Later this afternoon, the Vancouver Canucks will face the Pittsburgh Penguins in a matinee match. The spotlight will mostly be on No. 87, but most fans will be excited to welcome back fan favourite Arturs Silovs to Rogers Arena.

Silovs, 24, was drafted by the Canucks in the sixth round (156th overall) of the 2019 NHL draft. He joined the Canucks organization for one game in 2020-21, and split time between the AHL and ECHL the following season. As a 21-year-old, Silovs made his NHL debut on February 15, 2023, against the New York Rangers, becoming the fourth-youngest goaltender to start in Canucks history.

But he’s known for much more than that.

Once Thatcher Demko went down with another injury after Game 1 of their first-round series in 2023-24 against the Nashville Predators, and Casey DeSmith was held out after getting a bit banged up in Game 2, Silovs got the call and ran with his opportunity. Silovs won his first playoff appearance, stopping 27 of 30 shots, and former Head Coach Rick Tocchet gave the crease to Silovs the rest of the way.

After Saturday’s practice at UBC, Silovs met the media and discussed his return to Vancouver, and highlighted one of his favourite memories of playing with the big club:

“The game we played against Vegas when we won the division. And then getting in the net in the playoffs, that was an incredible feeling; managing to win the series was a really great memory to have.”

That same injury kept Demko out to start the 2024-25 campaign, giving Silovs another opportunity to solidify his role at the NHL level. However, after some early struggles and Kevin Lankinen stealing the crease, Silovs was demoted to backup duties and eventually returned to the AHL, where he could get more starts with the Abbotsford Canucks.

With Demko being in and out of the lineup for most of the season, Silovs was held to just 21 starts in Abbotsford, finishing with a 14-5-1 record, a 2.41 goals against average and a .908 save percentage. And once the regular season ended, Silovs began to build his legacy in this market.

Silovs went on to backstop the Canucks to a Calder Cup Championship, finishing with a 16-7 record, a 2.01 goals against average and a .931 save percentage. This included shutouts in each of the first three series clinching games. His efforts were recognized as pivotal to success during their playoff run, and he was subsequently named the Calder Cup MVP.

While it may have taken a little bit longer than expected, the Abbotsford Canucks received their Championship rings earlier in the week. It was perfect timing for Silovs, whose Penguins were now rolling into town.

“Yeah, it was great,” Silovs said about receiving his ring. “Met with RJ [Ryan Johnson], had a little chat; really nice to have it. Great experience with the team back then. Just remembering how we battled all the way, every single game to get there. It’s for sure a memory for life.”

Coming off such an impressive playoff run, it was clear that Silovs had outplayed the AHL level and was ready to make the jump to the NHL. But with Demko and Lankinen freshly extended, there wasn’t any room for Silovs in the Canucks organization. Doing what was best for the player, the Canucks traded Silovs to the Penguins in exchange for prospect Chase Stillman and a 2027 fourth-round pick.

The Latvian netminder made a fantastic first impression with his new club, shutting out his former teammate JT Miller and the New York Rangers in the season opener, stopping all 25 shots he faced. Now over halfway through the season, Silovs has solidified himself in a goaltending tandem with Stuart Skinner, the same goaltender he went face-to-face with in the second round of the 2024 playoffs. On the season, Silovs has a 9-6-8 record with a 3.00 goals against average and a .894 save percentage.

With the success now translating to the NHL level, what is Silovs using from the experience of last season’s successful Calder Cup run that is helping him with Pittsburgh this year?

“Confidence, consistency of how many games you play in a row,” Silovs said. “Getting in the flow of it all, playoff hockey is the most difficult one to play, emotionally and body-wise. So I think just battling it through and gaining experience that helps in the future.”

When asked if he expects to hear an Arty Party chant in Rogers Arena for today’s game, Silovs chuckled and said, “Yeah, probably, I would assume they would.” Whatever the welcome is, Silovs is ready for the game and the fan reaction.

“I feel good,” Silovs shared. “There’s going to be a lot of energy there. It’s a great building, and fans are really passionate about hockey. It’s going to be a fun game.”

The Penguins haven’t confirmed today’s starting goaltender, but considering they did not start Skinner in his return to Edmonton, they may choose to have Silovs sit in Vancouver in what could be an emotional game for him. Regardless of whether he makes the start this afternoon or not, Silovs will be remembered fondly in this market and will receive a warm welcome from Canucks fans in Rogers Arena.