VANCOUVER – Goaltender Leevi Merilainen wants to make the most of the opportunity the Vancouver Canucks have given him.
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Canucks → want → him
Vancouver claimed the 24-year-old from Oulu, Finland, off waivers from the Ottawa Senators late last month.
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Vancouver → claim → Senators
Merilainen made his first start as a Canuck Saturday, making 23 saves in a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames.
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Merilainen → make → Flames
“It felt good to get the win,” said Merilainen.
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Merilainen → feel → win
“It was sort of weird playing for the first time for a long time.”
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It → play → time
Merilainen earned praise from his teammates and head coach Manny Malhotra for his performance.
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Merilainen → earn → performance
His best save of the night came late in the second period.
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save → come → period
With the Canucks trailing 1-0, he stopped Flames defenceman Zayne Parekh on a Calgary 3-on-1 breakaway.
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he → trail → breakaway
“He did a fantastic job,” said Malhotra.
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Malhotra → do → job
“He looked really poised and calm in net.
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He → look → net
When a goalie plays calm like that, it bleeds into the play of the 5-on-5 in front of him.
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it → play → him
“He made some huge stops.
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He → make → stops
That (3-on-1) could change the momentum of the game.
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That → change → game
He did a fantastic job coming in for his first game and make the stops he needed to make.”
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he → do → stops
The Canucks trailed 1-0 after the first period but then battled back with four goals in the third to register their second win of the season.
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Canucks → trail → season
Liam Ohgren celebrated his 100th NHL game by scoring one goal and assisting on defenceman Elias Pettersson’s winner as Vancouver improved to 2-1-0.
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Vancouver → celebrate → 2
Drew O’Connor and Aatu Raty, into an empty net, also scored for Vancouver.
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O’Connor → score → Vancouver
Tom Willander and centre Linus Karlsson each had two assists.
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Willander → have → assists
Matt Coronato, on the power play, scored for the Flames (0-2-0).
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Coronato → score → Flames
Devin Cooley made 23 saves.
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Cooley → make → saves
The Senators drafted Merilainen in the third round, 71st overall, in 2020.
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Senators → draft → 2020
In 2024-25, he played 12 NHL games, managing a 8-3-1 record, 1.99 goals-against average .925 save percentage and three shutouts.
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he → play → record
With other goaltenders in the system, Ottawa decided Merilainen was expendable, resulting in him coming to Vancouver.
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him → decide → Vancouver
“When it happened it was a little weird,” Merilainen said about moving across the country. “Being like four years with one organization, and all of a sudden you come over here and have a fresh start.
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you → happen → start
For sure it’s exciting.
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it → ’ → ?
“It’s a new opportunity, knowing it’s a team that wants me here.”
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that → ’ → me
Merilainen did make a brief appearance in Vancouver’s 9-7 loss to Edmonton on Thursday night, replacing Kevin Lankinen midway through the second period.
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Merilainen → make → period
He allowed one goal on 11 shots.
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He → allow → shots
Merilainen said having that taste of action made him hungry for the main course of starting a game.
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him → say → game
“I was pretty confident,” he said.
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he → say → ?
“The Oilers game went OK, and I had a good summer.”
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I → go → summer
It was a physical game with Calgary forward Adam Klapa fighting Canuck defenceman Luke Schenn less than three minutes into the first period.
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Klapa → fight → period
O’Connor’s third-period goal was set up after Vancouver centre Elias Pettersson delivered a huge hit on Parekh, freeing up the puck.
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Pettersson → set → puck
“I love that,” Merilainen said.
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Merilainen → love → that
“I love a physical game.
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I → love → game
It’s more entertaining for me to watch.”
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me → ’ → ?
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2026.
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report → publish → Press
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