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Silovs gets a shutout in first game after Vancouver Canucks traded him

Trevor Beggs
Trevor Beggs
|
Oct 8 2025, 4:25 am
Silovs gets a shutout in first game after Vancouver Canucks traded him
Brad Penner/Imagn Images

Even though Arturs Silovs is no longer with the Vancouver Canucks, the Arty Party lives on.

For the second straight season, Silovs started in an NHL crease on opening night.

He didn’t fare so well in the opener for the Canucks last October. This time, it was a different story.

In his first start for the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Latvian netminder stopped all 25 shots he faced against J.T. Miller and the New York Rangers, recording a shutout for his new club.

He became just the second Penguins goalie in franchise history to get a shutout in his debut.

“It’s great,” Silovs said when asked about the shutout by SportsNet Pittsburgh’s Hailey Hunter. “Guys competed, so many great blocks and individual efforts. I felt comfortable, guys did a good job, and the result showed.”

Although Silovs was named AHL playoff MVP while helping the Abbotsford Canucks win the Calder Cup, he was traded to the Penguins on July 13 in exchange for AHLer Chase Stillman and a 2027 fourth-round pick.

The writing was on the wall for Silovs after Kevin Lankinen was given a five-year, $22.5-million extension by the Canucks in February, followed by Thatcher Demko getting a three-year, $25.5-million extension on July 1.

Silovs became a folk hero for the Canucks in the 2024 playoffs, taking over the crease for injured netminders Demko and Casey DeSmith. His only other career NHL shutout came in Game 6 of the first round, shutting the door as the Canucks beat the Nashville Predators. He then helped Vancouver take the Edmonton Oilers to the brink of elimination before eventually losing in Game 7.

It’s just one game, but the 24-year-old couldn’t have asked for a better start with his new team.

Was trading Silovs a mistake? Let us know in the comments below.

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