Abbotsford Canucks raise banner, fall to Ontario Reign

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The championship run of the 2024-25 Abbotsford Canucks was immortalized in the heavens of the Abbotsford Centre on Friday (Oct. 24) – but the team on the ice failed to reach those heights in a 5-2 loss to the Ontario Reign.

The club’s 2025-26 home opener featured the first-ever banner raising ceremony for the Canucks organization and saw fans, players and staff watch on as the efforts of last season’s team etched its place in Abbotsford history.

Only nine players from that championship team suited up on Friday for the Canucks and some of that unfamiliarity may have hurt the club.

The Canucks were also plagued by penalty trouble and a lack of offensive chemistry for much of the night. Abbotsford was shorthanded six times on Friday and all that time playing a man down did a number on line combinations and playing time for several players.

Ontario opened the scoring just 2:36 into the game when Andre Lee scored his second on the season to quickly quiet the AC crowd. Abbotsford’s Ben Berard tied the game up at 19:47 with a power play goal to even the game up, with Kirill Kudryavtsev and Vitali Kravtsov drawing the assists. The Canucks out shot the Reign 10-7 in the opening frame.

The middle frame saw the Canucks take three minor penalties in a row, but managed to kill all three off. The Reign regained the lead at 12:38 when Taylor Ward beat Nikita Tolopilo and Ontario led 2-1 after two. Shots in the second period were nine apiece.

Ward added his second of the night at 4:20 of the third and Lee scored again to make it a 4-1 game just a few minutes later with a power play goal. In between the two goals saw Tolopilo make an incredible stretching save, but he appeared to suffer some sort of injury. He continued in the crease, but did have to leave the game at the 10:23 mark. Jiri Patera replaced him for the final 9:37 of the game.

Mackenzie MacEachern then drew the Canucks within two with a power play of his own at 14:14, but that would be as close as the Canucks would get. Glenn Gawdin added an empty net at 19:24 to reach the 5-2 final.

Berard led all Canucks with six shots on goal and was the only Abbotsford player to record a two-point night. Ward had three points for the Reign and Gawdin was a game-best +3. Chase Wouters, MacEachern and Arnaud Durandeau all finished at -3 for the evening.

Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra said his team struggled early and all the penalties made it difficult to find a rhythm to the game offensively.

“It took us a while to find our legs and then find our poise with the puck,” he said. “But it’s difficult to be successful when you take six penalties. So that’s obviously an area we need to be better on.”

Malhotra said he did like some of the second period and was satisfied with the penalty kill. He also praised the play of his young defence and noted that several of them put in quality minutes on Friday.

Friday also marked the return of Surrey product Juhjar Khaira, who was a key part of the Calder Cup winning team. He re-signed with the club on Thursday (Oct. 24) and he said he’s glad to be back and mentioned that the banner raising brought out a lot of emotions.

“It was mixed emotions – what a group we had last year,” he said, reflecting on the ceremony. “It’s tough not having that same group here, but at the same time I just walked through the door and everyone seems great. I think this was something we will all look back on one day.”

The Canucks and Reign meet again at the AC on Sunday (Oct. 26) at 3 p.m. Continue visiting abbynews.com for ongoing coverage of Abbotsford’s defence of the Calder Cup.