Canucks prospect and Team Latvia star Arturs Silovs nominated for IIHF Male Player of the Year

Vancouver Canucks goaltending prospect Arturs Silovs has been named one of seven finalists for the International Ice Hockey Federation’s 2022–23 Player of the Year award.

The IIHF’s Historical Committee released its list of seven candidates on Wednesday morning. The winner of the award will be voted upon by media members and “invited members of the IIHF Family” and will be unveiled on June 19.

The seven finalists are as follows:

Kubalik, Peterka, Seider, and Silovs all played National Hockey League games in 2022–23. Bedard and Fantilli are widely expected to be picked first and second overall in the upcoming 2023 NHL Draft. Ambuhl is a 39-year-old veteran of the Swiss National League.

Silovs should be a strong contender to win this award. The 22-year-old goaltender was named a tournament All-Star, the top goaltender, and the MVP of the 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championship in Riga and Tampere last month, helping Team Latvia cap off its Cinderella run with a 4–3 overtime win over Team USA to capture bronze.

The Canucks originally selected Silovs in the sixth round (No. 156 overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft. The six-foot-four goaltender emerged as the starter for the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks this past season, posting a 26–12–5 record and a .909 save percentage in 44 games.

Silovs also appeared in five NHL games with Vancouver during the 2022–23 regular season, going 3–2–0 with a .908 save percentage. He started two games for Abbotsford in the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs, pairing a 1–1 record with a .914 save percentage.

Bedard is another leading candidate to be named the IIHF Player of the Year. The 17-year-old phenom captured the attention of the hockey world with his incredible performance at the 2023 World Juniors, racking up 23 points in just seven games. The North Vancouver product will soon be named the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.