday night.
Snitker said Friday it felt good to make out his first lineup of 2025 that included Acuña.
“He’s one of those players that you better not go get a beer or whatever because you might miss something really cool, you know?” Snitker said. “I mean, he’s that type of force, I think, in the game. I think he’s going to energize everybody. Going to energize the fans. Going to energize his teammates.”
Acuña, the 2023 NL MVP, hurt his left knee May 26, 2024, and had surgery on June 6. The 27-year-old played six games in the minors on a rehab assignment, going 6-for-15 with two home runs.
Acuña played in only 49 games last season, batting .250 with four homers, 15 RBIs, 16 stolen bases and a .716 OPS.
This is Acuña’s second comeback from a major knee injury. He tore his right ACL on July 10, 2021, and returned the following April. When asked Friday what is different about this rehabilitation process, he said, “Patience. The patience, for sure. … I just think I’m in a much better place.”
Atlanta is 24-26 after an 0-7 start.
“It’s huge,” third baseman Austin Riley said. “The talent is there. The energy he brings, having Ronald up there at the top of the lineup. … He can change a game at any point.”
Acuña was a unanimous NL MVP in 2023 when he hit .336 with 41 home runs, 106 RBIs and a league-leading 1.012 OPS. Acuña also stole 73 bases that year to become the only player with 40 homers and 70 steals in one season.
Arcia, 30, was a 2023 NL All-Star when he hit .264 with 17 homers and 65 RBIs. Arcia lost his starting job due to an inability to compensate at the plate while suffering a defensive decline. He hit only .194 in 31 at-bats this season.
Snitker said he hopes Arcia will accept a minor league assignment if he does not land another job in the majors.
“I think we all know that it’s a business,” Acuña said of Arcia getting cut. “I’m happy to be back but I’m sorry that’s the move.”
Nick Allen has taken over as the starting shortstop. Snitker said Luke Williams is the backup shortstop and Eli White, a part-time starter in the outfield, will see more time in the infield.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Edmonton Oilers atoned for letting Game 1 of the Western Conference finals slip away in a dominating 3-0 Game 2 win over the Dallas Stars on Friday to even the series.
Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner continued to be the most boom-or-bust player in the postseason. He gave up 20 goals and didn’t have a save percentage better than .833 in four losses. His three wins? All shutouts, becoming just the second Edmonton goalie in franchise history to record three in a playoff year. (The other was Curtis Joseph in 1998.)
Once again, the Oilers flexed their impressive depth. The stars combined on their power-play goal in the first period, with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins getting the tally on assists from Evan Bouchard and Leon Draisaitl. The other two non-empty-netters: Brett Kulak‘s first of the playoffs, snapping his rebound past Jake Oettinger; and Connor Brown, continuing an incredible playoff run with his fifth goal in the second period.
(Of course, the highlight of Brown’s night was avoiding a calamitous injury when Mikael Granlund‘s skate nearly clipped his face.)
How did both teams perform? What are the big questions facing each team ahead of Game 3 on Sunday afternoon in Edmonton? Here’s our breakdown of the Oilers’ Game 2 win.
As I warned after Game 1: Not every game of the Western Conference finals would have a third-period implosion by the Oilers, nor the power-play success the Stars enjoyed to rally for that win.
Edmonton continued to roll at 5-on-5, winning the special teams battle. The Stars weren’t sharp on the details. There were too many shots that didn’t get through to Stuart Skinner, and there were not enough moments that truly tested the Edmonton goalie — outside of a third-period short-handed breakaway that Wyatt Johnston couldn’t convert, extending his drought to one point in eight games.
The Stars had more giveaways through two periods (21) than they had in any game of the 2025 postseason. That’s gift-wrapping the game to Edmonton. The Oilers were going to be desperate after losing Game 1, and Dallas didn’t come close to answering that effort or execution. — Greg Wyshynski
Edmonton Oilers
Grade: A
Edmonton got the start it wanted in Game 2 — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tallied an early power-play goal that felt like exacting revenge on that costly, penalty-filled third period the Oilers handed Dallas in Game 1. Then, Edmonton tempted fate, handing the Stars a power play — but neutralized it with an excellent kill. That was a confidence booster.
The Oilers followed that by holding Dallas at bay in the second frame, when Skinner was particularly strong as the Stars pushed for an equalizer. That success set up Edmonton to extend its lead with a pair of goals in just 1:13, off a powerful shot from Brett Kulak and a tip from Connor Brown. Edmonton exorcised a few more demons by killing the Stars’ power-play opportunities in the third period.
This was a low-shot game, with only three registered from both sides by midway through the frame, and it was clear how much effort Edmonton was exerting in trying to limit Dallas’ chances. It worked in the end. And a round of applause for Skinner, who rebounded from a brutal performance in the final 20 minutes of Game 1 to be a true difference-maker while recording his third shutout in four games. — Kristen Shilton
0:32
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tips in opening goal for Oilers
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins buries the goal for Edmonton to give the Oilers an early 1-0 lead.
Three Stars of Game 2
Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist, and his power-play goal to open the scoring was the winner. He has multipoint outings in both games of this series, and both of the Oilers’ power-play goals through two games.
Skinner had 25 saves for his third shutout of the postseason, joining Curtis Joseph in 1998 as the only Oilers goalies with three clean sheets in a postseason.
3. Bouncing back
The Oilers flushed an abysmal third period in Game 1 to control Game 2 virtually for the entire 60 minutes, en route to a 3-0 victory to even the series heading to Edmonton for Games 3 and 4. — Arda Öcal
Players to watch in Game 3
The Stars winger shares the postseason scoring lead with McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, at 20 points, thanks to a four-game stretch in which he has generated only one point — a power-play assist in Game 1 of this series. Rantanen earned all of his Conn Smythe hype by carrying the Stars through their first-round win over the Colorado Avalanche, and then posting two, three-point games in wins over the Winnipeg Jets.
But in Game 2, he had as many shot attempts as he did giveaways (three). Neither number is good for the Stars. With Roope Hintz leaving Game 2 because of an injury, there are even more questions about their top line, which hasn’t produced an even-strength goal since Game 4 against the Jets. — Wyshynski
Fans are always watching for McDavid. But for all McDavid’s marvellous moves and powerful playmaking, he hasn’t been a goal-scoring threat for Edmonton. McDavid has just three goals (with 20 points) in these playoffs, and 11 goals in his past 38 postseason contests.
There’s no discounting McDavid’s impact on the Oilers’ game, but there’s a need to see him light the lamp, too. Right now, McDavid is sitting on just one goal since Game 3 of Edmonton’s first-round series against Los Angeles. The Oilers are matching up well against the Stars at 5-on-5 in the series. And McDavid appeared to ring the iron at least once in Game 2.
If McDavid can put more doubt in Dallas by slipping one (or more) past Jake Oettinger, it could ignite Edmonton’s game further — and nothing would get the Oilers’ home crowd fired up quite like seeing the captain go off. — Shilton
Big questions for Game 3
What’s the status of Roope Hintz?
The Stars lost their top center in the third period after a nasty slash to the top of the skate by Edmonton defenseman Darnell Nurse. Hintz crumpled to the ice, clutching his left leg and needed help leaving the playing surface just 3:40 into the final period.
Nurse received only a minor penalty after the officials reviewed it — and the Department of Player Safety will review it further.
Losing Hintz, or having him diminished, would be a huge blow to Dallas, as the veteran Finn has five goals and six assists in 14 games, also playing on the Stars’ power play and penalty kill. — Wyshynski
The Oilers should be feeling good as the series shifts to their home ice. Getting one of the club’s top defensemen back would be an enormous boost for the Oilers, too.
Ekholm has been sidelined because of an undisclosed injury since mid-April, missing all of the Oilers’ postseason run to date. But he returned to practice Thursday, and though he remains day-to-day, even Ekholm admitted he didn’t expect to be back soon.
Edmonton has leaned on Ty Emberson and Troy Stecher in Ekholm’s absence, but there’s no question he would strengthen its back end when he’s ready. The Oilers must prepare for Dallas’ response in Game 3, and having Ekholm — who averaged 22 minutes in the regular season for Edmonton, while collecting nine goals and 33 points — makes that more manageable. — Shilton
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business3 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway