Not long after leaving the junior hockey ranks, Tristen Nielsen and Harry Mahesh have climbed the top of the American Hockey League mountain top.
Nielsen, a veteran forward from Fort St. John and Mahesh, an alum of the Vanderhoof Minor Hockey system helped the Abbotsford Canucks claim their first Calder Cup in franchise history on Monday night.
Abbotsford claimed game six of the championship series on the road against the Charlotte Checkers at the Bojangles Coliseum in the North Carolina capital, gutting out a 3-2 result in front of 8,324 fans.
KINGS OF QUEEN CITY 👑 pic.twitter.com/UmgVGMhzpI
— X – Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) June 24, 2025
John Leonard and Jack Devine gave the Checkers a 2-0 edge in the first 13 minutes putting the Canucks on their heels early.
Sammy Blais cut the deficit in half prior to the first intermission on the power-play beating Charlotte goalie Kappo Kahkonen.
Abbotsford continued its momentum in the second period with a pair of goals from Danila Klimovich and Linus Klassen, putting the Vancouver Canucks top farm team in the driver’s sear.
The Checkers pushed in the third outshooting the Canucks 11-7 but were unable to solve playoff MVP Arturs Silovs, who made 28 saves in the victory.
Nielsen, who played in the Western Hockey League for the Calgary Hitmen and Vancouver Giants, finished the 2025 AHL Playoffs with nine points in 24 games to go along with 38 penalty minutes.
Mahesh earned his first Calder Cup ring after spending time with the Powell River Kings (BCHL), Winnipeg Freeze (MJHL) and the Toronto Maple Leafs over the previous three seasons.
Former Prince George Cougars netminder Ty Young was on the Abbotsford playoff roster but did not see any action.
In addition, former Cats equipment manager Chico Dhanjal is also on the Abbotsford staff as its head equipment guy.
Lastly, former Spruce King Jujhar Khaira tallied eight points in 24 postseason contests for the AHL Canucks. The 30-year-old is also a veteran of over 330 NHL games with the Edmonton Oilers, Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild.
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