Abbotsford Canucks hang on for 2-1 win over Ontario Reign

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Abbotsford Canucks goalie Nikita Tolopilo stood on his head once again to lead his club to a second consecutive victory in a 2-1 win over the Ontario Reign on Saturday (Feb. 14).

Tolopilo made 31 saves and kept the game competitive in the first and second period to allow the Canucks to steal the game in the third. Saturday’s win comes one week after his last incredible performance that saw him make 39 saves in another 2-1 win over the San Jose Barracuda.

The Belarusian goalie was perfect in the first period and made 12 saves to keep the game scoreless after 20 minutes. The Canucks managed just four shots in the opening frame and Tolopilo was forced to come up with several big stops.

The Reign finally beat Tolopilo at 6:37 of the second when Cole Guttman connected on the power play. Abbotsford was again badly outshot in the second period by a margin of 8-3.

The Canucks finally began creating some offensive pressure in the third period and Nils Aman tied the game up on an individual rush that resulted in a bank-in opportunity. Rookie forward Nick Poisson then tipped in a Nikolai Knyzhov shot at the 11-minute mark and that turned out to be all the Canucks would need.

The Reign had several glorious opportunities late, but Tolopilo again shut the door. The Canucks were out shot 32-13 in the contest and Danila Klimovich led the team with three shots. Knyzhov had a two-point night, while Aman finished at a game-high +2.

Tolopilo has won three of his last four AHL starts and now has a record of 7-6-3-0 on the season. The Olympic break means that he will remain in Abbotsford for the time being, but he will likely return to Vancouver when the NHL resumes later this month.

Saturday also saw the return of Canucks forward Chase Stillman, who had been out with an injury since Oct. 28. Stillman posted two shots in his first appearance in 2026.

The Ontario defensive pair of Otto Salin and Samuel Bolduc both finished at -2, while Guttman and Francesco Pinelli recorded four shots apiece. The Canucks went 0/2 on the power play, while the Reign were 1/3.

Reported attendance on Saturday was 3,668.

Abbotsford’s record improves to 17-26-3-3 on the season and they remain in 10th place in the Pacific Division. The Canucks are 10 points out of the seventh and final playoff spot in the division.

The two teams meet again on Monday (Feb. 16) for a special Family Day encounter. Face-off for that game is set for 1 p.m.