Leevi Merilainen makes the most of his chance with the Canucks in a 4-1 win

Goaltender Leevi Merilainen wants to make the most of the opportunity the Vancouver Canucks have given him. Vancouver claimed the 24-year-old from Oulu, Finland, off waivers from the Ottawa Senators late last month. In his first start as a Canuck on Saturday, he made 23 saves in a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames.

“It felt good to get the win,” Merilainen said. He added that it felt strange to play for the first time in a long while. Teammates and head coach Manny Malhotra praised his performance. His best save came late in the second period, with Vancouver trailing 1-0: he stopped Flames defenceman Zayne Parekh on a Calgary three-on-one. Malhotra said Merilainen looked poised and calm in net, and that a goalie’s calm can carry into the five-on-five play in front of him. He also said Merilainen made huge stops, that stopping the rush could change the game’s momentum, and that he did what was needed in his first game.

The Canucks trailed 1-0 after the first period, then scored four times in the third to earn their second win of the season and improve to 2-1-0. Liam Ohgren marked his 100th NHL game with a goal and an assist on defenceman Elias Pettersson’s winner. Drew O’Connor also scored, and Aatu Raty added an empty-net goal. Tom Willander and centre Linus Karlsson each had two assists. Matt Coronato scored on the power play for Calgary (0-2-0), while Devin Cooley made 23 saves.

Ottawa drafted Merilainen in the third round, 71st overall, in 2020. He played 12 NHL games in 2024-25, going 8-3-1 with a 1.99 goals-against average, a .925 save percentage and three shutouts. In 20 games last season, he went 8-10-1, with a 3.51 GAA and a .860 save percentage. With other goaltenders in its system, Ottawa decided Merilainen was expendable, and he came to Vancouver.

Merilainen said moving across the country after about four years with one organization felt strange at first, but a fresh start was exciting and he knew Vancouver wanted him there. He had a brief appearance in the Canucks’ 9-7 loss to Edmonton on Thursday night, replacing Kevin Lankinen midway through the second period and allowing one goal on 11 shots. Merilainen said that taste of action made him hungry to start a game. He felt confident, said the Edmonton game went OK and added that he had a good summer.

It was a physical game: Calgary forward Adam Klapa fought Canucks defenceman Luke Schenn less than three minutes into the first period. O’Connor’s third-period goal followed a big hit by Vancouver centre Elias Pettersson on Parekh, which freed the puck. Merilainen said he loves a physical game and finds it more entertaining to watch.

The Canadian Press first published this report on Oct. 4, 2026.