There’s nothing quite like a home opener.

On a Friday night, the excitement at the Abbotsford Centre was palpable. That spark ignited a fire under the Abbotsford Canucks, leading them to a confident – dominant, rather – 3-1 victory over the San Diego Gulls.

Heading into the game, the Canucks held a major stronghold over their Pacific Division rivals, carrying a commanding 12-2-0-2 (all-time) record against them. With tonight’s win, they’ve improved to 13 wins, seven of which were secured on home ice (7-1-0-1).

The Canucks fed off the electric atmosphere and took control early on. Even after conceding the game’s first goal, they stayed composed and executed nearly a perfect game for the remaining 60 minutes—a level of dominance that had been missing in the previous four games this season.

Let’s dive into how it all unfolded.

The big story heading into the night was Jonathan Lekkerimäki’s debut.

After missing the opening four games with an illness, the Swedish sharpshooter took his place on the top line alongside Aatu Räty and Tristen Nielsen.

Nikita Tolopilo got the nod between the pipes, aiming to continue his strong start and help the Canucks secure a win in their home opener.

According to Abbotsford Canucks’ broadcast host, Brandon Astle, Linus Karlsson is currently nursing an injury, while PDG and Christian Wolanin remain out.

The Canucks came out with intensity from the get-go, and the long-winded introductions didn’t slow them down one bit. Right off the first puck drop, Guillaume Brisebois collected a D-to-D pass and launched captain Chase Wouters on a clean breakaway, firing up the crowd within seconds.

That early burst of energy from the team’s third line set the tone for a lively period.

The night’s spotlight may have been focused on a certain Swedish sniper, but Danila Klimovich had himself a strong period – which would turn out to be a strong evening.

On his first shift, he fired a backhand pass across the crease, sliding its way through without hitting a single stick, skate or shin pad. With the sea parted, however, Cole McWard quickly returned the puck from where it came. With Gulls’ netminder Calle Clang scrambling, Klimovich found himself in prime position but couldn’t capitalize, as Clang managed to slide over for a chest save, keeping it scoreless.

Not a minute later, the Gulls came back with their first real pressure of the game, keeping the Canucks on their heels. A chaotic sequence in front of Tolopilo saw Judd Caulfield hit the side of the net, followed by Tyson Hinds nearly jamming the puck home from the crease. Tolopilo, likely dizzy from being sent into a spin cycle, held his ground to barely survive the onslaught.

The Canucks couldn’t hold off the Gulls for long, though. With the team out of sorts from being hemmed in their own zone, Caulfield regained the puck and found Yegor Sidorov with a crisp dish, and Sidorov netted his third goal of the season with ease.

After all the early buzz, it was the home team who endured early adversity.

The Canucks got back on the saddle, though, and let the atmosphere from the chaotic home crowd ease them back into this game.

With the Canucks pressing into the Gulls zone, Klimocivh – who had hands all over this game – poked the puck toward Max Sasson, who drove toward the net in a jam attempt.

That momentum would continue, and just minutes later, the Canucks were sent to their first powerplay of the game thanks to an undisciplined punch from a Gulls’ forward.

PP1: Aatu Räty, Tristen Nielsen, Max Sasson, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Jett Woo
PP2: Danila Klimovich, John Stevens, Chase Wouters, Ty Mueller, Cole McWard

The first unit seemed a bit disjointed but did generate a strong chance. A well-executed zone entry by Sasson led to Räty finding Lekkerimaki alone in the slot. The crowd held their breath, hoping for a season-debut goal from the prized prospect, but Clang calmly turned the shot aside.

Do you know who wasn’t stopped, though?

With the second unit on the ice, Klimovich took his place on the half-wall. After a quick step towards the net, he unleashed a laser that found the top corner on Clang’s short side.

You could feel his energy ripple through the crowd, and good things tend to happen when Klimovich is feeling it. We’d just like them to happen more consistently.

But the show was only beginning. Lekkerimäki, just minutes into his season debut, set the barn ablaze.

Lekkerimäki showcased his signature perimeter play, cycling the puck on the line before snapping a shot toward the net. Räty was in the perfect position to get a stick on it, redirecting it past Clang.

The crowd exploded as Lekkerimaki notched his debut’s first point of the season, propelling Abbotsford to take the lead.

The period closed with a high-sticking penalty on Jon Stevens, giving the Gulls a chance on the powerplay.

PK1: Aatu Räty, Chase Wouters, Jett Woo, Guillaume Brisebois
PK2: Dino Kambeitz, Ty Mueller, Elias Pettersson, Mark Friedman

The Canucks not only killed the penalty with ease, but they nearly scored in the final seconds. They left the ice up 2-1 and headed into the first intermission on a high.

A few minutes in, the top combination of Raty and Lekkerimäki showed the Abby crowd why this year – assuming each remains on the farm – will be so enjoyable, as they connect for a swift and well-executed breakout.

Speaking of enjoyable, 20-year-old Kirill Kudryavtsev has been so confident in his first stretch of AHL hockey. And it’s plays like this that make him worth watching, as he walks the line with ease.

Another Klimovich opportunity, anyone?

Kudryavtsev wasn’t the only 20-year-old defender showing in tonight’s match. Five minutes later, Elias Pettersson (D-Petey) injected himself into the match, and we mean that literally.

Chasing the puck at his own blue line, he turned and was greeted by a sprinting Gulls forward. Despite leaning awkwardly, Pettersson dropped the shoulder and gave the forward a one-way ticket aboard the Petey train.

The drop in action from the first to the second cannot be overstated. This period provided us with a large gap between noteworthy plays, and through 20 minutes, the Gulls would only notch one shot on net.

With the game flowing steadily but without many highlights, the Canucks’ second line made its mark midway through.

Ty Mueller chased down and negated an icing call, beating his man to the puck and forcing a turnover deep in the Gulls’ zone. Klimovich quickly returned the puck to Mueller, who got the edge in body position and delivered a crafty drop pass to Mark Friedman. Friedman made no mistake, going top-shelf to double his team’s lead in the middle frame.

Mueller’s terrific effort turned out to be his first point in the American Hockey League, and they don’t come much more deserving than that. He was one of the better players among this Abby forward group.

For the remainder of the period, the Canucks dominated possession. They closed with a powerplay opportunity that nearly resulted in another goal. Lekkerimäki came agonizingly close to netting his first of the season on a breakaway, missing the far corner by mere inches.

After 40 minutes, Abbotsford led 3-1, outshooting the Gulls 28-13.

Goaltenders know that seeing just one shot through 20 minutes does not make the remainder of the game easy. You’re cold. You’re bored. You’re rusty.

Well Tolopilo had stayed mostly idle for 20 minutes, and early in the third, the Gulls pressed, forcing Tolopilo to make a massive toe save on a one-timer.

The Canucks earned their fourth powerplay, and this time the second unit led the charge with good puck movement. However, at the end of the first unit’s shift, Nielsen collected the puck on a rush, finding Lekkerimaki as the trailer. Lekkerimaki let off a lethal wrist shot right into Clang’s chest, sparing the Gulls from further damage.

But Lekkerimaki wasn’t finished yet. Later in the period, John Stevens kept a puck in at the blue line, setting up Lekkerimaki for another chance. With time and space in his “office,” he ripped a hard shot that missed by inches, drawing gasps from the crowd.

The Gulls pulled Clang in the final minutes but couldn’t break through Tolopilo. He stayed sharp, holding on for the 3-1 win and securing a perfect start to the season at 3-0-0-0.

This was an ideal home opener for Abbotsford. Klimovich was all over the ice, finishing with a goal, an assist, and numerous chances. The young defenders, Pettersson and Kudryavtsev, showcased strong, confident play on the back end. And Lekkerimäki delivered multiple chances, and his first point of the season was in his debut.

The Canucks will face the Gulls again Saturday night in the second game of this weekend’s doubleheader. For those interested and not already a subscriber, FloHockey has named it their “Game of the Week,” and it will be available for free on all FloHockey channels: YouTube, Facebook, and X.

Puck drop is at 7:00 pm Pacific Time.